I just saw this on WLOS 13, the ABC affiliate out of Asheville, North Carolina. There is a video segment on their website here:

http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top ... 1067.shtml

I am saddened to hear this, but sadly understand given fuel prices currently. I was curious if anyone else has any additional info on this matter? Does this mean the line between Bryson City and Dillsboro will not be used at all? While I enjoy the trip out of Bryson City into the Nantahala Gorge Excursion, I'm saddened to hear about the cutbacks on the GSMR.

This also makes me concerned about the future of railroad museums and tourist railways alike in the future.

I just checked http://www.gsmr.com and they definately do not have any Dillsboro excursions scheduled except for Day Out with Thomas. However, they make no mention of them being canceled.

Sad indeed. Dillsboro is a charming little town. But I don't understand the logic here. If people aren't driving to Dillsboro, why would they drive to Bryson City? And the shops are in Dillsboro too. So how would it be cost-effective to ferry the trains to Bryson City?

Don't know what the status is, but GSMR is in the process of building a full shop complex in Bryson City where the old stone plant was just west of the depot.

The GMSR partners with two river-rafting companies to offer rail/rafting trips west out of Bryson City. When my grandson and I took one of these trips in mid-August last year, the rafting season was winding down, but the train had at least one open car filled with passengers going rafting. I'd imagine that the GMSR and the rafting companies have contracts (plus a lot of already-sold tickets) that the GMSR has to honor or pay stiff penalties for breaking them.

Personnel costs are higher at Dillsboro - parking attendants, ticket office and gift shop staff. At Bryson City, there is no need for parking lot staff and the gift shop is part of the Toy Train Museum.

AFAIK, the locomotive and cars for the Bryson City-based train were parked there overnight anyway, so there wouldn't be any need to "ferry" them back to Dillsboro, except for servicing that couldn't be done at Bryson City.

Of course, these drastic cutbacks are very bad for businesses in Dillsboro, who depended on the railroad for a large percentage of their customers, and the Dillsboro-based GSMR employees who will either be laid off or suffer a major reduction in working hours. Tough medicine, but if it saves the GSMR, in the long run it will be worth it.

Jim Tatum.

I have never been able to ride the train out of Dillsboro, but from the standpoint of a passerby, it has always looked much more crowded than Bryson City. Seems like it would make better sense to have Bryson City as the central point of operations. Perhaps after they get the shop facilities up and running they may run Bryson City to Dillsboro and return rather than Dillsboro to Bryson City and return. Or is there something else going on that is causing the pullback of operations?

I have ridden both the Dillsboro and Bryson City trips, most recently last weekend.

I do not have any idea what the finances are for the Dillsboro operations, although parking is a lot tougher there. Last time I was in Dillsboro was about three years ago for a Day Out With Thomas trip for my son, and on such a crowded event, parking, getting lunch, etc. was a real chore.

On the other hand, last weekend my 6 year old son and I rode the Bryson City Nantahala Gorge trip. Not for the first time, but the first time we had been over there this year. Large parking lot for patrons - $4 to park. Two tickets - $78!!! ($49 for me, $29 for my son). In an open air car. Drinks on board - $2.25. And the train was full and the snack car was busy. This was also a Thomas weekend in Dillsboro, and there were families riding the Nantahala train the day after riding Thomas in Dillsboro.

I have worked with non-profit groups, railroad and otherwise, and I realize GSMR is a for-profit enterprise . . . but if that's the kind of money they are charging, they would appear to be making a nice amount of it.

One of the other posters mentioned a new shop in Bryson City - saw no signs of that. All I saw was the turntable they bought several years ago (maybe even before the current ownership?), stored upside-down in the weeds just past the downtown area. It had trees growing thru it, so I don't have any idea whether there are any real plans to build anything . . . heck, everything could use a coat of paint for those ticket prices.

Don't mean to complain, but there was a little sticker shock and at those prices, I expect to see more improvement. Over the last couple of years, other than buying the Lionel exhibit in Bryson City, I haven't seen much.