(The following appeared on The Times-Picayune website on April 25, 2011.)
NEW ORLEANS — After opting last month not to sell a trio of antique Pullman railcars at the fire-sale price offered by a single bidder, board members of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad on Monday agreed to try to lease out at least two of the cars, which became a symbol of profligate spending at the quasi-city agency.
The board’s Ownership & Management Committee also recommended against selling the fixed assets of the city-owned railroad, which include 100 miles of track throughout the city and the Huey P. Long Bridge. But they left open the possibility of outsourcing management to a private firm, an option Mayor Mitch Landrieu also has floated.
Officials said Monday they want to turn the controversial railcars into money-makers for the Public Belt, which until last summer allowed local charities, politicians and board members to use them for free, often dipping into public coffers to finance the catered meals and cocktails that accompanied the excursions.
The full story is on the Times-Picayune website.