Re: Car Restoration Facility

If memory serves, the "First" and "Second" generation coaches were built in Antonito. What I see happening is that as the C&TS has grown, and the states ("owners")have not contributed to the need to support the facilities for the growth, they have restricted the ability of the "plant" to expand and maintain the level it needs, thus having automatically forced the chaos of the times.
Yes, the USFS was allowed by the "owners" to force closure of the operation in 2002, in an illegal act, that neither of the two owners had the guts to fight, and precipitated terrible financial woes on the operator.
The FRA has contributed to the additional finanial burdens with new Part 230 regulations. In and of themselves these regulations are not unwarranted for the safe operation of steam. However, having said that, for the "owners" not to recognize the costs of bringing the locomotives into compliance with 230, and funding accordingly in a timely manner, is a wonderment.
I suspect the long term effects of these acts will either continue to force a financial hardship or, hopefully, wake up the "owners" of the C&TS to the duty they have to financially support this historic facility. Something they have consistantly (until the past year) not done.
The "Owners" have always relied on others to pay for the bar bill.
While many in the NG group are wringing their hands over the GTL situation, (and let us not forget the EBT) I do not see the same "group" recognizing the posibilities that the C&TS is on the brink, too. Thanks to a great effort on the part of the RGRPC/Friends and the State of New Mexico the C&TS will be operating in 2004, and ??? In my humble opinion, the state of colorado has dropped the ball . . . again.
These are personal opinions, now that I am "retired."