Well said Linn! Did everyone read what was said?
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I have the utmost respect for Linn and everybody else at the Strasburg (Pennsylvania) Railroad. (http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/) Their shop does amazing work. For example, I had the opportunity to watch and ride behind EBT #15 soon after she was returned to service in 2005; my understanding is that the Linn and the Strasburg Railroad staff were heavily involved in her return to service. When I saw EBT #15 she had just been returned to service and appeared to be running incredibly smoothly -- she was drifting through the yard without making any rod noise.
Personally, I highly value Linn's professional opinions -- when Linn posts, I listen!
However, the Strasburg Railroad's client list includes the Colorado RR Museum (http://www.crrm.org). The CRRM happens to be where most of the GLRR, Inc. fleet of narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock are stored. The GLRR, Inc. and CRRM have had a long-term relationship, including frequently using GLRR, Inc. locomotives to pull the train during "Steam Ups" at the CRRM.
Because of the Strasburg RR's work for the CRRM and the CRRM/GLRR, Inc. relationship, others could rightly complain that the Strasburg, PA people have a conflict of interest when it comes to discussing the work that was done in Strasburg, CO. I also don't believe that Linn has any first-hand knowledge of the work that the Strasburg, CO shop did, nor has Linn ever claimed to have first hand knowledge of the work that was done.
In this thread, Linn wisely only made a "general comment" on the industry itself. Unfortunately, the second person to respond to Linn's post first referenced Linn's post, then used it as the basis for a rant against strawmen "big decision's management types". That follow-up post, IMHO, is written in a way that it makes it like Linn said things that he did not actually say.
Anyway, I only make these two points because I suspect that Georgetown-area activists and/or reporters are most likely reading these posts.
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Chris Webster
[www.speakeasy.org]