Loop Letters

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="2c1e8643.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Maiandra GD" ><B>Georgetown Politics</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |  </B> <B>  </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Georgetown Politics"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Maiandra GD" ><B> </B></FONT><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Accolades"><U><B>Accolades</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Commentary"><U><B>Commentary</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Town Boards and Commissions"><U><B>Town Boards and Commissions</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Miscellaneous"><U><B>Miscellaneous</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Warm Fuzzy Thoughts"><U><B>Warm & Fuzzy Thoughts</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Donate"><U><B>Donate</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Muckrakers Unite"><U><B>Muckrakers Unite</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Comcast"><U><B>Contact Comcast</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000"> <div>                                                   </div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> _</div> <bR> <div> Dear Governor Owens and other Distinguished Persons, </div> <bR> <div> I have watched this travesty unfold all summer, hoping that someone at </div> <div> the higher levels of state government would wake up and come to their </div> <div> senses, but I can stay silent no longer. I would like to address the </div> <div> terrible situation that is going on regarding the demise of the Georgetown </div> <div> Loop Railroad. </div> <bR> <div> I have been around railroads all of my 46 years, as I was born to </div> <div> parents that met while working on a railroad in Pennsylvania. I have been on </div> <div> too many tourist trains to count. I have worked for 9 years on a steam </div> <div> tourist railroad in Pennsylvania before moving to Colorado almost 5 years </div> <div> ago. I have followed the tourist railroad industry very closely over the </div> <div> years. I am also a degreed mechanical engineer with some business education. </div> <div> That said, I would like to address a few points: </div> <bR> <div> 1 - The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of the finest tourist railroads I </div> <div> have ever seen. Other than the Durango & Silverton line, to the best of my </div> <div> knowledge there is no other place that can boast having three operating </div> <div> steam locomotives. Three locomotives that are in excellent physical shape </div> <div> and appearance for their ages. Definitely a first class operation. Trust me </div> <div> when I say the outgoing operators of the Georgetown Loop Railroad are very </div> <div> well known throughout the railroad community and thought of very highly. If </div> <div> you won't trust me, just call around the country to any number of tourist </div> <div> railroads, and see what they say about the outgoing operators. Why do you </div> <div> think the Historical Society only got one semi-legitimate bid? No one of any </div> <div> serious reputation in the railroad tourist industry bid on the RFP because </div> <div> they knew there was no decent equipment available to run on the Georgetown </div> <div> Loop! Then, when the bids were obviously not up to the requirements of the </div> <div> RFP, the Georgetown Loop Railroad tried to resume negotiation, but was </div> <div> rebuffed by the Historical Society. </div> <bR> <div> 2 - The Georgetown Loop Railroad track and cars were maintained in excellent </div> <div> condition, especially when you consider the age of the cars and track. </div> <div> Narrow gauge track is more difficult to maintain and provide a smooth ride </div> <div> than standard gauge track. Given the relatively slow speeds at which the </div> <div> Georgetown Loop trains traveled, they could have taken short cuts with the </div> <div> track and the cars, but they chose not to. They could have scrimped on ties </div> <div> and spikes, but they didn't. they could have scrimped on ballast, but they </div> <div> didn't. Just look at what George Bartholomew did to the Cumbres & Toltec </div> <div> roadbed under his tenure. They had to throw him out for neglect of the </div> <div> property! The Georgetown Loop Railroad took excellent care of the property </div> <div> right up to the end. </div> <bR> <div> 3 - Safety. Some tourist railroads have no formal training programs for </div> <div> their employees, and safety is very questionable. With a minimal amount of </div> <div> supervision and observation, people are given jobs where passenger lives are </div> <div> at stake. At some railroads, a person can