Sorry, I couldn't resist that title. Actually, I am referring to the book I talked about some time ago. In it I explain why steam power was replaced by diesels in the middle of the Twentieth Century. There seemed to be some interest then and I finally finished putting the old manuscript on the computer, including all the tables and graphs. Ken Riddle is busy getting the whole thing printed up with a hard binding and soft cover so it will look like a real book. He is going to put it in his Little River Locomotive Company catalog and we are going to sell it for $28.95.
If anyone is interested email me at the above address and I will return email you a power point flyer or a word flyer for those who can't open power point. Ken will probably have the first of about 100 copies out in August and he is willing to take advance orders (I think). If he gets enough interest he may print more on the first run. Little River Locomotive can be reached at 888-480-7648 or on their website, shopraq1.hiwaay.net/LittleRiver/StoreFront.bok or on their email,
steam-loc@steamlocomotive.com
End of shameless plug. The latest fix it post by HRMO'Biph is one of the best in my opinion. Why? Because he describes a similar situation that actually works in Texas. Interestingly, most posts that sound practical come to rest with the Commission. Always the Commission! It seems the most maligned two railroad overseers in the United States today are the C&TS Commission and Joe Kovalchick of the EBT. While this may not be quite fair, it is true that change usually must come from the top down. If the Commission doesn't think the C&TS is broken now they will probably be reminded constantly as they attempt to find an operator for next year. It is important to remember that the RMRPC is the fourth operator in the C&TS's history. Of all these operators, not one has finished out the original contract term. Two were kicked out and two voluntarily invoked the cancelation clause. The only entity that has remained unscathed is the Commission. What is wrong with this picture?
The current Commissioners, bless their courage, must now either preside over the dismantling of the railroad, or make meaningful changes that allow an operator, non-profit or otherwise, to maintain a sustainable railroad service. We are witnessing a replay of history in dozens of communities when the Rio Grande Southern, Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes, EBT, Bridgton & Harrison and others collapsed with barely an obituary in their local papers. The main difference is the C&TS and the EBT are really needed by their respective communities in the 21st century. If only the local powers that control these entities can find a way to the future!
A lot of posts, including John West's latest post, seem to indicate that the primary problem now is with the locomotives. It seems that fixed properties and rolling stock can be handled without too much trouble, but the locomotives require MONEY and lots of it.
What does that mean? How much money represents MONEY? Actually there is a lot more to the problem than the locomotives in my mind, but let's start there and think about how this summer's fire season might have a slight silver lining behind all the smoke clouds.
First, nobody has defined what amount of money is needed to repair the locomotives. Walter Rosenberger, Bartholomew's CMO was the only guy I know of who began to put together a plan that would allow quantification of the motive power budget needs over the long term. This is not a frivolous exercise because of the complexity of dismantling, fixing and re-erecting a locomotive. furthermore, the assembly of a plan should be a joint effort produced by a mechanical committee of interested, competent and skilled locomotive people that is formed and retained by the Commission. I suggested this during the waning days of Bartholomew's reign but got lost in all the acrimony. Such a committe could finally begin to sort out whose responsibility different parts of a rebuild/maintenance program belong to - the Commission or the operator. Basically, consumable, mileage based life belongs to the operator. Capital life belongs to the Commission. A big job is defining these things in the modern light (not historical baloney)and dividing up the responsibilites in a meaningful, practical form.
Once some sort of framework for decision making is in place then all the available motive power needs to be ranked in terms of practical usability for pulling trains, near term operability, repair/rebuild needs and ability to produce maximum mileage before the next major overhaul. Obviously things like the snowplow and #463 would take a back seat to the 480's and 490's by most standards of measure.
The outcome of such a joint process would produce several overhaul candidates that would then go through a final analysis to pick one or two or maybe three engines for minimal work to establish a motive power base for next year. These engines would go through the same process that has happened every winter for the last thirty years - shop work in the Chama/Antonito shops.
