A very interesting article. It undoubtedly will be "spun" by both sides of the issue. Yes, the engines are too small but that has been known for over two years. Yes, Railstar started with zero experience on mountain railroads but then there are very few companies that DO have experience with roads of that grade (and most of them use Shays...)
Is this an "in your face" kind of article? Steven Torrico has categorically stated that they will never run the trains in an unsafe condition and I believe him! Essentially, this article sheds light on the problems that Railstar faced when taking over the Loop's operations.
Did inexperience lead to improper firing of the engine? Probably. Was steam brought up too quickly? Most probably. Have the engines been running at near capacity? Definitely. Does the GTL need more and larger engines (preferably not historical survivors of which there are only one example)? Absolutely!!
The nice thing about inexperience is that it goes away WITH experience learned! I think the CHS has learned it's lesson that maintenance is at least as important as restoration! Their miserly handling of last winter cost them a HARD lesson this summer!
Railstar continues to become more experienced with the Loop. C&S#9 was a welcome addition this year! Just think, if the axle problem on #12 had happened in 2005 (which could have easily happened!) then the Loop would have been in a real pickle!
Were mistakes made? Yes, but then none were insurmountable and lessons have been learned. The one thing that is for sure is that it's going to cost extra $$$$! (I'm sure that there are those in the CHS heirarchy that are privately regretting this whole Loop thing as it's not turning out to be the "easy cash cow" that they thought it would be! My heart bleeds for them...) Other than that what can we take away from this?
