Winter Special discussion has been derailed...

...by a passing line clearing operation. So I feel that it is incumbent upon me as the initiator of this discussion to get us back on track. Winter Specials, as I have tried to define and describe them here, are different animals from line clearing operations.

Line clearing operations are work trains, operated by the railroad for the sole purpose of opening the line for operations. The first time that Scenic ran an operation of that sort was in February 1975 when we ran the OM as far as Cresco to accommodate the John Deere Snowmobile commercial. We did not schedule or promote it in any way to accommodate railfans.

Winter Specials, on the other hand, are planned and carried out specifically to appeal to the arcane interests of crazy people like us. As in "On the weekend of February 12, 2011 we will have a Rotary snowplow and a steam locomotive equipped with pilot plow under steam in the Chama yard. Also available will be a flanger, the Jordan Spreader and a "typical work train." Using some or all of this equipment as appropriate for conditions, we will run a mile or two up the line and throw what ever snow Mother Nature has provided. Then we will adjourn to Foster's where El Russo Loco will treat us to a round of whatever it is he drinks while Jerry Day regales us with a three hour slide presentation on the history of snowfighting in the Rocky Mountains. Afterwards, those still standing will then divide into two teams and go out in the highway for a good old fashioned snowball fight."

So, in conclusion, I would like to see this thread stay focused on that type of operation. Such an operation is doable, IMHO. If they could pull off that 40th Anniversary thing, they could do this. The question is, is it practical or sensible to consider doing it?

"Time spent with CATS is never wasted." -- Sigmund Freud

"Nothing endures but change." -- Heraclitus

"C'est le meilleur des mondes possibles." -- Candide