make engineer in less than a year! </div> <div> Then there are railroads like the Georgetown Loop, where the employees are </div> <div> obviously well trained, and have to work jobs for a long time before they </div> <div> advance to the next position. From what I have seen, the staff at Georgetown </div> <div> excelled in their jobs, and their safety record is shows it. </div> <bR> <div> 4 - Safety. Yes, I have Safety here twice. Steam locomotives can be a very </div> <div> dangerous thing. Just do a little research into steam locomotive boiler </div> <div> explosions, and you will quickly find out that improperly maintained and </div> <div> inspected locomotive boilers can be deadly, with explosions throwing the </div> <div> boilers over 200 feet through the air, killing anyone within that distance. </div> <div> Based on a 1995 boiler explosion on the Gettysburg Railroad, the Federal </div> <div> Railroad Administration rewrote and updated the rules regarding steam </div> <div> locomotive boilers. I am very familiar with the Gettysburg incident, as I </div> <div> was a steam locomotive fireman on another PA tourist line at the time. The </div> <div> Gettysburg crew was lucky in that they all survived. Two had broken bones, </div> <div> cuts, and 2nd and 3rd degree burns. The engineer, suffered no broken bones, </div> <div> but he did have 3rd degree burns over 65% of his body. No passengers were </div> <div> injured and the boiler did not leave the locomotive. The NTSB report is </div> <div> available online. I will not get within 200 feet of a CHS or Railstar </div> <div> refurbished steam locomotive, nor will I allow my family to do the same. I </div> <div> will recommend that friends stay away, also. The risk is too high, because </div> <div> neither the Colorado Historical Society or Railstar has demonstrated the </div> <div> necessary skills of properly maintaining and inspecting steam locomotive </div> <div> boilers long term. The Georgetown Loop Railroad had over 30 years of safe </div> <div> boiler operation. </div> <bR> <div> 5 - Safety. Again. For a third time. I cannot stress this enough. In regards </div> <div> to the rotting drop bottom gondolas that the CHS has purchased from Durango </div> <div> for use on Georgetown Loop trains in 2005, they will need to be totally </div> <div> stripped down and rebuilt so that they are no longer drop bottom gondola </div> <div> cars, otherwise they cannot safely carry people. Again, this flies in the </div> <div> face of the history that the Historical Society is supposed to protect. This </div> <div> whole thing with the Historical Society and the Georgetown Loop Railroad </div> <div> will destroy far more Colorado Railroad history than it will preserve. To </div> <div> think that the Historical Society has the nerve to call the operator of the </div> <div> Georgetown Loop "anti-preservationist"! </div> <bR> <div> 6 - There are no 3 foot gauge steam locomotives in good operable condition </div> <div> available for sale, and there are very few 3 foot gauge diesels available </div> <div> for sale. Anywhere. All are being used. There are very few 3 foot gauge cars </div> <div> available that can haul passengers. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad </div> <div> is undergoing a massive and prolonged steam locomotive rebuilding program </div> <div> which has been brought about by the new FRA regulations. In reports that I </div> <div> have seen, they are budgeting $600,000 per locomotive to bring them up to </div> <div> Federal code. These are locomotives that have been in service relatively </div> <div> recently. The locomotives that the Colorado Historical Society is proposing </div> <div> to use have not run in over 40 years, and the boilers are of a type frowned </div> <div> upon by the FRA. As a result, the lightweight locomotives being considered </div> <div> will need to be either de-rated of have new boilers built. A new boiler does </div> <div> not exactly fit the preservation goals of the CHS. You may have noticed that </div> <div> I mentioned lightweight in regards to the locomotives proposed. That is </div> <div> because steam locomotives of the size and power used by the Cumbres & </div> <div> Toltec, or the Durango & Silverton, cannot negotiate the curves of the </div> <div> Georgetown Loop Railroad. Even Georgetown Loop RR #40, which is about the </div> <div> largest rod-type steam locomotive that can run on the Georgetown Loop, can </div> <div> only haul about 40% of what the Georgetown Loop RR shay locomotives can </div> <div> haul. That amounts to 1 coach, an open gondola car, a refurbished cattle </div> <div> care, and a caboose or two. The passenger capacity of such a train is in the </div> <div> ballpark of 100-120 people, well below what the regular Georgetown Loop </div> <div> trains