Re: CHS Haters?

Kamasutra,
Your efforts to play the “Devil’s Advocate” are appreciated to some extent (keeps us thinking,) but let me put forth a thought or two.
I’ve done a lot of things in my lifetime; being a steam locomotive Engineer is only one of them. One of my other main professions is a Mariner. I’ve been a sailor for many years, and helped deliver a 90-foor North Sea Trawler across the Atlantic in early 2002, from the South of France to Maine. It was a very rough trip. We toughed-out a small hurricane in the Mediterranean Sea that killed a bunch of people, engine troubles in mid-Atlantic, icebergs in our path, and what I call “The Almost-Perfect Storm” off the Flemish Cap (ie: movie and book “Perfect Storm.”) But, we had a well- equipped ship, built for the North Sea, and all of us were well-seasoned seamen (well, except for the cook.) There was a time in Mid-Atlantic after being hit by a 40+ foot rogue wave which threw the ship over on her portside beam ends (near capsize) when we thought we might not make it, experience or not.
Now, what does this have to do with GLR, CHS, etc.? Glad you asked ! Here’s a parable:
Picture a typical family. Dad gets interested in sailing and takes a few lessons, buys an old boat which needs some work, and he is ready to go! He decides that he knows what he is doing, loads the boat with food, wife, kids, etc., and sets sail for the Caribbean …. Palm trees, clear water, sandy beaches…. Wow. The weather is gorgeous and he thinks he knows the right heading to sail. Ocean charts cost a lot of money, but he has his road atlas along, so he has some idea where to go. Ooops – should have checked the weather forecast – oh, well; it’s beautiful out here. Sun’s shining, hardly any swells. It’ll be ok. He’ll do fine – been around boats a few times in his life. What a great day for a sail to tropical islands. They’ve got their little vinyl raft along for safety – got it at Wal-mart for only $19.95! Sure, it is the ocean, but it’s just a “big lake,” right? What about Tides and Currents, you say? “No biggy – we’ll figure it out as we go,” he says. “I mean, did Columbus have charts and tide tables? Besides, I am a grown man and I can take care of myself! Thanks, but I don’t need your advice!”
If you’ve been at sea before, you know how quickly storms can sneak up on you. There are even the “White Squalls” which you can’t even see coming. They’ve sunk many a ship, including the “Pride of Baltimore” schooner a few years ago. Our poor family is sailing off blithely into uncharted waters, with little knowledge or experience, no forethought, a poorly equipped vessel, and no “safety net.” IMHO, that is what CHS is doing. Add to it the arrogance that they have continually put forth, and they are heading for (excuse the wording) a “train wreck.”
Should I care? The Sea has been calling me since I have been here in the mountains again. This is my last year at the Loop, anyway. I’m heading back to the coast at the end of the season. So, whether or not there are Loop jobs next year doesn’t concern me personally, really. However, I have loved Colorado’s narrow gauge railroads all my life and have lived here off and on and spent a lot of time here over the last 45 years. I do care about what happens to the railroads, and the equipment. CHS’ course will destroy one, if not more, precious 19th-century engines and a number of cars. It’s like taking your priceless Stradivarius (sp?) violin to a “hoedown” in a dirty old barn someplace. Some things just should not be done. If CHS has so much money, they should build replicas, and restore #9 for special service, or at least cosmetically. I do not want to see the Loop end up as a Train Wreck.
Skip Luke
GLR Engineer