rod Wrote:
=======================================================
> Randall Hess Wrote:
> ==================================================
> =====
> > Remember that the majority of this conversation
> > has been about trips, such as the one occurring
> > roughly a week from now, not aimed at people
> like
> > you. In fact, one of the concerns is not making
> it
> > too attractive to people like you, because of
> not
> > wanting to attract you away from the higher
> priced
> > deals.
>
> What? People like me? Making a historically
> accurate train too attractive? Wow. Your logic is
> laughable. Since when is it the mission of the
> C&TS to downgrade an operation to force me to pay
> a premium price to an independent (for profit)
> tour operator who may or may not understand the
> devil is in the details for these trips?
>
> >
> > So, using CATS-marked equipment might be highly
> > desirable for these trips
>
> You are kidding right? Highly desirable for C&TS
> marked equipment? LOL The $500 to reletter an
> engine to D&RGW adds $5/ head (100 riders).
> Promoting the upcoming train as a "real freight"
> or "pure" freight without making it authentic or a
> D&RGW recreation is just missing the point of what
> the Friends and those of us who have strived to
> help preserve the D&RGW history of the RR over the
> past 45 years.
>
> Rod Jensen
I am not going to repeat the entire contents of this thread. We have been talking about special runs, like the one that will be running next week at this time, and with specific goals. The special runs will be run by CATS management using CATS-owned equipment for the short-run and long-run benefit of CATS.
The Friends have done good work in preserving D&RGW history, but this has nothing to do with that or with them. The runs may relate to D&RGW history, to CATS history, or to neither. It may relate to freight trains, mixed trains, passenger trains, or work trains. We have not specifically talked about which locomotive should head these runs; my personal opinion is that all options are on the table, including the possibility of using #15, #19, or even a locomotive that has never previously run on this track (although I kind of doubt that they would haul an EBT locomotive just for the occasion). The important thing is in meeting the goals we have talked about. If you are not interested in riding a special run like that, so be it.
There is nothing to laugh at, either silently or out-loud, in these goals and at the options we have talked about.