The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway (NCO) was never a profitable enterprise, but somehow it found away to carry on.  Finally, the Moran family, owners of the beleaguered railroad had enough. On November 21, 1921, the N.CO. petitioned the Interstate Railroad Commission to abandon its entire line, due to substantial operation losses. After several public hearings the Commission denied the request. The Commission cited that the railroad could reduce its cost by operating a tri-weekly service, instead of a daily; eliminate the president’s $10,000 a year salary and close its New York City office.

At the same time, the Western Pacific Railroad had offered to buy the line for $1,100,000 the equivalent of $6,000 a mile. The NCO’s President, Charles Moran, insisted on a higher price of $10,000 a mile, an $800,000 difference. Moran, however, testified that the junk value of the railroad was $300,000.

The Commission did make one concession—it allowed for the abandonment of sixteen miles of the line between Wendel and Rayl (the latter to be known as Herlong). On October 31, 1922, the last NCO train left Rayl, passed through Amedee, and now Wendel was the terminus

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