In his post on the Friends website, Tim Tennant refers to it as the "Friends" proposal.
But whether it is the "Friends" or some individuals within the Friends, my concern is the same. The C&TS is a tough piece of mountain steam railroad, it needs to be managed by people who mix good management skills and with hands-on railroading skills. Iowa Pacific clearly offers some good hands-on railroad skills.
I hope the Commissioners understand the importance of what Iowa Pacific offers. If the Friends group can do even better, more power to them. The Friends appear to have at least one experienced railroader on their team.
Iowa Pacific and the Friends group seem to have complementary strengths. Cooperation between the two groups might be one way to get there.
One thing about Iowa Pacific that really intrigues me is their maintenance of way resources on the SLRG. The C&TS needs a lot of track work, and having some experienced assistance from right next door could be a real help.
Operations and maintenance at the C&TS needs to be in the hands of experienced professional railroaders. That was why Kyle was able to accomplish what they accomplished.
JBW