I've been told by quite a few people and read of the conversion of the troubled ball-valve throttle arrangement done in-house at Silverwood. The boiler issue...the current pressure vessel was allegedly built (in Colorado, no less) by John Braun TO code, only it lacks a stamp, or paperwork to support it. The broker, David Barnhardt, has a rather 50/50 reputation 'on the streets' depending on who you talk to. From what I've heard, there's no lies; just not the whole truth, and several other issues. This is a beautiful little locomotive and I sure hope it doesn't get worn down to nothing if it ends up on the Loop.
While the three Shays that operated on the Loop within its 30 year existence; while they were all constructed for use in California (the 8 coming from Oregon around 77/8 if I remember, the 14 to Central City from the Keystone liquidation of the CC&N in 74/75 and to the Loop by '82, and 12 directly from Tuolumne at the WS&CV/Quality Resorts property...and to get picky, only one of those three was constructed new/worked only on the West-Side), they made themselves the keystone of the former Georgetown Loop Railroad, and a sight synonomous with those three words; and the operation which they were. The Shays well earned their worth on the Loop as a BUSINESS, as Karell and others have stated (and this is not to say many volunteer steam operations are anything short of amazing, too; don't take it the wrong way). I often wonder how Railstar and its employees are going to get the money out of this deal with from what I've heard the terms of the RFP proposed. Peter Gores, after what has been talked about here by his colleagues and elsewhere, indeed has impressive references; and in terms of operation, they got themselves covered with experience. But I'm curious as to if the CHS will be paying for maintenance costs of maintenance for the equipment which THEY own (though #12 from what I pick up would be a Railstar acquisition).
An interesting concept is to consider the former Loop a *representation*; not a *recreation* (and it wasn't meant to be, either). This was a real railroad and a business. The Shays handled the line well; and apparently the 40 and 44 (in its day) too. The Loop was a representation of an authentic narrow-gauge railroad. And while Shays never operated on the C&S over the Loop, of course NG Shays (regardless of what class) DID operate to the top of Gray's Peak on the Argentine Central which originated at (no surprise) Silver Plume.
And truly, few people in the general public are going to care about whether its #74 or the 40 running over that high bridge. The majority of the population alive today never saw and knew the C&S-run Loop to even know much otherwise. It is true (while unfortunate); patrons of tourist railroads are more just that; tourists; some railfans, some not. And in business politics, you must do what is best for the betterment of your company and everyone in it. This is just one reason why the GLR Inc. was truly such a class-act, and why their employees had such great loyalty and respect. Shays were economical for the GLR Inc. The CHS proposal would've jeopardized the company's operation. Mark Greksa did what was best for his company and the people in it.
Just some thoughts; not meant to be fact or anything; solely opinion!
