Re: RPO's and replicas

Keep in mind that, not only does the Friends have the Antonito CRF and car-building skills, but the C&TSRR Commission has been successfully negotiating with Colorado to invest up to $400,000 in expanding and upgrading the railroad's Antonito Shop. As many of you probably know, Marvin Casias and his crew in Antonito have had long experience building passenger cars there for revenue service (all 19 of the current steel fleet if memory serves me correctly). There is still an inventory of standard gauge flats in the yard that provided the basic platforms for the current fleet.
Maybe in the coming years a collaborative effort can evolve that leads to near-replicas being built for regular revenue service that are FRA-compliant and include such customer amenities as heat and lights, as well as a restroom in each car. Sure would be nice for regular service, moonlght trains, specials, and late season offerings.