Roger Hogan Wrote:
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> I have said it before and I will say it again. "I
> think they have picked the best spot that is
> available.
I think we are having a severe failure to communicate here and it is my opinion that this “disconnect” is of the Friends making due to their desire to build this RVC to fulfill their mission. How can you or anyone else declare the North Yard location is the best spot for the RVC unless all the locations are analyzed based on some objective criteria. No where in Nan’s responses and my requests have the site locations or selection criteria been quantified. That seems like a pretty basic request that should have been addressed long ago.
>
> 1. This area has always been neglected and as long
> as money is a problem that will continue. This
> might be the only chance that the area won't look
> like a dump.
>
What are you talking about the North yard looking like a dump? I posted pictures from last week that don’t look dumpy to me. If it is a dumping ground it is because the Friends choose to have it like that. I see the tarped passenger car 0452 and some telegraph poles that John Cole’s crew will be installing soon; I hardly think this constitutes a dump. Yes the coal pile is in this area but it should be relocated anyway to an area across the tracks.
> 2. I think the location will be a big help to the
> downtown area.
How is the North yard area a better location than adjacent to Narrow Gauge gifts which puts the RVC right in the center of the business district?
>
> 3. If you read the E-mail answers Nan wrote you
> will see they have done a lot of research and
> asked the opinion of many.
>
> Link to the thread that has Nan's E-mail answers
> to folks that contacted her about the site
> location and about why it is being done. The 2nd
> E-mail is below this one.
>
> [
www.goatbbs.com]
> b.cgi/read/56578#56578
Still doesn’t give any site selection rationale...
>
> 4. Great spot for museum visitors to see
> demonstrations.
Demonstrations of what? The coaling tower is non functional as is the sanding tower with no plans that I have heard of to put them back in service. The argument that this is where all the action takes place is somewhat time related. Will the RVC even be open during the early morning and evening when engines are most likely to be hostled and serviced? As someone else pointed out building a wooden deck along the Terrace Ave. sidewalk near 3rd Avenue accomplishes the same viewing opportunities that the RVC structure would afford at a fraction of the cost.
>
> The thinking NO WAY NOT ANYTHING NEW OR DIFFERENT
> I believe would of caused the railroad to be shut
> down a long time ago.
>
> A quote from one of Nan's E-mails "wheel-chair
> accessible coaches, fairly recent modern
> restrooms, a newer machine shop, coaches painted
> red, the leasing of cabooses, the addition of the
> Cinder Bear train and a shorter Sunday train only
> mkaing the Cumbres turn, and finally, the notion
> of a Railroad Visitor's Center. I believe this
> makes a lot of sense, to progress and grow or at
> least stay alive some change is a must.
>
> Just my opinion no more no less.
The issue isn’t to impede the interpretation of the RR to visitors; the issue is to be sensitive to maintaining the historic look and feel of the railroad by not continually “improving” the site by making changes. Locations that don’t impact the historic views to the point the yard loses its historic character are available options. The cumulative impact of all the changes is to end up with just another non historic tourist RR that kills the charm of what Chama once had.
Rod Jensen
