John,
My apologies. I should have added the following.
What an operation such as this requires, is reasonable annual support to cover the major non- operating expenses. These amounts should go toward the areas that cannot be covered by the gate receipts. Heard this before?
Major locomotive repairs, track rehab and to a lesser extent but no less important are car repairs and physical plant, all of which require a programing for the long haul, a commited operator and sufficient funding to do the job.
The politians may be afraid to open deeper the state coffers for fear of opening a bottomless money pit. But reasonable funding over the long haul that will support a long term maintenance program will be cheaper than big bucks and lots of flack and just maybe, bad PR when an incident ocures.
Is it that both states have no real concept of what this work amounts to? Is it also that there has been no real appreciation (support) for those groups (and volunteers) that in the past have struggled to meet payroll and perform repairs, in part, on passenger receipts alone? And still kept the trains rolling safely, which unless I've missed the point, is the benefit of having the tourist dollar coming into each state and local communities.
The DSNG (RR operated or private) is one reason DGO has grown and prospered thru the years. The CATS should not be gauged to the same scale as DSNG. On the other hand, the local Chamber of Commerce in ALA & the merchants in Anto. & Chama certainly appreciate the tourist dollar brought in because of the railroad.
One thing, however, in this climate of reduction in Fed moneys and the states having their financial difficulites, it becomes more important
that every dollar requested and spent be well planned and accounted for.
One could make the arguement that if sufficient funding had been there in the past, we wouldn't be in the present condition. A valid observation as hind sight always provides.
Is it time to start anew? Get the major players together to review the past, discuss the present, plan for the future and provide the support necessary to have this a positive attraction and a feather in the caps of both states (including the polititans who authorize the $$$). All nice words.
The days of hauling freight are over. Times change. If the passenger business is to survive, you may have to continue to adapt and that includes everyone. This is not to say all involved thru the years haven't given their all, and perhaps, some have taken more than they should. Regardless, CATS is a unique operation, it offers something different than DGO. Both have their place.
All involved should take pride in keeping this part of history available to the public. The whole of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico has such a mystique about it! What a variety! From plains to high mountains and the railroad had to overcome all of that. Now you have to overcome an additional problems.
All this has been said before and in much better lingo than this writer.
And to think, I only was going add a paragraph or two! Damn! Sorry again, John
Chris
