ime for my two cents worth, and it may not even be worth that much to some folks. I have several suggestions for the foundation that is handling this Creede Branch railroad. Pissing off everyone in Creede, or even their more important citizens,
will get you nowhere. As a governmental entity, they have a lot more clout than you are giving them credit for, and if you get
into a protracted fight with them, you will eventually come out on the short end of the stick.
The obvious approach, which for whatever reason seems to have been overlooked, is to start at the beginning instead of the
end. The first project is to get the twenty miles or so of track in shape. Why worry about a yard or facilities in Creede until
you are sure that you have the resources to get there? What about motive power and rolling stock? All of this takes money
and a lot of it, a fact that most people responding to the various threads seem to overlook. (A troubling question to me is that
the Cumbres and Toltec, with their outstanding support group and some state funding, is having a tough go of it, with their
track in spots badly in need of replacement. Where is the money for the Creede Branch project going to come from, with
grant money drying up,and all of the other problems attendant with fundraising on all levels?)
No project of any kind is feasible without knowing what the Hell it is going to cost. Where are the estimates from legitimate
contractors to, for instance, replace ties, rebuild right-of-way and the like? Where is the motive power and rolling stock
going to come from? Who is going to operate the line if and when it is in place? Where is the budget to show how all of these
projects will be accomplished? Here is the big one. Where is the money going to come from? Smoke and mirrors are not the answer. Budget time and public disclosure time have arrived.
For this project to maintain any credibility, a budget, prepared by a reputable accounting firm, must be documented and
distributed to anyone who wants it.
A spokesman should be designated and all information about the project should come from that person. Much of the
information on the Internet looks like a third grader wrote it.(St. Lewis, MO--give me a break!) All funding for the project
has to be made public, and only funds collected should be included. Again, can the smoke and mirrors.
Lastly, clean up the mess that has been made in Creede. Costs from extended wrangling lead to only wealthy lawyers.
It is not my intent to tear this project down, but if it is to have any chance to succeed, sweeping changes will have to be put
in place. The purchase of some land does not in and of itself insure success. A solid foundation, which includes proper
budgeting and accounting procedures that can be provided to the population at large, competent contractors providing
accurate costs for rebuilding the line, commitments to infrastructure (Motels, resturants, etc.), location and availability of
rolling stock, and a STATE OF THE ART PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAM also may not mean success is just around
the corner, but it will be a solid, positive step in the right direction. Without these steps, this project will join many others
which never got off the ground, because, by and large, they made the same mistakes that are being made now. Learn from
the mistakes of others; don't repeat them.
