Robbie,
Initially, when Kevin issued his latest update, he changed the subject to: "SP 18 Charter Canceled." He has since changed the subject to "UPDATE", so if you did not read his recent post, you might not know that "Trains" has elected not to pursue a February charter with the 18 on the D&S.
I had mixed emotions about this idea from the day it was initially announced. While I would love to see the 18 in winter weather, I was already signed up for Pete's event in May and had real concerns that if another, expensive charter were announced, the two events would compete for a very small clientele and possibly neither one would end up being viable.
You aren't alone in your concern about the cost of these deals. As I indicated in a previous post, the cost of a 2-day event has gone from perhaps $400 to $800 in just the last few years. In the case of the 18 charter however, we're not talking 2 engines, nor are we talking about a big locomotive. Certainly, the railroad needs to make money, but at these prices, the potential customer base is getting pretty small. Railroads that still want this kind of business need to keep that in mind. Of course, some railroads really
don't want this kind of business, so they may be figuring that a seriously elevated price-tag will either ensure that they make plenty of money on it......or ensure that the event never sells out, and they won't need to ever actually run the trip. Who knows.
Personally, I wish they had more track at Laws. THAT'S where I would like to see an SP 18 charter. I'm still kicking myself for not going out there last year.
/Kevin Madore
