New Beginnings = New Opportunities

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is will probably be seen as the pivotal point where the C&TSRR turned it around! I DON'T see it as the death knell of the railroad! Simply put, what was being done in the past was not working (well, at least not as well as it needed to to break even!)
Whether that was the fault of the RGRPC or not is still up for debate (and probably will be for decades!) What IS clear is that the best time to implement changes (and by that I DO mean fundamental and sweeping changes!) is when there is a shake up at the top!
Whomever is chosen to try and "fix" the problems, they are going to be asking the same questions and debating the same "solutions" that we have been doing here. It might behoove us to continue to try and come up with what might be workable solutions so that precious time isn't wasted two or three months from now when this whole debate will be brought up again by the new operators!
Please don't misunderstand what I am proposing. There are many people that are on this board that have vast and varied experiences. There are people that are intimately familiar with what it takes to run a steam operation and the C&TSRR in particular. There are people in marketing. There are businessmen that have direct experience with these types of tourist operations. With all of this talent I say we USE it to "brainstorm" some ideas!
As has been demonstrated, there are STRONG passions in many different directions. Better that it be ironed out NOW. and on this website (and perhaps the "Goat" and a couple others) so that some kind of concensus can be reached. Then there will be some POSITIVE options for the next operator to consider!
If there was ever a time that we here on the NGDF could possibly influence the direction that the C&TSRR might take, that time is NOW.
For those of you that think this is so much "tilting at windmills" and that some of us are just sideline observers and who gives a *%#& what we think, I would just say that we could look at this as a possible disaster but if we have the courage and the will this COULD be a rare opportunity if we only will seize it!