haul with their shays, which is more like 360-400 people. By the way, </div> <div> there are no 3 foot gauge shay locomotives available for sale to my </div> <div> knowledge, and even if Railstar can find one steam rod-type locomotive and </div> <div> some cars, the best they can haul passenger-wise will be around 1/3 of what </div> <div> the Georgetown Loop Railroad has been carrying. That number is around </div> <div> 130,000 people this year, and can be expected to drop below 42,900 people </div> <div> for 2005. IF Railstar and the Historical Society can come up with a train at </div> <div> all. If not, then the number drops to zero passengers. </div> <bR> <div> I would not want to be a businessman in Georgetown next year, when there </div> <div> will be at least 87,100 fewer tourists (and possibly 130,000 fewer) because </div> <div> of the lack of train equipment. </div> <bR> <div> No matter how you look at it, and no matter how you twist the numbers </div> <div> around, changing operators at the Georgetown Loop Railroad makes no </div> <div> financial sense. Two steam locomotive rebuilds will cost the state of </div> <div> Colorado at least $1.2 million dollars (and maybe as high as $2 million), </div> <div> and every time estimate I have heard indicates at least 1 year of time per </div> <div> locomotive. That takes us to fall of 2005 before any steam locomotive can be </div> <div> ready for use. Then you have to factor in the cost to rebuild cars. If you </div> <div> could get them done for $25,000 each, to do 10 cars and be close to the </div> <div> current passenger capacity would require and other $250,000. Money that the </div> <div> state of Colorado does not have, or so I keep hearing. Therefore, the </div> <div> Historical Society is going to spend anywhere from $1.45 million to $2.25 </div> <div> million to fix something that was not broken! Never mind the lost tax </div> <div> revenues and closed Georgetown businesses. If I had made such bad business </div> <div> decisions during my career as the Historical Society has made in regards to </div> <div> the Georgetown Loop, I would have been fired, at the very least. </div> <bR> <div> The only explanation I can see why this can be happening to the good </div> <div> taxpaying people and businesses of Georgetown, and the taxpayers of all of </div> <div> Colorado, is a political agenda. Such an agenda has been well documented, so </div> <div> I don't need to rehash it here. It is an agenda that is being swept under </div> <div> the carpet by the Historical Society when they refuse to truthfully answer </div> <div> questions as to how this all came to be. No matter how many banners the </div> <div> Historical Society puts up proclaiming that the train will run in 2005, and </div> <div> no matter how many press conferences they hold stating the same thing, the </div> <div> Historical Society still cannot show anyone the train. That is because there </div> <div> is no train once it leaves the Georgetown Loop property in the next few </div> <div> weeks! </div> <bR> <div> Thank you for your time. </div> <bR> <div> Best Regards, </div> <bR> <div> Randy Buchter </div> <div> 801 Alpine Street </div> <div> Longmont, CO 80501 </div> <bR> <bR> <div> _________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> Dear Honorable Governor Owens, </div> <bR> <div> I have written to you previously about the Georgetown Loop Railroad, but I am writing again to ask you to please launch an investigation into why the Colorado Historical Society is refusing to negotiate with the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc. (current operator or the railroad). </div> <bR> <div> The Ashby/Greksa family has done an outstanding job of operating the Georgetown Loop Railroad for 30 years. No other organization could ever match the quality of operation provided by Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc. The accuracy of the historical experience offered to visitors is unequaled anywhere. The current operators of the railroad have provided equipment that is maintained safely and is also historically accurate. The employees of the Georgetown Loop Railroad excel in providing a safe and enjoyable experience for the visitor. </div> <bR> <div> Thanks to the Ashby/Greksa families many years of fine operation of the railroad, visitors to Colorado and Coloradoans have had the privilege of enjoying an historical treasure. I sincerely believe there is some state employee that has an underlying grudge and ugly political reason for not renewing their contract. If the contract is not renewed, I have serious doubt that the Colorado Historical Society will ever offer such an outstanding and pleasant historical experience at the Georgetown Loop ever again. </div> <bR> <div> I am also concerned that the CHS's efforts to