Greg Scholl Wrote:
=======================================================
> Randall Hess Wrote:
> ==================================================
> =====
>
> > To me, the ultimate issue is time. Yes, I know
> > DSNG day is roughly the same length, but that
> is
> > beside the point. Osier is not Silverton; you
> > cannot compare the two experiences. The point of
> a
> > shorter run would be to reduce cost somewhat
> and
> > reduce the total time commitment immensely. To
> me,
> > the goal is to get the time commitment down to
> 4
> > hours. Right now, riding CATS requires
> committing
> > at least part of three days - the day you
> travel
> > to Chama/Antonito, the day you ride the train,
> and
> > the day you travel away from Chama/Antonito.
> With
> > a reduced ride, the commitment would be reduced
> to
> > parts of 2 days. Yes, I know that would reduce
> > hotel business in the area, but building
> railroad
> > business needs to be a higher goal.
>
> Not True. We rode the D&S in September 2014, 2
> days before doing the C&TS. We left at 8 am(or
> were supposed to), and thats 2 hours before the
> C&TS departs. We also got back later than the 4
> pm the C&TS gets back. D&S is 90 miles roundtrip,
> cause you go up there and back on the same
> railroad line. On the C&TS if you go one way over
> the whole line its 64 miles, and its definately a
> quicker ride than the D&S. On the D&S I shot
> video almost the whole way to Silverton, and only
> shot a few things coming back that I missed,
> except I shot the highline again. Thus I spent
> more time in my seat on the return trip.
>
> So the time factor is more in favor of the C&TS.
> There is a shorter option for the D&S which is to
> ride the bus one way, train one way. This is not
> any cost savings, but time savings basically.
>
> In the old days of the Rio Grande excursion trains
> ran for either 2 or 3 days, not a few hours. The
> idea was to cover most of the system. We don't
> have the portion from Chama-Durango anymore so we
> need to ride the portions that are left, not bits
> of those existing lines!!!
>
> My feeling is that the guys in charge probably
> know way more about all this than we do. Some of
> this comes under the heading of "beyond our
> control" with the ever changing mindset of today's
> tourists, travel costs, and the economy.
> Greg
When you ride CATS, you spend all of your time either on board the train or eating; when you ride DSNG, you get to spend time wandering around Silverton. The two concepts are completely different. Mr. Harper has been quoted as saying that Silverton is a real benefit to DSNG. I might point out that he is the one who did some development work at Cumbres so he could schedule some Cumbres-turn trains; he might know something ... but of course, hauling up the hill is the short but expensive part of the trip, so Cumbres-turn can never be comparable to what DSNG does.
