Re: Update on the Loop

If you're going to compare the 2003 CATS performance to earlier years, then you would need to also compare the 2007 GT performance to what was done in 2004 or earlier years ... in which case they would be at best down 50%.

However, the real question here should have nothing to do with the worker bees who keep the railroads going ... comments should focus on the owners and managers.

CATS in 2003:

(1) roughly 100 days before Memorial Day, the owners (Commission) and managers (RGRPC-2) announced that the season would begin three weeks late in order to have time to get the locomotive ready. This gave potential customers time to adjust their plans in a timely manner.

(2) trains ran just 4 days/week, giving the worker bees ample time to perform routine maintenance and to head off emergency maintenance.

Owners and managers received complaints about this schedule, but they look good in light of what is happening @GTL this year.

GTL in 2007:

(1) roughly 3 days before Memorial Day, the owners (CHS) and managers (Railstar) announced that the season would begin three weeks late in order to have time to get the locomotive ready. This meant that potential customers had to adjust their plans at the last minute, and some probably discovered the change in plans only when they arrived at the station.

(2) trains run 7 days/week, giving the workers bees very little time to perform routine maintenance and to head off emergency maintenance. Consequently, the over-worked "Pineapple Princess" has had to add some off-days on her own (as any of us would do under similar circumstances)