Re: (More) Opening Day Rambling

All the hard-working people at the C&TS (paid and volunteer) need to be congratulated on accomplishing what many thought would be impossible. Though the problems John mentioned with the reservation system, meals, etc. are irritating, they're not serious. In fact, those things occur even under the best of "normal" circumstances, if anything involved in operating a 64 mile shortline railroad, using three-quarter-century-old+ equipment, over a profile that would scare most Class I railroaders, and carrying passengers to boot could be called "normal."
There are still serious tasks ahead: locomotive repairs to be finished, track work, etc. One of the biggest challenges this year may be operating under such dry conditions, not only because of the immediate fire hazard, but rather because of all of the negative publicity the fires in New Mexico (and now Colorado) have generated. This can't help but influence out-of-state tourists travel plans. We must all hope for an early start to the "southwest monsoon" rains.
As Winston Churchill said, "This is not the beginning of the end, just the end of the beginning." But the C&TS will survive, thanks to legions of hard-working people dedicated to its survival. Three cheers!