Re: Here is a strange idea ...

This is a grand idea.

Personally, riding a train, unless it is in historically interesting terrain, isn't that interesting, cab rides excluded. If I ever get to Colorado, I will ride every train I can get to, once. After that it will be return visits to places where I can watch the equipment move, or be informed at a museum. A ride around the yard even pretending to make up trains, would be repeated fun. Why? All the activity, the starting, stopping, coupling/uncoupling, whistle signals. A big wow would be pushing a loaded coal gondola up to be emptied in the hopper, assuming any are still serviceable. Loading Gavin's junk into a hopper, why not?

I live a few hours from Jamestown, Sierra Railway. The only time I ride the train is if I have a guest, but every time I am in Jamestown I buy a ticket for the roundhouse tour. Best part of the day is watching the engine come out onto the turntable. They could get even more from me if they had the Model T in the barn out and running, just to the water tank and back, or a hand car or a more modern track inspection vehicle.

Notable exceptions to this are track side points of interest, like WRM spring wildflower tour.

But spending all day on a train is not my idea of fun, the one dinner train I took was torture, being confined to my seat as historic places that I wanted to see passed me by. What I want is to watch the train in action, and for that I will pay.

Mike
San Rafael, CA