Did anyone ride the trips last weeked (8/1-8/2) sponsored by the Railroaders Memorial Museum? I was curious how well attended the trains were as there wasn't a lot of advertising. Also, what were the highlights (apart from snow in Cresson on Sunday)?

Thanks!
Russ

I can't speak for ridership, but it was little marketed enough that this potential rider missed out on it. From the Altoona Mirror: "A quarter of the 300 coach seats for Saturday's trip and a third of the seats for Sunday's trip were available as of late Wednesday afternoon, according to museum Executive Director Larry Salone."

I suggest it's the down economy. I would have instantly jumped on this trip, had the news registered with me. To make matters worse, it turned out a Scottish folk band I want to hear was performing in Harrisburg that night--and, as with the train trip, news didn't reach me until it was too late!

I know from onboard reports that the trip went fine and on schedule until northbound NS freight 11R--one of relatively few trains that operate on the line, to boot--pulled a drawbar somewhere on the single-track between Rockville and Millersburg. The special was put into the siding near Millersburg at 3:30 pm and waited there until 5:25 when the repaired 11R was able to "cross" it there; the passengers from Harrisburg were unloaded into buses at Rockville wye at about 6 PM, two hours or so behind schedule.

The weather was appropriately miserable, and many of the central Pa. photographers did little or naught to chase it (several of my acquaintance jumped aboard for that reason!), but one decent gallery is at:

http://www.photoshop.com/users/agipesr/ ... 793a0b62d1

A report on the Sunday trip to Pittsburgh via the "long way" and back by the main, snipped from TrainOrders.com:

"I was on the train, and there were no photo run-bys. Patronage not that great, either -- 170 in four coaches (one not open to passengers), although first class was sold out.

We had a great trip with no delays until we got to CP Blair on the Conemaugh. DS held us at the home signal while the conductor of that coal train inspected his train ahead of us. But ahead of *him* was a track patrol hi-rail, and ahead of him was a 12G whose crew was waiting for relief at Conpitt. So we waited nearly an hour while 12G was relieved and sent down Track 3 (Sang Hollow Extension), the track patrol set off, and the coal train pulled into the siding at CP Tom.

We arrived Altoona just before 4 PM, and 44 was stuck behind us waiting to enter the platform. I bailed and caught 44 (home to PHL) when I heard he would run around the excursion train. That happened at CP Banks, and the excursion train stopped at the Harrisburg fuel rack. We arrived HAR 25 late, departing about 30 late for PHL just before the excursion finally got in nearly two hour behind schedule. It was a great trip anyway, and I hope the Railroaders Memorial Museum does it again (or some other trip)."

In other news, supposedly the same day, a photo charter at Cass ran into heavy snowfall at Bald Knob and had to cut its trip and photo ops short!

Thanks Alexander. One of my greatest curiosities was the patronage. While I generally support all preservation organizations, the ARMM really did a terrible job of advertising. It seemed that most ad money was spent aimed at Railfans and at the Altoona population. I can't recall seeing anything here in Harrisburg (other than Railpace). One thing I've learned from operating excursions is railfans won't fill your train, and believeing that they will can be an expensive mistake. (I've learned other lessons too, but lets not debate the uselessness of SEPTA Comet cars with no bathrooms.....)

That said, you may get a chance to ride some of Saturday's routing next summer. The CRHS is planning another trip and will be announcing it soon.

Thanks for the info again.
Russ