So much for our family vacation! STEAMTOWN NEWS

[Kooljock1]

This is so sad:

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National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior
Steamtown National Historic Site

150 South Washington Ave.

Scranton, PA 18503


570-340-5200 phone

570-340-5334 fax









Steamtown National Historic Site Announcement






April 21, 2004



A Message from the Superintendent
2004 Mainline Steam Excursion Program


Regretfully, Steamtown National Historic Site must announce the delay of all steam-powered mainline rail excursions originally scheduled to resume during the Memorial Day Weekend. This decision is based upon the unexpected high cost of liability insurance premiums affecting steam-powered rail excursion operating on Class I railroads. These high costs have had an impact upon many museum and tourist railroad operations throughout the country and are by no means resultant of any fault on the part of local railroad owners and operators, as they can not control the costs associated with insurance coverage.


Following the tragic events of 9/11, insurance premiums skyrocketed. Further influenced by current world events, they have continued to escalate. Steam-powered passenger service, utilizing vintage equipment, is a high-risk business. The liability associated with – and safe conduct of – these excursions rests upon the track owner and operator. Therefore, maintaining sufficient insurance coverage is a necessary element in doing business in today’s world. Unfortunately, the cost of this coverage has finally caught up with Steamtown’s “Live Steam” interpretive program – and sooner than expected. We ask for your patience and understanding as we work through this issue as economically and expeditiously as is possible. We remain optimistic that some mainline excursions will resume later this year.


In the interim, Steamtown will operate “Live Steam” within the railroad yard, daily, beginning Saturday, April 24th. Programs will include short train rides and cab tours. We will also roll out some special vintage equipment to provide an opportunity for passengers to ride on board a wooden caboose, a business car, and a parlor car.



In moving forward with the implementation of our recently developed Comprehensive Interpretive Plan (CIP) – a five-year strategic plan to guide all programs and activities at Steamtown – will continue to introduce new programs, beginning with the Memorial Day Weekend. The CIP provides the basis upon which we will develop and expand upon the “Live Steam” experience to create a consistent and more diverse schedule of activities for our visiting public. This new approach to programming at Steamtown may even produce a few pleasant surprises for our visitors. For example, we may find it possible to operate two steam locomotives, simultaneously, or even conduct multiple “Live Steam” activities, such as photo run-bys in the railroad yard – with freight or passenger cars in tow. Please, visit our website often for details and revised schedules.


Again, thank you for your understanding and patience.




-NPS-

[spankybird]

This is a very sad [:(] sign of our times.

[Anonymous]

Insurance cost was also the reason why the tourist railroad at Sugercreek near Ohios Amish Country is presently not running. The costs are so high that the rairoad cannot make any money. Companies are afraid of lawsuits from people falling and getting hurt, and insurance companies apparently view stream excursions as high risk. A solution must be found or there will be no private rail service anywhere.

[daan]

May be a stupid idea, but in holland it is impossible to get any museum thing responsible for your safety. Everywhere there are signs with "acces at own risk" and if you fall or get hurt because you don't watch what you're doing, even if the train explodes beyond your fault, it is at your own risk. I think it's stupid anyway that visitors of an event or a museum hold that responsible for their wellbeing. If the equipment is tested and safe, they may run it. The only thing would be that the engine driver falls asleep, but that is not the museum, but the engine driver who's faulty.
Within 2 weeks we have a huge steam-weekend in Dordrecht. Everything which runs on steam will be there, from trains (reallife and scale), up to steamrollers, tug's and ships. Even a steam powered funfare. Emagine how that would look like if people could lawsuite every occasion on the happening, it wouldn't excist.
I think insurance needs to be, but I also think that people themselves have the need to watch what they're doing and take responsibility for that. If you're doing stupid, that's your business, if you burn your fingers on a kettle, if you fall down a stair in a ship, you should have been whatching yourself and pay attention. that is not the responsibility of the ships owner, but your own.
For example, in Amerika some old woman lawsuited Mc Donnalds for burning herself on the coffee they served. Sje was fiddling with the lid, and she spilled coffee over her lap. Mc Donnalds had to pay her a lot of money.
You should try to do that over here, you will be laughed at! It's your own fault that you spill coffee! No person working at mcdonnalds poured it over your lap, you did it yourself.
If we can lawsuit everyone else for our own stupidness, the realism about insurance and normal behaviour is gone. The world get's ruled by lunatics and foggy people who can't drink coffee. That's my opinion. (and if one wants to lawsuit me for my point of view, I may have and tell other people my point of view. It is my view, not necessary yours..[:D])

[Dave45681]

daan,

Unfortunately you explained the situation with lawsuits in America almost exactly. We are in a society over here where there are lawyers ready to argue for anyone that their own stupidity is someone elses fault. Ultimately, the juries that keep awarding such insane payoffs (as the McDonalds case you reference) are not helping things.

[Kooljock1]

What I can't understand is why, they being an entity of the Federal Government can't just get a rider on the Amtrak policy?

It's about time Bush followed up on his campaign promise of torte reform, so we can do away with these inane lawsuits. We're a country of cry-babies allowing the inmates to run the assylum! Enough is enough. The lawyers, judges, and plaintifs in these cases can all get bent as far as I'm concerned.

Jon [:(]

[Anonymous]

This is sad news as I have been to Steamtown and enjoyed one of their excursion.
If I remember correctly the Roman empire was the same way with lawsuits. It was like these court shows on TV only without the TV, they finally shot themselves in the foot anyway. The only thing to me is the fact will this kind of thing move into other museums around the country and effect them the same way,I can only hope not!

[daan]

I get the impression that law isn't law anymore in that case, but just an excuse to make a lot of money in an absurd way. That kind of "law" should be lawsuited. If no-one get's hurt, killed or has a real disadvantage from it ( In money or possesions or SERIOUS mental damage) than no law has anything to do with that! "Law" in such a case is just an excuse for getting rich in an evil way.
If that keeps on going, everyone must stay inside his house if you don't want to get lawsuited by someone who has "serious mental problems" after seeing your face or something like that. Rediculous.
But that's only my opinion (I'm carefull[angel])

[Anonymous]

They mention "operating on Class I railroads." I wonder if the insurance situation is different for excursions operating on lines they own or shortline trackage?

In any case, Steamtown is well worth visiting even without taking one of the major excursions. I took my family there for a day trip and there simply wasn't time to see and do everything in the museum and take a 3 hr. excursion. So we had fun in the yard with the switching demonstration (caboose ride) and we had a great 45min trolley ride at the trolley museum next door (I think this operates on different trackage?)

If people continue to show support for Steamtown, they'll get this straightened out. If people stay away in droves, Steamtown itself may be in trouble.

Have fun!

[Roger Bielen]

Too many lawyers and too many politicians are lawyers.[soapbox]

[macdannyk1]

That's right, we need more former actors turning politician! Hail the Govenator! :)

[FJ and G]

Roger B. is right; but John Q. Public also is responsible for this sorry state of affairs. Let one accident happen and everyone gets their panties in a wad.

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On a positive note, a heavyweight Pullman built in 1922 and called "The Dover Harbor", got new wheelsets and is certified for the Northeast Corridor operation. A bunch of NMRA folks in Maryland and Virginia own and ride it all over the country, usually pulled as the last car in an Amtrak train. It is a very luxurious way to travel and even has cooking and sleeping facilities.

dav