I wish this post had good news, but then again I never thought I would find everything as trivial as I have since 9/11.

Anyway, if you are thinking of going to Steamtown this year, do it fast. All operations stop the first weekend of November. Budgetary constraints, aggravated by severely diminished ridership and burgeoning energy costs are probably the culprits.

They will run the polar express for the kids for a week in December and perhaps other trips then nothing until the hotel trips resume in April.

Steam will return about Memorial day but No Moscow Excursion is planned until July 4, 2002. Then, there may only be 1 daily trip and weekday (Thurs & Fri) trips may be cutailed

Many park personnel are being furloughed for 6 months. Most have been furloughed before but usually for much shorter time periods.

The interim management seems committed to making the park better and this could be, along with a sweeping reorganization be an opportunity to catch up on having 2 steamers up next year. Word is that after the CP 2317 is readied, there will be a big effort made to get the BLW 26 heavy repairs done. Much will depend on the outcome of the appointment of a new park Super.

Obviously, assuming some return to a semblance of normalcy is accomplished, this off season is critical to the one of the very few places where a hard charging steamer can be seen assaulting a mountain grade at mainline speeds with a heavy train.

> I wish this post had good news, but then
> again I never thought I would find
> everything as trivial as I have since 9/11.

> Anyway, if you are thinking of going to
> Steamtown this year, do it fast. All
> operations stop the first weekend of
> November. Budgetary constraints, aggravated
> by severely diminished ridership and
> burgeoning energy costs are probably the
> culprits.

> They will run the polar express for the kids
> for a week in December and perhaps other
> trips then nothing until the hotel trips
> resume in April.

> Steam will return about Memorial day but No
> Moscow Excursion is planned until July 4,
> 2002. Then, there may only be 1 daily trip
> and weekday (Thurs & Fri) trips may be
> cutailed

> Many park personnel are being furloughed for
> 6 months. Most have been furloughed before
> but usually for much shorter time periods.

> The interim management seems committed to
> making the park better and this could be,
> along with a sweeping reorganization be an
> opportunity to catch up on having 2 steamers
> up next year. Word is that after the CP 2317
> is readied, there will be a big effort made
> to get the BLW 26 heavy repairs done. Much
> will depend on the outcome of the
> appointment of a new park Super.

> Obviously, assuming some return to a
> semblance of normalcy is accomplished, this
> off season is critical to the one of the
> very few places where a hard charging
> steamer can be seen assaulting a mountain
> grade at mainline speeds with a heavy train.
Mike please keep any word on Steamtown comming. Pat

cherif@mediaone.net