Re: D&S is getting ready for the future, shouldn't the C&TS

"While steam is a draw, keep in mind, the vast majority of people riding these trains are NOT RAILFANS."

That is what needs to be remembered. The passengers who ride these trains a generally not railfans, but experience fans. They want the train, the scenery, the vacation. Steam in any form is gravy.
I have a large family and we have patronized the the D&S and the C&TS for years. We always ride the train, and most of my family would not notice, or care what was burning, it is all about the experience.

The more I spend time on this forum, which isn't much to begin with, I am aware that I do not have much of a clue about the operations and all that is involved, so my thoughts will not have much substance, but It seems to me that Diesels really aren't a viable option for the C&TS due to the their limited availability and the costs to transport them to the railroad itself.

Again, I do not know the costs involved, but it seems that gradually restoring the 483, 492, 494, and 495 to oil burners would eliminate the cost of purchasing diesels that no one wants, and bringing in some equipment that has not been working the pass for the past 50 years, (40 for the 483). Then have 2-3 hot in the summer along with 2-3 of the current coal burners. Put in some sort of rotation where there is always a couple oil burners ready for the extra dry season.

I would be curious how much the combined costs to purchase the diesels, transport them, and make them operable were for the D&S. If the C&TS had those funds, how far would they stretch in restoring the 483 and the K-37s?

Considering the green trend, I would think there would be some sort of government funding available for converting coal burners to oil to protect the forests.