Re: Rotary this year?

In all due respect, methinks you are muddying the waters. We have been talking about the use of the rotary, not anything else. One of the neat things about the C&TS is that there is the opportunity to see a real live and breathing narrow gauge railroad. I have no arguments there.

But in the case of the rotary snowplows, here we are talking an esssentially irreplaceable resource. The last time OY was used it was almost destroyed. This is a luxury we can't afford, especially when there are better alternatives available (but not as sexy).

Speaking generally, the railroads used rotary snow plows only when absolutely necessary, not as a first choice. I understand that the UP very, very rarely uses their rotaries, and then mostly on the plains. I don't have the answer to this, but when was the last time the UP used their rotaries?

Now having made my case against the use of OY on the C&TS, let me soften my stance a bit. I wouldn't object to its use on a very limited basis under carefully controlled circumstances. By that I mean, for example, a run from, say, Chama to Lobato and back in FRESH AND UNDISTURBED SNOW - not under the conditions which likely will exist up on Cumbres. There are better alternatives.

CJ