The partnership with Steamtown and the LWHS has ended

superheater · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:54 pm **Posts:** 2605

PMC wrote:

Bruce_Mowbray wrote:

Steam Excursions were and still are a goal of Steamtown.

For whom? You? As has been noted repeatedly, it isn't the primary goal of the NPS, the operating authority, acting on behalf of the owners, we citizens. Again, I think you are producing a straw man argument here: define the Scranton former DL&W shops owned by we citizens as an entity for restoring steam locomotives and operating them, and then critique it based on that erroneous definition. The way the NPS defines its mission, again, is: "The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world." https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm

Bruce_Mowbray wrote:

PS If the park service were to privatize the railroad side, the vendor would still be managed by the NPS (government) .

So, what would you be paying for its use, a rent based upon its original purchase price of $66 million, now the equivalent of $131 million? Or would you be buying it outright for $131 million?

Very clearly stated in the Steamtown Foundation Document:

Quote from page 8:

https://www.nps.gov/stea/learn/manageme ... FD_508.pdf

The extensive and diverse historic collections of the park and the expansive craft and skill of on-site experienced railroad technicians, offer opportunities for visitors at Steamtown National Historic Site to experience a piece of industrial-era living history. Every sense is invited to participate, whether it is the unforgettable smell of smoke and steam, the core-shaking rumble of a passing engine, the iconic sound of a train whistle, or the feeling of tracks flying by as you are transported by short train rides in the railyard or longer train excursions through this historic region. A large percentage of the archival collection has been made digitally available to the public, making Steamtown National Historic Site function as a public asset beyond the confines of the park boundary and into a historic resource for enthusiasts around the world.

How about you stop with the same hackneyed invocations of "citizens", abusive arguments from personal incredulity and ipse dixits and start providing authoritative citations for your claims?