Re: The #111 & What Would You Do?

We don’t have to accept the nonsense that the CHS is feeding the public, and in fact because many on here are more experienced with railroad operations and preservation of railroad equipment than anyone in the CHS will ever be; IMHO it is their duty to standup for what is right and historic. I do agree, the general public probably could care less what is pulling the train on the Loop or they are riding in. That doesn’t mean though that the CHS can then just do whatever they please with historic and irreplaceable equipment just to satisfy a short term problem that they created by their poor management.
Here is the bottom line on this whole thread and issue with the #111/ #9 as far as I am concerned. The #111 is probably a good choice for use on the GL based on past operations of the #40 so let’s get past this and the “historically appropriate” non-sense that CHS is publishing to justify their position. What I object to is trading away the # 9 for #111. If the CHS wants the #111 or other Colorado engines then they need to come out and just buy the damn thing and stop playing all these games with other cities. If Breckenridge wants an engine in return then CHS can go get them one in Central or South America as they are in no hurry to do anything anyway and the #111 would never be ready for the 2005 season regardless. Don’t trade away the # 9 which should be considered part of the CHS most precious assets to be restored at least cosmetically preferably operationally at some future date for use on the Loop after the immediate short term operational problems are resolved. What is really going on here is the typical CHS CYA as they know when all these expenditures eventually come out in the wash (1 + million and counting per Bell) there are going to be a lot of questions being asked of him and the CHS upper management/ BOD by the state auditors and representatives about this whole fiasco. I don’t even want to think about the fiscal impact this is going to have on Georgetown as that is a pending economic disaster for the merchants.
You can sit on your hands, complain about seeing these postings, or if you really want to do something then get to Breckenridge on Tuesday and object or support what the CHS is doing with this equipment. This is about protecting and preserving historic narrow gauge equipment, I can’t think of anything more important and needing the immediate attention of this board than this. Thank you Don Richter for facilitating this discussion/ board and having the patience, level headedness and foresight to see that out of adversity comes strength and clarity.
Rod Jensen