Georgetown loop abandonment?

[Anonymous]

Read recently that the Georgetown loop railroad will be shutting down permantly at the end of this season. The article went on to say that there was little hope that it will run again. What is the reason for this? Low ridership, or what? Could the state of Colorado take it over as a great tourist attraction? I have rode over it and would be saddened to see it become a fallen flag.

[Anonymous]

My understanding was that the existing operator is calling it quits after this season after being unable to reach an aggreement with the State to renew the operating agreement. I recently heard that the contract had been awarded to an Upstate New York firm that acquired the Belfast & Moosewood Lake in Maine last year and that the new operator would begin operating the Georgetown Loop next season. Has there been some change?

LC

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

LC: Correct. The contract for next season's operation has been let to Railstar Corp., offices located at Cape Vincent, New York, which operates two tourist lines: 33-mile Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad in Maine since 2003, and the Erie Canal Village Historic Park and Museum in Rome, N.Y., which includes a half-mile long 2-foot gauge railway, since 2002. Where they are getting the equipment to operate the Georgetown Loop is not known to me; the equipment in use belonged to and went with the former contract operator.

I know nothing about Railstar; these seemed to be the most useful articles on-line:

http://www.rny.com/pubs/hz/2002/village.html
http://www.centralmaine.com/news/stories/030628belfast_.shtml

No idea where they'll get the equipment, but I hear there is a bunch of Cuban standard and narrow gauge steamers for sale (55 of them). I have no idea how they will get them into the U.S., but, hey it's an idea. There's always China too...

LC

[Anonymous]

Good morning Mark.
Thanks for the very encouraging info on the Georgetown loop. It goes without saying that I am pleased that this piece of American and Colorado history will not pass into the fallen flag category. I think, but an not positive, that the article that mentioned the demise of the Georgetown loop was contained in the recent monthly newsletter from the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. Hope they will print a retraction as I am sure it will have several other people upset.

I would be nice to obtain some of the Cuban narrow gauge equipment that Limitedclear mentions. However, knowing how our government feels about Cuba I think it will be a cold day in H _ _ _ when the Cuban equipment arrives on our shores. As to China they did make steam locomotives in standard gauge for internal consumption and export and potentially could have made some in narrow gauge. However, I read a couple of years ago that China has ceased making steam locomotives. Too bad.