Thanks! Thanks so much for all the great info, pics, and video/audio. I've got a seat to ride in late September, and this thread has been much more encouraging than other threads elsewhere forecasting the RR's demise. Cheers!! ...Karl
Engine #12 broke Monday It was reported in a small artical in the Denver Post that Engine #12 snapped and axle on Monday while pulling uphill towards Silver Plum. This left passengers walking the track and cancellations. The engine was removed on Tuesday and they also retreived the passenger cars. They stated they would be using the Diesel Engines until repairs can be completed; which they hoped would be today.
WOW, they are really having a tough go of it!! Lucky no one was hurt. It is a good thing they have diesel backup. Any news on the cause? Too much weight would be my guess?? Guess they should double head all their trains John
Welcome to TrainBoard!!!!!!! There is allot of great RR Adventures in Colorado to enjoy over and over again. You can find photographs from many of my RR Adventures through my website listed in my signature below. :lightbulb: :lightbulb: :lightbulb:
Thanks for the update!! Tough luck for those guys. I thought they had a diesel as a back up?? Anyway, sounds like they can be back up quickly. John
Dead Horse Not trying to beat a dead horse, but the old operators never had these kinds of problems. Their equipment was always in good working order. They also wouldn't have had these kind of power unit shortages. They had two working shays, a 2-8-0, and two diesels that could handle even the busiest of seasons. Oh well, nothing like losing sales tax money to help the local economy. And now there is a ballot initiative here in town to raise our property taxes to offset the loss in sales tax revenue that occured when the operation changed hand. EEERRR. It very frustrating. Eric
Yuk, Tough call Hopfully things will turn a corner for the new operator and they can get all these troubles behind them. As each of these failures occur it will turn people off from coming back or even show up after hearing about these troubles from those effected. In the mean time the old operators equipment sits idle at the CRMM... Can't seem to win on either end as I had hoped to see both the new operator get things going again and the old operator to get thing going someplace else. Now we have broken engines at Georgetown and working engine sitting idle in Golden.
Now I'm glad I gave the Loop reservations desk my cell number. For the days before I'm going to be riding the Loop, I'll be on the road riding other trains in CO (the third week in September). :zip: I'm just sorry I missed the days when the consist was pulled with the Shay. ...Karl
I don't believe it will discourage people from coming. Yet. They need a chance to prove themselves. What's happened recently seems more like an odd occurance. Now, if it were to continue,..... :sad: Boxcab E50
Karl, Check this out... <Click on the image to Play a short video> Also see: Georgetown Loop Railroad (RRAdventures)
I loved those shays. That was also Sean's first train experience...he learned all about shays at the age of three!! Wish something could be worked out to have those back so Cole could get that experience as well John
One of the reasons the contract for the old operators was not renewed was because they were not operating "prototypical" locomotives. The historical society wanted rod driven locos not shays. Also, as far as this being isolated it is not. Last year their deisel 44 tonner derailed and the line had to be shut down for a day. This year the arrival of #9 was about 2 months late. With this latest occurance, I'm begining to lose faith. Eric
Instead, I feel it would have been a far better move, to work with that operator, toward such an end goal. AFAIK, they were doing well. Instead of the punt and start all over........ Hoping for something better next time.... :sad: Boxcab E50
Although I agree that the line should be as prototypical as possible, there are plenty of "historic" railroads out there that do not run prototypical motive power or rolling stock. If we get going down that road then we have to get into the the whole preservation versus presentation concept (presentation of course meaning an engine or piece of rolling stock that LOOKS good but is either completely fabricated or out of era/prototype). As an archaeologist I clearly am a preservationist BUT I say one must balance preservation/prototype with practicality. People came from VERY long distances to see and ride the Loop because it had shays. People come from VERY long distances to get on board railcars on the Durango and Silverton that are 50 to 100 percent fabricated. I think as long as folks know what they are getting this is ok and it helps preserve the historic railroad and the pieces of historic equipment that they do have. Just my two-cents on it John
A major problem with being prototypical, is in most cases, the available proper equipment. A lot of the time, it's long gone. Other times, it's scattered. And getting it back home isn't possible. And, let's face it, the current operation of the Loop isn't historically prototypical in itself! :sad: Boxcab E50
That's exactly right. I can think of a hand full that have a lot of prototype (of course there are questions of what era) equipment (Durango and Silverton/Cumbres and Toltec are the most familiar to me). Others just sort of make it up. I guess as long as we are preserving steam/early diesel then there is merit to any railroad doing it. I do think that the general public should know what they are getting though...Some "historic" railroads were built in the last 20 years and run steam that is completely manufactured... At any rate, I do hope these guys can get these troubles behind them and that the line stays open. John
