If I'm correct in saying that local railroad museums excursions have been stopped by the railroads demanding to much insurance,I'm asking is any one working on this problem policy?'If the government can insure the nuclear industry why shouldn't rail museum's seek relief?Museum's could be part of civil defence [Evacuations, commuter transit,ect,ect,}Its in the country's interest to help us out.I think some kind of potision is called for.

"'If the government can insure the nuclear industry..."

What are you talking about? I've been working in the nuclear industry for over 20 years and we pay our own premiums. American Nuclear Insurors and Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited are the biggest providers of coverage in North America not the US government.

Perhaps you are thinking about loan guarantees for new plants which is something completely different.

Without the Price-Anderson Act the utilities would never have had the incentive to build nuclear plants. I believe the taxpayers also cover much of fuel supply and fuel disposal/containment costs.

Getting back to operating museum insurance costs, can anyone quote a difference between operation in Canada and the US. Canada having government managed health care I wonder if premiums are less for liability?

You're not. That's one small bit of the whole picture. It does provide common carriers a very useful means of weeding out a lot of wishful thinkers and foamy dreamers who would otherwise waste a lot of management time, and eat up track availability for revenue freight. The potential is also there for limiting some well considered real possibilities proposed by operators with real business plans and resources, but the majority of these people and inside the industry can find ways to absorb the coverage premiums or work around them.

You are Chief of Surgery for a major hospital. The Amateur Neurosurgeons Club wants to perform brain operations done by their volunteers, who have no medical degrees and have never worked in a hospital, in your ORs under your auspices. How would you respond? "Hell No!" can make political enemies and PR problems. "We will discuss it with you provided you indemnify us to an extent that is beyond your means to do and therefore it isn't our fault if we solve our problems and prevent the real potetial of difficulties in doing our real work while you risk people's lives" works better and seems nicer, and in fact is.

The government already operates excursions through a program called AMTRAK and by actively supporting commuter rail systems. If we want to exert influence, lets help them pursue those agendas faster and better.

dave

The railroads are self-insured for the "Deductible" on their insurance, last I heard this was $20,000,000. This is the amount that the "Excursion Group" has to come up with insurance to cover.

Back in the good-old-days (1980s-90s) it was $1,000,000 then $5,000,000 doable
but when it hit $10,000,000+ it got a lot harder to cover the premiums.

A lot of mainline trips these days are run as Amtrak specials under Amtrak's insurance.

-Hudson