At least one and maybe two candidates should be picked for major, multi-year rebuilds that would establish fully rebuilt machines that are at least as good as the D&SNG engines which routinely develop substantial mileages over several years before they need to go into the back shop again. While these engines would not be available for service until 2004 or 2005, they would begin to re-establish a motive power pool that is reliable on the road, predictable at the budget level and soothing to the millions of frayed nerves that wince every time a post is made about the rickety status of C&TS motive power.
Once the candidates are chosen the difficult job of developing an accurate budget for the required work must be done. This includes money required to upgrade and equip the C&TS shops for the work they must accomplish. Accurate, fixed amounts of money, once determined can be backed up by well organized rebuild plans and relistic amortization schedules that show how the capital expended benefits the railroad (and therefore the lineside communities)over the service life (mileage) of the rebuilds. I feel this information can be used for specific solicitations for grants, state appropriations and donations from interested individuals that can begin to fund the work that has really been needed for most of the last thirty years. I am impressed with the RMPRC's fundraising efforts to date and the EDA money John West talks about is a pretty impressive amount too. These dollar magnitudes could perform a lot of miracles on those old engines.
Furthermore, here is the silver lining I talked about. The summer, 2002 season has been a bust. But, it also means the D&SNG engines have not put on the mileage they would have generated during a normal season. Could it be that Steve Jackson and his crew will not tie up all their shop resources this winter because they will not have to perform the amount of rebuild work they originally scheduled through the back shop? If this is the case then C&TS locomotive components can help keep the D&SNG back shop busy, generate some badly needed revenue for that line and keep a major rebuild program going while C&TS shop crews are busy performing short term work on locomotives that can start out the 2003 season.
Since there is no longer a rail connection between the D&SNG and the C&TS some careful division of work must be thought out. Specifically, Chama, or Antonito must be able to completely unwheel a locomotive, including the pilot and trailer truck. Dollys to support the unwheeled locomotive so it can be moved around the shops can be borrowed from the D&SNG (thats how they support a completely unwheeled engine). Frame work and suspension work can still be contracted out to D&SNG shop forces - they just have to come to Chama or Antonito to do that work. However, if C&TS resources are available, Steve Butler and his crew are quite capable of performing frame repairs, and suspension work in C&TS shops. Boiler work can be done at C&TS facilites by contract repair firms with the proper credentials. They just need to do their work under the supervision of C&TS's long time boiler men who know those engines like the backs of their hands.
All heavy back shop work should be done in the very well equipped back shop at Durango. Then the rebuilt components can be trucked back to Chama or Antonito for re-assembly on the locomotive. Close cooperation between Butler and Jackson can establish dimensions, fits and tolerances so everything goes back together nicely during re-erection of the machine.
This last point absolutely blows my mind! I don't hear much about joint mechanical work between Chama and Durango. The close proximity of the two lines, the identical nature of the motive power and the enormous cost of duplicating Durango's shop facilites beg this question of cooperation every day of the year. Yet, it seems the two lines might just as well be on two separate planets. The two lines have huge, mind boggling, potential synergies. Who is not talking to who? While we are on the subject, Steve Jackson is a primary candidate for inclusion in a Commission sponsored mechanical committee. No on on the planet knows as much about D&RGW narrow gauge locomotives as Jackson when it comes to what it takes to keep them rolling throught the 21st century.
Finally, a Commission sponsored mechanical committee needs to practice continuing oversight on rebuild programs, overhaul/maintenance procedures and operating practices. These engines are icons that have fans all over the world. They are the key to economic survival for substantial portions of Colorado and New Mexico territory. They should not be treated in a cavalier and narrow minded fashion because they have an important future and they are irreplaceable. There are plenty of people with diverse backgrounds and steam competent experience that, I am sure would be willing to help the Commission get a handle on their locomtotive fleet. Even I might be able to add something useful now and then.
For those who read my book, it is a fun exercise in models and thermodynamics that help understand the big historical picture. At Chama the time for theories and what ifs is now over. It is time to get real and start a program that moves things along at a predictable rate so funding can be solicited and granted for what is one of the most important heritage railroad projects in the world. Is anyone at the Commission listening?
