Why does this thread make me Queasy?
The Economic Development Agency grant for track being spent on emergency repairs and then the balance not spent on repairs for the rest of the season. The FRA issuing concerns about Windy Point that have now lead to the embargo at Windy Point and we still have money? Please forgive me but the work on Martinez Point and the roller coaster ended by the end of July 2002. What happened after July? Several people have stated that the EDA wants its grants spent in a timely manner. What is timely about a break in the spending or are these people misinformed? The EDA grant was intended for increasing the speed of train travel on the East End first and then improving the rest of the railroad. Yet the only thing I see the EDA grants for track going for are emergency repairs. Locomotive engineers have complained about the list of slow orders and the inability to operate the train at a constant speed for a significant stretch of track. Enough about track lets talk another subject locomotives.
The locomotive grant is not awarded yet and an operating season is two months away. 484 has been a shop queen since the end April of 1999. For a number of years we have heard reports that the locomotive would be available soon. When will it be done is anyone's guess. With the constant change of CMO's how much will be found by the next person? We see the sudden hire of Starfire Engineering by the commission. The impression received at the last commission meeting in Santa Fe was that a consideration in the hiring was that they were cheep. Considering the number of people within the industry have not heard of this firm, and when there are other people who not only consult on steam locomotives but have also worked with the FRA on the creation of the new steam code, why was Starfire chosen? In a request for information I was told to look at their web site. Their web site does not show anything that the author would consider significant steam locomotive experience. The commission does not have to use either state's hiring practices, what method was used to choose this company? At this point, the actions taken on the railroad not only effect the tax payers of the state of Colorado and New Mexico deserve answers but so do all US citizens as the railroad is now using federal money in the EDA grants. This is just the tip of the iceberg for concerns about how one of America's great railroad treasures is managed. These concerns raise the issue of public involvement.
Recently there have been a lot of comments about the activities in the shop and weather or not these comments are beneficial. While I will admit most people do not see a teacher's lesson plans or sit in the classroom you do have the opportunity to discuss the progress of the class and your child. You can in any public board meeting, listen to the meeting and give input. The state does have basic minimum skills testing throughout the educational process and several test to issue professional licenses. Progressive police departments have ride along programs and public advisory committees. All tourist railroads are dependent upon the public for their success. They need an interested public to become the patrons that pay the bills. Understanding that there are as many ways to railroad as there are railroaders, consider an education forum on shop activities. It does not need to be highly technical just informative. It could be an area where the C&TS leads the nation by developing a broader base of understanding of railroading and take interpretation to a new level. With the right management it could become a way to showcase the needs of the railroad and a way to motivate people to send money and write their representatives. Representatives are a group of people who will have a major impact on the railroad's future and they listen to constituents. So why is public involvement on the C&TS so ridiculed? Why are things handled so privately? Public accountability is apart of government and right now I would not want to write the test for the C&TS. Think about the accomplishments on the railroad over the past six years and come up with your own conclusions.
Tourist railroading has changed today. A serious accident on one railroad can have significant repercussions on the entire industry. These are not toys and the industry does not need another Gettysberg type incident. If you do not like the FRA codes now just wait until for someone to have a serious accident and we will see what come next in law and insurance. Public involvement in this national treasure is critical to the survival of this and other treasures.
