Snipped from Trains Newswire at www.trains.com:

"Tourist railroad Tioga Central is up for sale, and if no buyers are found, the owners said they will sell off rolling stock piecemeal or even auction all railroad assets, the Wellsboro Star-Gazette reported. Tioga Central partners confirmed Monday that the line will shut down unless a new team of investors buys the railroad. Tioga Central began operating passenger excursion trains over the 34-mile former New York Central line extending north from Wellsboro to a location about three miles south of Corning, N.Y., in May 1994. Three Alco-built diesels serve as motive power for the railroad. [my notes show all three as RS1's.]

According to Tioga Central, a shortage of certified volunteers, brakemen, conductors, engineers, and others doomed the line, which hauled about 20,000 passengers in the season that ended Oct. 27. That left three people to actually run the day-to-day operation of the railroad, though more volunteers handled daily tasks, partner David Dropkin of Wellsboro told the Star-Gazette. "It's going to go, one way or another," Dropkin said. "We can't go on like this." - Information from John Godfrey"

Seems when I was last there, I noted the diesels were from the Washington DC terminal railroad serving the passenger station. Of course I cannot come up with the exact name of the railroad, but years ago at least one remained painted in a silver Amtrak reminisent scheme. I have the pics but just not handy right now. Does that sound like a familiar line?

Bob Kutella

Drop the "DC"--- it was the Washington Terminal. And their seemingly endless supply of steam-boiler-equipped RS-1s wound up all over the northeast, at short lines and museums. Some of those units have moved around multiple times.

What was the problem with the TCRR? That area is not lacking in scenery or a developed tourism economy, as I recall. 20,000 riders a year is not too terrible, that far away from large urban areas. And, didn't this operation use a short line/regional rail authority's tracks? Therefore, not being responsible for performing the track maintenance on 34 miles of railroad?

Tioga Central Roster:

http://www.tiogacentral.com/equipment.php

I rode the line in July '06. I had some trouble locating the train, which departs from a field on the outskirts of Wellsboro, itself a nice little town. The train was mostly empty, with just about all the passengers riding the open air excursion car. It was a nice ride on good track and the RS-1 got to stretch its legs in a way that it never did at Washington Terminal. But other than a pleasant hour and a half train ride, there wasn't much to entertain passengers, especially the young ones.

Alan Maples

My wife and I road the Tioga Central for the first time the weekend after July 4th 2007 with some friends for Elmira, NY. It was great fun. You can bring your own picnic lunch and eat in the dining car. It was a great way to spend an evening with friends. The view of the country side was wonderful. It would be ashame to lose this tourist train.
It may be a little out of the way but it wasn't hard to find.