The CHS/Railstar Loop ran a small steamer this weekend, but not without running a diesel with it. In other words, the terms of the state contract with Railstar have not been met. Those terms require a "primarily steam operated railroad". At best the first runs were 40% steam operated, as industry pros who watched the first runs state that the deisel was doing most of the work.

Despite the lies proclaimed by Kgoat's Tom Bennhoff while interviewing "I can say whatever I want and it doesn't have to be the truth" Joeseph Bell on that day, the first days were NOT a replication of the previous operator's opening weeks, as they ran a 9 car steamer and another 4 car steamer runs to keep up with demand on the weekends. CHS/Railstar barely managed to run a 5 car train with TWO (the ONLY two that they have!) engines.

What happens when one of the engines needs repair?

Yup, it's true, everything that we have been stating for months is true and everything that the CHS has proclaimed is now being proven as lies to cover up their bumbling ego-driven statements.

At this rate, Railstar Loop will be lucky to accomodate 30,000 passengers this year.

Update:

May 31, 2005

The #12 Steam loco is now running all by itself, but is only pulling 3 (mostly empty) cars. This is contrary to what Lee Behrens and Joseph Bell of the Colorado Historical Society  proclaimed the #12 could pull -5 cars, and is only one third the number of cars that last year's operators pulled (not including the extra train with four cars they ran to keep up with demand on the weekends).  

The train was practically empty, so it hardly matters how many cars the #12 pulls. Couple that with fact that the CHS/Railstar had spent less than $7000 in advertising as of April (compare that to the $80,000.00+ spent last April in advertising), Georgetown is going to have record sales tax lows. Mark our words.