.

I recall reading about this proposal some years ago, and thinking a big problem would be getting permission to run a regular or semi-regular service with vintage equipment over the Union Pacific from Ogden to Corinne. Complicating factors reportedly included a big increase in freight traffic on the UP's route, using up capacity that would have allowed this tourist train to run.

Is there any truth to this?

Since then, I can imagine the Park Service people also being a problem--government bureaucrats seem to be the exact opposite of energetic or visionary at times, or at least the ones in charge seem to be so--but then, they could surprise me, especially since the group running the Golden Spike site seems to really know what they have and like it. This is in contrast to some of the things I heard about Steamtown in its early years. Supposedly some of the problems there, as I heard it, came from Park Service employees who were "flowers and bunnies" people, i.e., their backgrounds were in nature and ecology, not what amounts to 20th century industrial history.

Having said that, it would be cool, as suggested on a recent post on the Golden Spike site, to have people ride to Promontory Summit in a replica 19th century train (Kloke is almost making rebuilding something like that look routine). Such equipment would have several advantages, including being new (no corrosion to repair, and a chance to keep it that way), plus equipment and parts almost as small and as light as some of what was used for narrow gauge. The big problems, as usual, revolve around money, and whether people can be enticed to drive to Corinne.

And although it is probably impossible for various reasons, can you imagine riding a replica UP streamliner between Ogden and Corinne, and getting off to board a train of wooden cars for the trip to Promontory? Even better, how about getting another UP 4-8-4 on this turn, both to make this job spectacular in its own right and to keep 844 and 3985 company?

Please excuse me while I done my flack vest and anti-radiation suit and head for the fallout shelter under the Greenbrier. . . .

For reference: link to recent Golden Spike thread:

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