Foster Engineers Deal for Railroad

By Candy Farlow

As seen in Eastern Shore Post – 01-18-2006

Say goodbye to Eastern Shore Railroad and hello to Bay Coast Railroad. As of today, Cassatt Management, LLC is the operator of the freight rail service which runs between Little Creek and Pocomoke City, MD and Bay Coast is the new name for the operation. Cassatt is yet another endeavor of Richard S. Foster, the owner of Baymark Construction Corporation and the developer of Bay Creek Resort in Cape Charles.

Today’s announcement was made jointly by the Accomack-Northampton Transportation District Commission (ANTDC) and Canonie Atlantic Co. which had been operating the line. The new agreement between the parties provides for a lease of the railroad property to Foster as well as an operating agreement. Under the terms of the deal, Cassatt has guaranteed freight rail service over the Canonie lines for 30 years.

Yesterday Foster said his first order of business will be to try and get maintenance of the facilities "caught up." "There are a lot of things that have been put off over the past few years for lack of money," he said.

Foster and his team, including General Manager Larry Lamond who is staying on, also will be putting together a business plan which will incorporate a number of things Foster wants to see happen. Those include a "clean-up" of the railroad property in Cape Charles, and satisfying equipment needs and repairs. Foster’s team also includes J.T. Holland of Nassawadox who has extensive experience with operation of the railroad through his service on various commissions. Holland said he will concentrate his efforts in the areas of marketing and governmental relations.

That will be a key position in the endeavor as Foster said he plans to have the company participating in Rail Preservation programs. The basis of the business, however, according to Foster, "is about taking care of customers and taking care of employees." Foster confirmed he still hopes to eventually establish an excursion service on the rail line as an added source of revenue as well as a tourist attraction.

Plans call for property on Lankford Highway just south of the railroad crossing near Cape Charles to be the location for a train station from which excursions will depart. Holland says the excursion idea is just one of "so many wonderful things that can happen” under the new deal. A release provided by ANTDC Chairman Larry Trala states,"The ANTDC and Canonie believe that Cassatt brings to the railroad the resources needed to significantly improve the facilities and the dedication to serve the needs of both the railroad’s online customers, and those which ship overhead."