Rail bikes (slightly off topic???)

buzz_morris · **Joined:** Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:32 pm **Posts:** 344

Everything old is new again.
From the 1907 Fairbanks, Morse Catalog.
And from 2019 me on the IRM’s Sheffield Vilocipede.

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1799

John Risley wrote:

While not truely related to preservation I am watching this "rail bike" thing with interest. As usual late to the party on the subject. But from the little bits and pcs I am hearing it may be a supplement to museums who are struggling? If this is what it takes to get non railfan or non history types to come to your RR it might be a good shot in the arm? I can see the appeal to many people and families as a really cool and out of the ordinary experience. So I am watching to see who opens up to the idea and who continues on the same old path with with old tried and true results?

I know my response is not answering or contributing to the OP's questions and hope I will be forgiven. But I am new to the railbike thing, but have heard positive results though second hand? Don't see it as my cup of tea but I find it rather exciting possibility from a business perspective for bringing people/tourists to your RR. Hope for more exchange on RYPN on this subject. A prospective manager once said "I'll promote midget mud wrestling if that will bring business to the museum". A bit extreme but amusing to me. Point being this could be a good thing and maybe not, but I find it an exciting way to bring a whole new segment of people to your museum or business. Hope this thread continues so I can learn from it. Regards, John.

PS if there have been other threads on rail bikes I must of missed them and hope I am not asking for a duplicate thread.

I have nothing against the rail bikes and think they look kind of fun. I do think this line of thinking is wrong though. If people don’t have a desire to visit your museum / operation you don’t need a new gimmick to get people to come. You either have a problem with your core product, or your marketing.

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

CZ, well your opinion is once again duly noted. With the narrow parameters you mention than where do we draw the lines on marketing? The museum I have had more experience with poo-pooed the dinner train idea which some wanted to try fairly early on a few years back. It has been a great success for many reasons and a dedicated group of volunteers has made this work for the museum and John Q public. There was a strong sentiment against it from some of the BOD at that time. Volunteers made it happen and it was working better and better till the plandemic hit. Same museum years ago was one of the first to try a "winter run" as an extra way to drum up business. Very few people ran in the midwest winters back in 1975 or when ever it started. Again the members/volunteers made it happen and was a great success in bringing people to the museum. Many other museums followed suit. Being innovative to try new things can be beneficial. And some ideas will flop. Your still using your railroad and your bringing a new audience in. Offer wedding trains to be rented out for special occasions? All these ideas bring new problems for finding crews to operate, possible insurance issues and some just might not work?

If your one of the few RR out there that are doing gang buster business and don't want or need extra revenue than by all means don't do the bikes, weddings, Thomas the Train or try anything out of the box because you don't need it or the new problems the new ideas brings with it. But being the majority of places need money and ridership to be up, I think examining new approaches to old problems might be a good thing.

We both have assholes and opinions, it makes us brothers not advisories. The difference is not anybody having all the answers but willing to see a different perspective without judgement as in "sharing ideas". The more successful museums and businesses in the tourism industry that I have witnessed do not have blinders on interfering with the the quest of being successful and are willing to try new things. The museums that think "we will build a great museum and they will come" will continue to struggle with having enough patronage and money coming in generated by John Q public. If I have money to donate to an organization I am going to look at who and how it is run. Maybe it is just me but I am moved by innovation and dedication. Sticking to a business plan that is stagnant and dead in the water is lacking something important that money can't buy. By all means build the great museum to instruct and inform the public to our history, but you still need to get them to come to the museum. If multiple large passenger ferries drop off thousands of tourists at your door step weekly you might not want bikes getting in way of what is working. Not for everybody but it might be worth while to look into this to see if there is any merit for your organization.

While "midget mud wrestling" might be socially incorrect and would be shut down quickly. It would for a short while bring people in, think about it? Regards, John.

Dave · **Posted:** Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:05 pm

It would at least for a while bring short people in also.

YeOldeEnjine · **Joined:** Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:31 pm **Posts:** 329

CUMBERLAND — According to county officials, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is raising concern with plans to have pedal car excursions on tracks used by the railroad.......

https://www.times-news.com/news/scenic- ... WQMKMQdTkE

jayrod · **Posted:** Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:16 pm

Doesn’t sound like push-back from WMSR, more like the FRA is concerned and WMSR is middle man between the the FRA and the county. I’m sure at least something can be worked out safety-wise but I’m thinking as long as WMSR is actively running, there can’t be any rail bikes on the track. That could severely limit when rail bikes could run. Maybe the county/city or whoever is behind the rail bikes didn’t think this all the way through?