Re: GL History (CHS version)

I've had some time to think about this and we're coming at this completely wrong! We have operated on the assumption that that there is something nefarious with the CHS leadership. I have come to the conclusion that their intentions for the Loop is just not what we envision that it should be!
The CHS has stated that they want historical equipment operating on the Loop. This is a somewhat disingenuous statement as any historical steam locomotive that actually ran on the Loop would be inadequate for daily operations (and they know that too!)
Did they settle for Railstar as the only operation that would even have a chance at making a go of it? Maybe. After having seen the pictures of the CHS's Open House soiree and the people involved my impressions were crystalized.
The CHS has NO intention of running a historical railroad (and quite honestly I don't think at this point that they should even try!) Rather, what they want is a tourist railroad that runs over a historical area.
Now why they had so much trouble with the Ashbys.....who knows? It has caused an enormous amount of wasted dollars that could have been better spent but rather than being nefarious it is merely being incompetent!
There are many examples of political organizations wasting taxpayer dollars through incompetence so this isn't anything unique! This is probably why the Governor and Atny. General didn't see it as serious enough to do anything about it!
To the average person there is NO difference between operators. They won't know and won't care about the 30 year record of successful operations that the GTL Inc. amassed and they won't care what was (or wasn't)done by the CHS! All they will care about is that there is a steam train running on the Loop. That's it.
Lee Behrens wants the CHS to run the Loop. So? Let him. Railstar isn't a historical railroad operator any more than the Devil's Gate Platform is an historically accurate building! That's not what they do and we are going to have to modify our expectations accordingly.
Some people are telling us to "Get over it!" I'm not any happier about it than any of you but I have decided to wait and see what they come up with. Let them take credit for everything as it won't mean anything! The truth is known by the people that matter!
It will probably stick in Behren's craw that all of the videos and all of the books that mention the Georgetown Loop mention the High Bridge (made possible by the Boettcher foundation) and picture prominently the Shays and Consolidations of the GTL Inc.! The "resurection" of the Loop is recounted with the Ashby's and the SeaBees' contributions fully credited and documented! The CHS will find historical revisionism to be harder than they ever imagined so let them try! It will only backfire on them in the end!