A surely unintentional deletion as a mistake on my behalf- I STAND BY WHAT I SAID ERIC!
As we may have a paid staff, and they do accomplish certain things, we must continue to battle the elements that seem to continuously bombard our beautiful Red Clay Valley. To this extent, I believe we have a very sufficient handicap to put us on the level, "on par" if you will, with your land-based circle of track.
To clarify, we have 4 paid staff members who are battling the constant rebuilding of our line, and the rebuilding of approximately 8 large bridges, while dealing with state and federal standards regarding their construction. BUT KEEP IN MIND that we have volunteers out almost EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK providing the muscle to do this!!!
So, sir, it is fair to say we have a Volunteer Staff, and certainly largely volunteer manpower focused on the restoration and maintenance of our TWO operable steam locomotives.
ALSO, sir, take into the consideration that we must continually adhere to the stringent standards set out by the Federal Railroad Administration on everything on our railroad; more specifically concerning the CFR Title 49 Part 230 that governs the standards of our Steam Locomotives. Dealing with the FRA is a great deal of work, as our rulebook must be continuously revised to meet the specifications of our Federal overseers, in addition to making sure every rail, bridge, wheel, and brake shoe is also in accordance with the FRA!
I too am a youth involved (17), and I put in MANY hours not only on the train, but in the shop on Newly Restored ALCO #98. So, take this into consideration before flaming off on a tangent!
Dave
