Little Engine That Could

dkouz · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:29 am

And then it becomes a locomotive and opens another can of worms.

bobyar2001 wrote:

As the unit is unpowered, I wonder if there might be a possibility of linking up with an alternative energy group to actually power it by some new means, to publicize both. Given that every newspaper uses the phrase as a headline for anything to do with railroads (little depot that could, little caboose that could, etc..), I think it might get good, if shopworn, publicity. Perhaps hybrid technology, with an alcohol or hydrogen-fueled engine or the like?

dkouz · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:50 am

What costs are involved?

a host must have a bunch of insurance ($3 million I think)

Are the costs up-front, a percentage of ticket sales, or both? If a combination, what's up front and what's a percentage?

Just ticket sales, $4.50 out of every one sold

About what percentage of the gross revenue does the host railroad see?

70%

What's the average ticket price for most events, and how is that price viewed by the public?

$15, most view it Ok, it just depends on how they think and how much $ an alternative would be.

What kind of operating practices do the franchise owners want (for example the Thomas folks want a 30-minute trip that doesn't cross a road)?

30-minutes at a certain speed (can't remember what though). I'd advise a way to power the little engine, it has a generator, but is too noisy.

How many volunteers are required to crew the event?

in our case, about 44

What is the typical operating scenerio?

the story must be read over the PA during the trip, a bear and an elephant costume must be manned off the train, there has to be number of people dressed up as characters from the book on the train, certificates are handed out to all the kids that ride, and there must also be a number of other things going on like face painting, live music, maze, petting zoo, and the like.

Are tickets presold like the Thomas events, or are they on demand?

yes and yes, I think that you must have advance sales.

How much lead time does planning an event require? It's about a year for Thomas IIRC.

Better to have a year, it's nice to have a year to plan advertising, install a PA system, build a new platform, plan the layout of tents, make advertising arrangements, ect.

How is the engine moved between events, and what portion of those costs is the host railroad expected to bear?

The same drivers that move Thomas, move the little engine. half of the cost to and half of the cost from are paid by hosts.

Does the LETC franchise bring their own gift shop or do you sell through your own store during the event?

own store, with purchasing of lots of merchandise from distributors.

Good luck!

(Maybe this weekend I'll have time to snap a few pictures for you all)