I talked with Ron Trottier earlier today (Aug18, 2004). He seems like a nice guy and didn't even hang up after I told him that I ran Georgetownpolitics.com. However, Mr. Trottier said that he would have to use diesels for the first year or two.

1. The RFP did not say anything about running a diesel operation. It sought a predominately steam operation. How many more respondents would they have gotten if the criteria for the RFP had been diesel and not steam? Isn't the CHS obligated under the rules of RFP to drop that process now that it has been proven that none of respondents met the requirements of the RFP -none have working narrow gauge steam equipment needed to run an authentic narrow gauge steam operation?  Aren't they obligated to go back to the table to renegotiate with the current operators, saving Colorado citizens millions?

2. "We'd look forward toward maybe expanding into other areas, other possible ventures in the immediate area between Georgetown and Silver Plume; tourist related activities that would be consistent with the railroad and historic park," said Ron Trottier, Railstar General Manager." Ch. 9 news

Were any people of interest in the land in those areas serving on the RFP committee? -we'll let you know. Development in Georgetown and Silver Plume? Shouldn't someone (CHS) explain their motives to the communities before proposing it during an RFP process?

3. We were also told that Mr. Trottier plans to disguise the diesels as steam locomotives. To be fair, I forgot to ask Mr. Trottier, but does he really have 3' Narrow Gauge diesels? Everything we've researched shows that he owns 2' Narrow Gauge diesels. -someone else informed us that he does not have ANYTHING CURRENTLY RUNNING ABLE TO RUN ON THE LOOP TRACKS, NOT EVEN DIESEL!

4. This boils down to the current national, state and local historic treasure of an authentic narrow gauge steam operation being destroyed and turned into a hokey diesel (no offense Mr. Trottier, but disguising the diesels is hokey) operation. If the train runs at the current ridership level with only diesels, will we be able to see the summer sky here in Georgetown and Silver Plume?

And this was what our State Historical Society came up with?

Lee Behrens is: Colorado Historical Society Director of the Loop, the Secretary of Historic Georgetown, Inc. , a Georgetown Selectman, and serves on the boards of the Silver Heritage Area and the Historic District Public Lands Commission (all entities are stakeholders in the areas between Georgetown and Silver Plume)