crs1026
Superstar
^I don't have any first hand knowledge of this incident, and I won't comment on it - except to note that the news has travelled so far and fast through the railfan grapevine that in the absence of a TSB report, I would not trust anyone's description of it since "broken telephone" may have set in. (No disrespect meant to the posters quoted, all of whom I know personally and respect).
What is more relevant is - just because a rail line has potential as a tourist railway does not imply that the line is economically justifiable. Few tourist or museum railways can cover the full long term cost of maintaining a line their out of their ticket sales. Either somebody subsidises the track work and property costs, or there has to be freight revenue to support the line.
In the case of OBRY, the track maintenance required was considerable. Enabling a tourist railway is only a consideration once the freight side can sustain itself. Kill the freight, and the tourist line goes down with it.... but freight is the horse, not the cart.
- Paul
What is more relevant is - just because a rail line has potential as a tourist railway does not imply that the line is economically justifiable. Few tourist or museum railways can cover the full long term cost of maintaining a line their out of their ticket sales. Either somebody subsidises the track work and property costs, or there has to be freight revenue to support the line.
In the case of OBRY, the track maintenance required was considerable. Enabling a tourist railway is only a consideration once the freight side can sustain itself. Kill the freight, and the tourist line goes down with it.... but freight is the horse, not the cart.
- Paul
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