Well it's over....the South Carolina Railroad Museum has ended it's 2001 operating year.

And NO...it wasn't any cooler this weekend either.. Santa Claus outfits were DEFINATELY not designed for South Carolina weather.

The final ridership totals for the 2 weekend "Train Ride with Santa" event is as follows:

November 24 & 25, 2001....732 riders

December 1 & 2, 2001 ....1,893 riders

TOTAL......2,625 Riders.

This breaks all previous attendance figures for the santa event at out Museum. Major credit for the sucessful operations on these dates goes to Museum Superintendant Bill White and the regular operating staff at Rockton.

Starting next weeek, major focus will once again shift to digging out our cut at Greenbrier, and working towards reopening more of our main line to Rion.

Mike Gellner

(Santa)

The South Carolina RR Museum, Inc.
msgscrm@aol.com

If you more than doubled the ridership on the first weekend in December, why are you not running the next two weekends when the holiday season is peaking even more!!! I would think the ridership and the publicity would be even better.

I have seen this with a lot of tourist operations. They run in late November or early December then pack it in! Seems like a lost opportunity! Any comments?

Greg Scholl

Videos and such

sales@gregschollvideo.com

> If you more than doubled the ridership on
> the first weekend in December, why are you
> not running the next two weekends when the
> holiday season is peaking even more!!! I
> would think the ridership and the publicity
> would be even better.

> I have seen this with a lot of tourist
> operations. They run in late November or
> early December then pack it in! Seems like a
> lost opportunity! Any comments?

> Greg Scholl

Well Greg...good point, BUT...
We are 100% volunteer...and pulling together the required 15 to 20 member crew is a stretch...even for 2 weekends.

Next year, we are scheduling the Santa Trains to run the 3 Saturdays following Thanksgiving, Which will extend the total operation period, and conserve member-power (and prevent burnout).

Plus...all of us have to get ready for Santa's visit at home...most of us haven't even decorated yet...we've been too busy getting Rockton ready for Santa's visit!!!!

Now if everyone REALLY wants us to run more frequently...please follow the link to the South Carolina Railroad Museum's website, and join us, so we can have more help (massive hint!!!!)

Mike Gellner

(Santa)

The South Carolina RR Museum, Inc.
msgscrm@aol.com

Mike,

If I lived closer, you could count on me.
Im way down here in Louisiana.

Alan

adofmsu@aol.com

> If you more than doubled the ridership on
> the first weekend in December, why are you
> not running the next two weekends when the
> holiday season is peaking even more!!! I
> would think the ridership and the publicity
> would be even better.

> I have seen this with a lot of tourist
> operations. They run in late November or
> early December then pack it in! Seems like a
> lost opportunity! Any comments?

At the Huckleberry RR in Flint, Michigan we run through Dec.30th. The first two weekends in December are usually the busiest, with the weekend immediately before Christmas not quite as busy. The four days after Christmas are worth running, but nowhere as busy as the first two Saturdays. We have a Christmas light display so the first train is at 5 P.M., then one every 50 minutes until 7:30. On busy nights we can run up to three extra trains. We usually haul around 50,000 people during the 30 day program.


Martyhuck@aol.com

> At the Huckleberry RR in Flint, Michigan we
> run through Dec.30th. The first two weekends
> in December are usually the busiest, with
> the weekend immediately before Christmas not
> quite as busy. The four days after Christmas
> are worth running, but nowhere as busy as
> the first two Saturdays. We have a Christmas
> light display so the first train is at 5
> P.M., then one every 50 minutes until 7:30.
> On busy nights we can run up to three extra
> trains. We usually haul around 50,000 people
> during the 30 day program.

How do you deal with the vagarities of Michigan winter weather (having spent 3 years in law school at Ann Arbor, I've experienced them all too well)? Do you have a plow available in case of a large snowfall? A paved (and plowable) parking area? Are the cars heated? How about some details for those of us who are thinking about it for next year...


kevinmccabe@avenew.com