Re: SLRG Questions

I rode that trip saturday. The photo ops Mr. Ellis and company set up with the musicians on the tender LITERALLY had people running (or moving rather quickly at the least) from one side of the locomotive to the other to get their shots...very cool indeed!

That railroad, as I stated to Mr. Adler, Mr. Knoob and Mr. Ellis, is the most incredible standard gauge tourist route I know to exist in america. While there are others that have some decent scenery, this railroad comes out far in the lead! I would venture to say that neither words nor photos are capable of doing it justice, it is something one must experience.

From an operations standpoint, the SLRG is an easy replacment for the GCR steam program and maybe better. I say that because there is a greater variety of operating conditions, 23 miles of PERFECTLY tangent rail to the gentle conditions of the foothills and then into the heavy grades of the mountains over the pass. Then of course on the way back it is an even heavier pull to get over the top!

Really, I just can't say enough good words... Mr. Ellis and crew have managed to build up this operation and develop programs that create destinations on their own railroad in only 3 years. Simply and utterly impressive!