trainrider47 Wrote:
=======================================================
> Greg,
>
> You just gave us some useful info. If Joe Vigil
> said the rotary cost $10K per day back in 1990,
> what were you paying for a charter back then?
> $2K?
The $10K per day was in May 1993. We ran two days of charters after the Rotary Run, but got pimped because of the soft track below Cresco. The RR offered to give us our money back, but we went with it anyway, and only 2-3 people asked for a refund. If I remember correctly the RR still got around $12-$14K from us, but only had to run 8 miles or so. They did throw in a 3rd engine, but 497 crapped out after about 2 hours and we were left with 2. We also painted the 0503 which cost about $500 back then.
How can you say that $10K per day equates into $50K per day 20 years later? Remember though the rotary trains had section men and all sorts of other support staff. Maybe some of them would not be on the payroll for something that was not being done to "open the railroad".
If that is the case, then figure $50K per
> day to run it today. If you were paying $3K, then
> $33,000 per day in today's dollars.
Huh!!! You lost me with this new math.
The railroad had 2-3 tiers of charter pricing. We got pre-season prices in 1993 and again in 1997. I know what it cost for 1 single engine train,and for a two-day charter. There was additional cost for a helper per day(second engine all-day was yet a different price). We did two days, and the second day had a second engine all day in 1997.
Remember that in the 90's the Rotary operated to clear the railroad for the upcoming season and it was paid for by the railroad. In subsequent years the snow did not demand the rotary, or they simply used cheaper methods to clear away snow where required.
If the rotary is run strictly as an exhibition event for paid participants will it have the same meaning as did the ones in the 1990's? I do not see how you can have riders on such a train, since the photographers would dislike having fans hanging out of every window and open car behind the rotary. It sorta defeats the purpose at that point.
I say figure out the costs, and see about state tourism sponsorship to attract folks to the C&TS. There is huge marketing value here as well.
As the old saying goes "Priceless". Joe Vigil told me in 1993 that the years the Rotary ran were good ones for the railroad.
Cheers,
Greg
>
> Michael Allen