acquire equipment are gravely flawed. The locomotives they are considering having restored may have serious problems that can only be corrected with a great deal of money, time and effort. Even if they do restore and operate this historic equipment, I am concerned that they will run these locomotives into the ground and we will loose them forever. The fact that Engine #9 sat on a siding up in Silver Plume and rotted for many years is proof that CHS doesn't care about preserving our historical equipment. Engine #9 should have been cosmetically preserved many, many years ago. It is too small a locomotive to pull the longer trains on the Loop. </div> <bR> <div> Please launch an investigation into this matter. The Colorado Historical Society is making foolish decisions that are not in the best interest of the citizens of Colorado nor taxpayers. </div> <bR> <div> Sincerely, </div> <div> Alan Davis </div> <div> Loveland, CO </div> <bR> <div> _____________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="642" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 1716 WIDTH="638"><div> The People of Georgetown </div> <bR> <div> 1-I think that you should look what happened to thr Heber Valley in Utah when </div> <div> the Heber Creeper shutdown in 1990. </div> <div> The Valley suffered a very substanial HIT, that only recently has it regained </div> <div> those losses by becoming a Rich Man's Suburb of Park City, Utah, and the </div> <div> Heber Valley Railroad struggles on with Ridership still not reaching pre 1990 </div> <div> Levels. </div> <bR> <div> 2-The shutdown of the Sierra Railroad in Jamestown California in 1979 has </div> <div> effected thsat operation, and now due to many unstable variables has become a </div> <div> Static Museum with a short train ride. </div> <bR> <div> The CHS and Associates appear to want dump all of the Costs of Maintaining </div> <div> the Railroad and Lebanon Mine onto the Georgetown Loop Railroad or whom ever </div> <div> that they find, and to also require Insurance coverage that is beyond anyone's </div> <div> Grasp. </div> <bR> <div> This indicates some interesting Questions???? </div> <div> 1-Is the CHS and Associates attempting to take over the Georgetown Loop as a </div> <div> Division of the CHS and run it as such---A very Risky and Expensive Option as </div> <div> State Employment Requirements would be extremely Costly. </div> <bR> <div> 2-The CHS and Associates have a Plan to Assume control of the Railroad and </div> <div> lease it out to a Friend of the CHS. </div> <div> This can look like a Good Option, but it has some inherent pitfalls in that </div> <div> the CHS woold be in a position to circumvent some of the Safety Factors of the </div> <div> present system (This by no means detracts from the CHS, but is a situation </div> <div> that has happened here in Utah-Where the State Parks were extremely lax in </div> <div> managing their Duties dealing with the Heber Creeper and the resulting problems). </div> <bR> <div> 3-The costs and problems associated with the change are signifigant </div> <div> -# 9 Rebuild will likely cost in excess of $600,000 after all of the known </div> <div> and unknown required repairs are done. </div> <div> -The use of the worn out Boxcar Coaches from the Cumbres and Toltec are </div> <div> another expense as given the work required to refurbish several of the cars back to </div> <div> Freight Cars (according to Friend's Pictures most required a removal of the </div> <div> Car Structure down to the frame and a complete new Body. </div> <div> -Acquiring a Diesel Locomotive of the size required as a backup is not going </div> <div> to be easy or cheap, as most of the existing narrow gauge diesel locomotives </div> <div> are mainly 25 tons or less, and the only real set of locomotive available were </div> <div> recently scrapped by the Larry's Truck Equipment Company in Ohio for parts. </div> <div> The Diesel Locomotive Requirements are basically a two truck, 300 hp min. no </div> <div> less that 4 ton, and air brake equipped. </div> <div> -Steam Locomotive Requirements are thet there be a minimum of two and </div> <div> preferably three steam locomotive of a size capable of moving six to eight passenger </div> <div> carrying cars per train. </div> <div> -Passenger Cars are a very great requirement, and for Georgetown Loop </div> <div> Operations there is a basic requirement of 12 passenger cars (This allows for cars to </div> <div> be in Train Service, Spares for running replacements, and Cars in the Shop </div> <div> for maintenance and repairs) </div> <bR> <div> The CHS and Associates have so far been too secretive to give in My view any </div> <div> real security. </div> <bR> <div> I must also give another view, and that is that the Rails to Trails may be </div> <div> Making an Attempt to create