Three employees of the Wilmington & Western Railroad were let go earlier this week. The news came more than a month after the railroad announced it would suspend operations for the 2025 season to repair its aging equipment.

According to a social media post by a group called “Concerned Volunteers of the WWRR” (which was also shared on the railroad’s official page), the general manager, account manager, and volunteer program manager were all dismissed by the board of directors on April 3. The post states that the board cited a “reduction in operational needs of the organization” as the reason for the layoffs. 

On February 27, the railroad announced it was taking a “proactive step” by shutting down operations to focus on equipment repairs. Sources close to the railroad informed Railfan & Railroad that a major issue is the reliability of its locomotives. Last year, some holiday excursions had to be canceled due to a lack of available motive power. Both of the railroad’s steam locomotives, 0-6-0 58 and 4-4-0 98, are currently out of service.

Long-time volunteers tell Railfan & Railroad that they are concerned about the railroad’s future and how it is currently being managed. —Railfan & Railroad Staff