Re: SLRG, SLVS, Tourist Ride and other stuff

The railroad from Monte Vista to South Fork (about 33 miles) is full of TCCX 5-pack intermodal flats in storage. They are obsolete and will probably be scrapped someday. I do not know how much we get for the storage, but it was quoted to me when some adjacent landowners were objecting to them that we would gladly not park cars adjacent to thier land if they would pay us $3 a foot per month where the line crosses thier property. I would assume the rate to be something close to that.

We purchased the SSLV for car storage. The current intact RR is about a mile line and extends south past the former lettuce sheds about a 1/4 mile. As the RR was still laid with the original 55lb rail, the existing trackwork was deemed unsuitable even for car storage, so the line is being rebuilt with used 75lb rail salvaged from a rail replacement project in Arizona. The SSLV's homemade diesel M500 is still there and is included in the deal. We want to see it preserved, but have no plans in place yet. And, no, it is of no use to the SLRG as a functioning locomotive. All the SSLV right of way south to Jaroso has reverted to the county or adjacent land owners.

We have no plans to make Blanca a stop for the passenger trains. However, we are looking into the possibility of raising the track speed east of Alamosa to Ft. Garland to cut the running time.