I decided to address the rumors in a separate communication because I wanted to make a definitive statement about the company's position regarding the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad.
I do not know the "reliable sources" that people keep referring to. And along with
everyone else on this forum, I do not have direct access to the Cedar Fair boardroom. However, as the acting manager of the GT&C I do have direct access to senior management's disposition toward the railroad. I have stated that disposition in my previous post.
Our Past:
I am aware and have first-hand knowledge that these rumors do in fact trace back to our own operation. The status of the railroad in the waning days of the 20th century, particularly toward the end of Knott family ownership, was indeed uncertain. Further, in the early days of Cedar Fair ownership an unfortunate article was printed in a local newspaper,
The Fullerton Observer. In that article a then-current staff member and trusted member of the railfan community
falsely alleged that Knott's managment was considering shutting down the railroad and dispersing the collection to interested parties such as Al Harper. And make no mistake, we have indeed been approached by Mr. Harper on numerous occasions, both before and especially after that article was printed. However, the
official position of Cedar Fair Management has always been and to this day remains the same as the one I already posted.
Our Present:
The status of Ghost Town & Calico Railroad is stronger than it has ever been. We are fortunate to have had a series of General Managers that either worked for the railroad (Jack Falfas and Marty Keithley) or are fans of the railroad (Greg Picon and current GM Raffi Kaprelyan.) The GT&C now figures prominently in all Knott's advertisement, from the printed maps to television commercials. We have been featured numerous times in the local media, most recently on local TV station KTLA channel 5 as part of Railroad Days 2012. We are hosting Boy Scouts Railroad Merit Badge Day for local troops on April 13 - an event we have hosted for the past several years.
As for our equipment, do not be fooled by #340's lengthy absence. We are taking advantage of the fact that she needed to be re-tubed to prepare #340 for decades more of reliable service. The current delay in getting work done is the result of carefully negotiating SCAQMD's stringent asbestos regulations.
Work continues on our coaches. I am hoping that we can return our gondola to service this summer, as well as coordinate some major work on RGS #0402.
All of these projects have the full support of Knott's management.
Tom Unfried
Team Leader, Ride Maintenance Railroad Operations
Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town & Calico Railroad
Buena Park, California
thomas.unfried@knotts.com
PLEASE NOTE:
As the acting manager of the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad, I am the ONLY "reliable source" of current information regarding our railroad. Jeff Taylor's updates regarding the GT&C are posted under my authority, and as such may also be considered a "reliable source" of information. You may have noticed that he occasionally pulls down or revises posts. This is an effort to keep his posts within our company's electronic posting policy as well as maintaining their reliablity.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2013 10:12AM by TUnfried.
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