Good Afternoon From Vincent!
In front of my house is the Delaware River and in the back of my house is the former Erie Lackwanna line. The trackage is owned by Norfolk Southern who lease it to Sesquahanna line.
From my childhood in the 1950's till two decades later I marveled at all the freight trains and passenger trains that past the back of the house. Now, almost five decades later, the line is one track with one freight train at night. I, like many other residents and visitors, miss passenger service. We understand that weekly passenger service is not financially feasible on this line that runs from (at least) Binghamton to Port Jervis. Even the prospect of an excursion train is not feasible do to the cost of insurance.
Some residents heard about a "Christmas Train" that does not contain passengers therefore, in their mind, is not a passenger train. Has anyone else heard about the above?
From my brief Facebook encounters it seems other communities have passenger excursions that are welcome by railroad lines, but we seem to be forgotten about. While we understand the operating and insurance cost their must be a holiday themed non-passenger excursion that can run on our line in Chrstmas 2017.
Thoughts and suggestions are welcome!
The Christmas Trains that are currently operating are fulfilling historical operations that in many case began during The Depression if not before. The CSX Christmas train, operating over the former Clinchfield Railroad territory has been operating for over 70 years - it's continued operation has come into question with downgrading operations of the former Clinchfield.
Beginning a Christmas Train would be a serious undertaking and would need overwhelming community support to move the NS from its position of resistance to such trains.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
But someday Norfolk Southern just might want to run a steam excursion over your line. Just possibly. Just to show the population who really owns the line.
daveklepper But someday Norfolk Southern just might want to run a steam excursion over your line. Just possibly. Just to show the population who really owns the line.
In most cases NS does not pick it's steam excursion routes at random, it looks for local sponsors and volunteers to help run the trains as well as execute ticket sales.
My very limited experience here is that will not happen unless there is a local group that NS worked with in the past that is willing to help crew the train and sell tickets for it and that NS has a past working relationship. They would be very timid and probably would not work with a new group here.
So the OP, you need to contact a local NRHS Chapter, or other railfan group that has managed NS Passenger Excursions before in your local area and consult with them what the chances are or approx costs to sponsor a steam train.
Second approach is an Amtrak Charter via AAPRCO and in most cases it doesn't matter if it is a past Amtrak route, somehow Amtrak is able to force the issue with charter trains on the Class I railroad to obtain rare mileage excursions and get what they want over whatever route they want but in this case you need to use AAPRCO as a intermediary to negotiate with Amtrak over the specific route, plus your going to pay on average $5-7,000 per passenger car per day, plus switching or deadheading costs...........so it will be expensive. Money talks so that is probably why AAPRCO with Amtrak as a operating front company has so much success with rare mileage excursions BUT also realize there are some lines in such crappy shape that they are pretty much off limits to Amtrak and AAPRCO.
Here are some links:
http://www.nrhs.com/
http://www.aaprco.com/
Don't call Amtrak directly for a Charter because their response will be to talk you down like your on LSD or something. Do it yourself Amtrak Charters via direct Contact with Amtrak are really only good for existing Amtrak lines and they will always attempt to get you to use an existing Amtrak train first. Special trains via Amtrak usually meets with "We don't have any spare cars".
CMStPnPDon't call Amtrak directly for a Charter because their response will be to talk you down like your on LSD or something. Do it yourself Amtrak Charters via direct Contact with Amtrak are really only good for existing Amtrak lines and they will always attempt to get you to use an existing Amtrak train first. Special trains via Amtrak usually meets with "We don't have any spare cars".
Palm Beach County Florida has been operating 'Safety Patrol' specials from WPB to Washington for decades. In recent years the 'special' has been a designated trip of the Silver Metor, North for one trip and several days later South. The Safety Patrol is booked on the train to the exclusion of other passengers - not enough spare servicable equipment to actually operate a special train.
BaltACD CMStPnP Don't call Amtrak directly for a Charter because their response will be to talk you down like your on LSD or something. Do it yourself Amtrak Charters via direct Contact with Amtrak are really only good for existing Amtrak lines and they will always attempt to get you to use an existing Amtrak train first. Special trains via Amtrak usually meets with "We don't have any spare cars". Palm Beach County Florida has been operating 'Safety Patrol' specials from WPB to Washington for decades. In recent years the 'special' has been a designated trip of the Silver Metor, North for one trip and several days later South. The Safety Patrol is booked on the train to the exclusion of other passengers - not enough spare servicable equipment to actually operate a special train.
CMStPnP Don't call Amtrak directly for a Charter because their response will be to talk you down like your on LSD or something. Do it yourself Amtrak Charters via direct Contact with Amtrak are really only good for existing Amtrak lines and they will always attempt to get you to use an existing Amtrak train first. Special trains via Amtrak usually meets with "We don't have any spare cars".
That is probably true and I am not denying that Amtrak has a shortage of cars. Only that in charter situations when there is money to be made, they won't borrow or rent Amtrak compatible cars from other sources.......they will just ask you to use scheduled trains or turn away the business. So, it seems.... you have to always go through AAPRCO if you want a chartered train.
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