JWrinn Wrote:
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> I'm not sure it's lack of interest by the
> railroad or fan indifference. I know that when I
> was there in 2009 for a Eureka photo charter we
> had only half of a coach's worth of customers. I
> was shocked to see so few people take advantage of
> a great opportunity. Sometimes, I think the fans
> forget that if they don't patronize the trips,
> they go away. Nothing like being there in person.
I did several of those "Railfest" excursions in 2010 and 2011 and made similar observations. From a pure efficiency standpoint, the trips were sub-optimal because there was so much traffic on the line during Railfest that the Conductors on special trains were constantly living in fear of delaying another train.....so a lot of time was spent in the hole at Elk Park or Needleton. They were also on the pricey side, probably because once advertised publicly, the railroad couldn't cancel the trips, and stood to lose money if they didn't fill most of the seats. The owners also needed to be compensated for transporting their visiting locomotives to Durango, which is a very significant expense. The high, per-day prices and the limitations on photo spots may have discouraged some folks from participating in those. That said, where else do you have the opportunity to ride behind and photograph an 1875-vintage wood-burner, or a C-18 with a green passenger train in gorgeous scenery. To me, that opportunity was worth the extra cost.
FWIW, a couple of different operators have told me that over the years, the railroad's enthusiasm for photo charters has varied. At times, it seemed welcome and folks bent over backward to grant the operator's requests for lettering, consists, loads on flats, etc. In 2016, the climate seemed to have shifted, and we weren't sure there would ever be another trip like that. Perhaps the some of the players have changed and the pendulum has swung again. Great news, if that's the case. Looking forward to September with 493 and 18!
/Kevin Madore
