Re: Texas State RR shuts down

Never in all of the years since the State of Texas gave up operating the railroad has any of the mechanical and operating personnel been "let go" or "laid off" for the January-February shut down. After Polar Express, there are always mechanical issues with virtually the entire passenger car fleet, and this is the only time to do inspections and repairs of all of the cars. It is also usually the time to do the annual inspections on the steam engines. As a result, January and February are usually an "all hands on deck" time.

Both #7 and #28 celebrate their centennial in November, 2017 and it was hoped to have both engines live at that time.

Despite #7 coming out late in the summer, there are always other mechanical issues with an operating locomotive to deal with, and it is really the only available time to do its annual. To do it during the operating season in July is most difficult. #28 was taken out of service for tube and flue replacement shortly after #7 went back in service, and I do not know whether that job was completed due to the high demands of the Polar Express trains.

It remains to be seen how much of all of this work that the 8 remaining employees can get done in the next 60 days. I wish them all the best as I suspect that this will be a most difficult time.