Look for another answer elsewhere on the RYPN Forum. I remember that Nevada Northern reported that while steam costs more to run and maintain, passenger revenue increases proportionately more than the costs. I think that revenue increased by 3, with cost increased by 2 (roughly). That also depended on good marketing.

I prefer that answer, but I'm biased. I to want to see operating steam.

-Mark

I would not worry too much about a change of local leadership causing the engines to be scrapped.The Harrah's Casino is huge with several hundred hotel rooms,so lots of tax revenue there and little local population to support.Swain county will be a rich county,also it was just announced a family adventure park with a 200 room hotel will soon be built in Cherokee. And the Cherokee nation who control the casino want the Great Smoky RR to come right to the casino's door,that would require a new rail line to be built. I know it seems farfetched but don't under estimate the power of casino money,look at Las Vegas which is transformed every few years.

It's a mistake to think that Dillsboro/Bryson City will ever be Durango. The area is still depressed, and it's less of a tourist attraction than it was 20 years ago. Cherokee certainly isn't the tourist destination it was in the past. Kids want big amusement parks, not the history of the Cherokee people--and there isn't much of that in the area. You've got Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, but it's on the other side of a mountain with a two-lane road that can approach the speed of grass growing in the summer months. It's not an "easy" drive over there by any stretch of the imagination.

The casino seems to do well, but I think it's more of day-trippers coming in than people really pumping large amounts of money into the local economy. You are still talking an hour from Asheville (which really isn't all that big). To get to any big cities per se (Charlotte, Knoxville, Atlanta), you are looking between 2-3hrs depending on traffic congestion, and with the price of gas, that makes a very expensive day. This isn't Colorado or Florida, or even Boone (which has yuppified in the past 20 years or so). It's still a rather depressed area with limited amenities.
Kevin

I was just at Lake Junaluska, NC and drove over to Silva, NC and back for an afternoon. If there was steam on GSMR, I would have gone further to Bryson to look around, probably stopped for lunch and browsed, thus boosting the economy. As it was I just missed the railroad festival weekend with one of the road trip 0-6-0's.

The line NS from Waynesville to Silva looks scenic enough and still sees frequent traffic, based on what I saw go by at Junaluska.

Wesley

Oh, it's an incredibly scenic line that GSMR has tried for years to acquire. Of course, any railroad with a 4% grade is pretty scenic. I believe Jackson Paper in Sylva is the only industry left on that part of the railroad, which must be fairly valuable to NS to keep Balsam Mountain open.
Kevin