Re: Is there a future for steam tourist railroads? II

While many are lamenting the sad state of current affairs, I have a very different view. I grew up in New Jersey in the 50's and 60's. My Dad was great in that he encouraged all of us kids (I'm one of six) in whatever our interests were. He took me to South Amboy to see GG1's exchanged with K4's, we rode an Iron Horse Ramble behind 2124, he took me to the Centreville & SouthWestern, we managed to see Black River & Western 565 operate in Chester on the CNJ, and we went to the Pine Creek at least once a year. When I graduated high school in 1970 I thought steam was dead so I never even considered a career of working on steam locomotives.If anyone told me back then about all the steam locomotives I would see in operation I would have thought they were crazy or engaging in recreational drugs! Yet look at all the locomotives that have run since then! I'm not going to try and list them all. But we have been blessed with many locomotives running that sat idle for years. Yes, many of them are idle again, but look at what has run in the last year, and what is being restored to service! Who ever thought 315 would run again, or that RGS 20 would be restored for operation? Someone had a dream, and got others to buy into their dream and work hard to make it a reality!