Rhinehart Branch Line

**The Rhinehart Branch Line** (formerly known as the ***Newport* Branch**) is a private line owned by the Ford Motor Company. It starts from Motorcity Works and ends at Newport Harbour. Despite this, the line is currently named after the area in which its car factory is located.

## History

The workshops at Motorcity were expanding and becoming busier than before, so it became clear that a more efficient means of delivering parts there was needed. Hence, the harbour at Newport was rebuilt following its destruction by a thunderstorm years before, and a line to the harbour was constructed in 1962; the line would be named after the harbour where it terminated. Remembrance assisted with its construction, and even befriended a farmer who owned a Rowan orchard. She would be transferred from the main line when Enterprise was brought to the Valleyfields Central, and ran the line for almost 20 years. Raven would later be brought to the line to help her when the workload increased.

However, the line fell on hard times, and in order to get them out of a financial rut, William Cavendish, the VCR’s controller at the time, sold the line to Ford in 1981. The company would build a car factory at Rhinehart, but with that came a series of changes. First, they would change the name of the branch line from Newport to Rhinehart where their factory was located. Second, Remembrance and Raven were relocated to the railway’s main line and replaced with diesel engines, and passenger services were abolished. Finally, the company bought the harbour so they could use it for their operations.

When the residents of Centralia heard about these changes, they held a protest against the passenger service's cancellation, and the removal of its engines. But their efforts were in vain, as the higher-ups at Ford didn't think the service would benefit their business. Mr. Cavendish, who greatly supported the protest, even offered to split the profits from the service with the company, but they declined. However, they did allow passenger trains to run on the line strictly for taking workers to and from their factory, and the power plant. Centralia's residents would otherwise have to make do with travelling by road.

## Route

The line starts from Motorcity Works and travels west for a short way, until it dips down and reaches Rhinehart. It then goes under a rail bridge which is crossed by the Great Eastern's main line, and then climbs gently back up, passing straight through the town of Centralia. A passenger station used to be located just outside the town on its east side, but was torn up following Ford's takeover. On the other side of Centralia is the nuclear power plant, and from there, the line crosses under the Little Rhendowhen between two ledges. It rounds a curve, approaching the coast line, and passing the Rowans which it used to serve. Finally, it goes through a tunnel carved into a ledge, and comes out to the Newport harbour on the other side.

## Operations

Under its former name and identity, the line transported engine parts to Motorcity Works. Engines would also transport rowan berries from the orchard for medical use in the island's southern region, as well as passengers between Motorcity and Centralia. The line would also serve the nuclear plant, collecting waste to take as far as Motorcity to be transported elsewhere for disposal. However, since Ford's takeover, its main purpose has been to export cars abroad, and bring car parts from the harbour to the factory in Rhinehart. Passenger services and rowanberry transportation no longer exist on the line, but the nuclear plant is still in service.