Hats off to Mr Harper for coming up with solutions. Silently, I'm hoping the diesel isn't the favored solution, but it might be.... if I were him having to run his business, and have 3 types of locomotives- coal fired, oil fired, and diesel- and knowing I could run the diesel and oil burner year round, no matter the weather, why would I keep the coal burner?
Yes the fuel costs to run the locomotive might be cheaper, but maintaining a horse to only run in certain seasons would be an extra expense. And reading some Bob Richardson the other night, the Silverton had trouble with cinders starting fires for a long time, not just this year. Seems he put out a few fires back in the day.
So I'm not trying to be negative, and hoping for the best. But if I had to guess, if 493 is a success the rest of the steam fleet would be converted to oil eventually- perhaps sooner than later.. I'd much rather see that than a fleet of diesels!