South Park Wrote:
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> OK, .. help me understand this ... we keep
> getting suggestions raised about how to alter the
> running of the trains to cut costs.
>
> Am I missing something, or isn't running the
> original type STEAM railroad part of the BASELINE
> set up in the original charter ... ? You know,
> that whole preservation of an historic asset as a
> means to draw tourism to the area to offset
> welfare costs to an impoverished economic area for
> the two states ?
>
> Seems to this observer, the only real option is
> to hold the state's feet to the fire of commitment
> on an investment that pays a staggeringly high
> return above cost and to not keep looking for ways
> to undermine the original mission ... like
> diesels or welded rail or polycarbonate bullet
> trains, or whatever. How about offer the states
> an historic scrapping of the last 64 miles of
> track, they can pocket all that hard cash, and
> then pay out thru the axx for eternity in welfare
> for the area ? Gawdammit, what other state-owned
> property pays its way, let alone does so in spades
> ? This operation is a gold mine. They need to
> start treating it like one.
Except the fact the C&T needs money from the states each year for locomotive and track maintance. And then they still fall a little short sometimes. But I do agree the money it puts in the economy far out weights what it takes back...
I second diesel would be nice for the C&T, it could be a rescue train, work train, and an engine to do short Cumbres Turns ONCE a week. But never should it be used to pull the Main trains unless for safety reasons, and never should it be a reason to put a steam locomotive on the backlines and not use and maintain it. But, I think it could be helpful for small trains where running a steam engine is too expensive.,
