Jason:
I don’t believe anyone is trying to “scare” the CHS as you claim. Their lack of planning of this operator transition, past history of arrogance and lack of any operational experience of a tourist RR should be sending up red flags in the Colorado State government. I am not an engineer and like many of the posters on this board just have an interest in narrow gauge railroading. I asked a question because I had heard the D&RGW 700 series drop bottom gondolas could tip when unloading and also had they ever been used in passenger service. Carlos confirmed a tipping incident, no one so far has confirmed a prior conversion. I don’t know what your professional background or education in RR car construction is but obviously you are intimately knowledgeable with the construction details. What really now concerns me is your statement: “The fact that none of GLR’s high side gondolas tipped over in 30 years speaks volumes about this.” A D&RGW high side gondola and the drop bottom gondola while they may share the same truck use different bolsters and draft gear I believe which IMHO may cause a car to react differently to the dynamic forces encountered in service. And as any of the GLRR train crews who post here regularly will attest it is the skill of the crews that provides the margin of safety. While you assume that 40 people will be the loading factor I can tell you from experience this past fall car loading exceeded this and people don’t just stand up along the car centerline as you stated. Perhaps bolting some 2Xs and plywood to a car and calling it good works for you and the CHS. We have seen the CHS attention to detail in how the doors for the Crystal Palace can’t even accommodate their own equipment. Maybe Carlos is correct and these cars will ride just fine, but please don’t assume that just because the GLRR did something that somehow proves your point as to the stability of these new cars. An engineering analysis and testing is what will prove their safety. Anything less is “scary”.
And while I am on a roll your clarification of the age of the C&S #9 boiler from 120 years to 105 years still leaves us with an old boiler on an engine that in the best case scenario will be able to pull maybe 4 cars on the Loop. Economically (for both the operator and Clear Creek merchants) how is this going to work to operate trains at less than ½ the capacity of the past years? It just doesn’t add up, but then I forgot the CHS doesn’t have to account for any of this do they? I can only hope that Railstar and their new GM can bring some professional tourist RR sense to this whole situation. I think I can honestly say that all of us here want to see the Georgetown Loop continue in the tradition that was established by the Ashby’s for safe steam powered train operations for all the public to enjoy. Yes, it is time to move on with a new operator, let’s just hope that they are up to the task or we all will be the losers in the “final analysis”.
Rod Jensen