the Georgetown Loop Bike Trail... </div> <bR> <div> I was unable to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad in 1998 and 2000 due to the </div> <div> limited access and very limited AUTO parking due to the large amount of </div> <div> business, which saddened me. </div> <bR> <div> I remember talking to some people a number of years ago about the Georgetwon </div> <div> Loop Railroad, and how frustrating it was to have such a large number of autos </div> <div> passing thru the Georgetown Neighborhoods and still not able to access </div> <div> Downtown Georgetown after riding the Train. </div> <div> A solution to this would be to extend the GLRR east to the Western Edge of </div> <div> Georgetown Lake, which would allow a large and more accessible auto parking </div> <div> area, an area for a much larger Rail Shop Area, and Museum Display Buildings and </div> <div> Openair Display. </div> <div> The downtown Access could be a seasonal either rubber tired street car or a </div> <div> rail streetcar using batteries or a diesel-electric power system (ie the Platte </div> <div> River Trolley in Denver). </div> <bR> <div> I see the outlook of the Georgetown Loop Railroad surviving past Sept. 2005 </div> <div> as Slim, and the Georgetown Loop Historic District Bike and Hike Trail looming </div> <div> in the near future. </div> <div> The Train can Draw from reports as many as 115,000 Visitors, and the Trail </div> <div> maybe 15,000 Visitors. </div> <bR> <div> The People of Georgetown, Silver Plume and the adjacent areas and Communities </div> <div> must decide where the future is going to head, as the past has shown that </div> <div> even a one year shutdown can reduce the Train Ridership by as much 80 percent, </div> <div> and once lost it is very, very hard to regain. </div> <bR> <div> The CHS given the current Colorado Funding Problems maybe seeking to dump </div> <div> most of the costs of the Historic District onto the Operator of the Train and </div> <div> onto the towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume as a way of reducing CHS General </div> <div> Costs. </div> <div> This is another possible reason why. </div> <bR> <div> There are numerous Senarios that can be developed, but any Solutions will </div> <div> require the Participation and Decision Making, and possibly including Georgetown </div> <div> and the adjacent Communities setting up a Special District and assuming the </div> <div> total control from the CHs to preserve what is there now versus a poor looking </div> <div> future. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Sincerely </div> <div> Stephen Smith </div> <div> Bar-S Bar Research </div> <div> Ogden, Utah </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> _____________________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="642" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 190 ><NOBR><div> Dear Sir, </div> <div> I am writing to save the Georgetown loop as it is currently operating. It is </div> <div> the reason I venture to Georgetown after visting Durango and Antinito. I </div> <div> also recommend the Georgetown loop to friends that are viisting Colo. Please </div> <div> keep this great operation going. </div> <bR> <div> Thank You, </div> <bR> <div> Randy James </div> <div> 1413 Grimes Dr. </div> <div> Carrollton Texas 75010 </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> _________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="642" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 384 WIDTH="638"><div> To whomever is considering the notion of closing the Georgetown Loop Railroad: </div> <bR> <div> ARE YOU PEOPLE CRAZY? </div> <bR> <div> This is a piece of history that doesn't just set there on a shelf or is a two </div> <div> dimensional picture in a book. It's real! It works! It's up close and </div> <div> personal! All your senses can experience it! You can touch it, hear it and smell </div> <div> it! A historical experience like this is something to be treasured and </div> <div> protected. Add that closing one of the best tourist attractions and engineering </div> <div> wonders of the US will be signing a death warrant to those two wonderful towns. </div> <div> No one will stop there anymore. They will just continue on into Denver. The </div> <div> quaint little shops and restaurants will have to shut down and those </div> <div> dependent on the cash flow from those businesses will have to leave. There are enough </div> <div> dried up ghost towns and far too much history being lost for you to let this </div> <div> happen! </div> <bR> <div> Closing this railroad or any other historical attraction down IS comparable </div> <div> to piloting a plane into the world trade center! </div> <bR> <div> Sincerely, </div> <div> Ward Hammond </div> <div> Houston, TX </div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> ____________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> Dear Mr. Hammond- </div> <div> Thank you for your interest and concern in the Georgetown Loop Historic </div> <div> Railroad and Mining Park issue. </div> <bR> <div> The Georgetown Loop Railroad is very important to the Colorado Historical </div> <div> Society. As you say, it is an historical experience to be treasured. We </div> <div> treasure the memories of children and families who experience this piece of </div> <div> Colorado history each year. As a result, we are committee to ensuring that </div> <div> the railroad runs for many years to come. </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Save the Loop "><U>The Colorado Historical Society issued two news releases on this topic.</U></A> They </div> <div> are attached. I hope that these will address some of the questions you have. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Thank you again for your interest and concern. </div> <bR> <div> Sincerely, </div> <div> Julie A. Wedding </div> <div> Public Relations Director </div> <div> Colorado Historical Society </div> <div> 1300 Broadway </div> <div> Denver, Colorado 80203 </div> <div> (303) 866-3670 </div> <div> <U>julie.wedding@chs.state.co.us</U><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="courier new" > </FONT></div> <div> Check out our Web site at <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="courier new" ><U>www.coloradohistory.org</U></FONT> </div> <bR> <div> _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> It is indeed a crying shame to see such a historical item as the Gerogetown </div> <div> Loop Railroad shut down, particularly in light of the incredible efforts over </div> <div> so many years to get the Devil's Gate bridge and the railroad rebuilt to </div> <div> operating condition after so many years of being shut down. </div> <bR> <div> It would be helpful to us in the railroad community to have some insight as </div> <div> to the problems that are evident between the Colorado Historical Society and </div> <div> the GLRR. There was a similar instance a couple of years ago on the Cumbres and </div> <div> Toltec where problems existed betwene the owners and the operator of the </div> <div> railroad. Through monumental efforts by may parties the railroad was saved for </div> <div> future generations to the benefit of all. </div> <bR> <div> Not having any informaton as to the reasons for the shutdown one can only </div> <div> assume there is some sort of grudge match going on between the parties. Poor </div> <div> reasons indeed to lose such a valuable historical artifact. </div> <bR> <div> Brian Banks </div> <div> Ponca City, Oklahoma </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Good Evening, </div> <bR> <div> It has come to the attention of many Colorado RailFans, who in turn, become </div> <div> regular tourists in the great State of Colorado, some of which making annual </div> <div> visits... that the Colorado Historical Society and the Georgetown Loop </div> <div> Railroad will part company at the end of the 2004 season. </div> <bR> <div> I can assure you that, my reasons for visiting the Georgetown and Idaho </div> <div> Springs area will all but end, with the lack of this railroad operations. </div> <div> And with the obvious lack of options for another Railroad Firm to replace </div> <div> the GLRR Co, with such unique equipment, I do not see this line recovering </div> <div> from this loss. </div> <bR> <div> It is my hopes, as with many, that the two parties can come to an agreement, </div> <div> meet in the middle, figure SOMETHING OUT and continue the wonderful </div> <div> operation of the great piece of Colorado History. For those that have not </div> <div> seen the video showing the original railroad and then showing its </div> <div> reconstruction, I urge them to watch the video again. Then ask, if they </div> <div> wish to be a part of the end of this tourist operation, or part of the </div> <div> on-going life of this operation. Its as simple as that question. </div> <bR> <div> sincerely, </div> <div> Frolin Marek & family </div> <div> San Antonio, Texas </div> <bR> <bR> <div> ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</div> <bR> <div> To Whom It May Concern: </div> <bR> <div> Why is George Town Loop running is to be discontinued??????????? </div> <div> Why? </div> <div> I have read about rebuild the span to complete the high bridge 30 years ago </div> <div> but now the bad news. </div> <div> I have not able to be there yet but planning in a year or two. </div> <div> My heart sank when I read the update about last run in October 2004. </div> <bR> <div> Thank you. </div> <div> Sojourner for Christ, Jerry </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>