Official Conway Scenic Railroad Thread (CSRR) -2009

[daylight4449]

By Bartlett side of the yard do you mean the siding in Bartlett or is this a referance to a side of the yard in North Conway? To the best of my knowledge, the 108 sat on one of the turntable tracks outside the roundhouse until she was taken away but I was only a kid when I saw 108 on an out of service track..I wasn't even born when she was running. Would be nice to have two steamers on the Conway Scenic.

Actually I just found this bit of information from a forum on this site..

I have some info for you........I sent an e-mail to Blacklands Railroad. The president of the company informed me that Baldwin 2-6-2 #108 is in pieces waiting to be restored by the Robbins Rail Museum in AL. The Blacklands does not own the engine anymore, and it is still in Sulpher Springs awaiting this process. I personally think that it is a shame that a locomotive that was intact for the most part when purchased, is being left to sit awaiting a restoration 15 years in the waiting. I just purchased a postcard of #108 from Sulpher Springs, and the date is Dec 1999, just after purchase. It has a fence around it, the smoke stack is missing, the red identifier on the front is missing, and it looks like someone was trying to work on it.

yes, that is what i mean.

[44 tonner]

Hah, my video, lol.

[44 tonner]

Interesting little video I found on youtube. Anyone know what this is about?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRcRdC24R54

And yes, just as it says in the dec. I heard 573 coming, and i took out my cam, and saw that.

[#7470]

Hey 44 tonner. Yeah I was the guy who commented on that video on youtube. Hope you don't mind me sharing it on this site.

[44 tonner]

No problem

[SilverLakeRailroad]

Does anyone know when 7470 is going to start running again?... Her spot in the engine house seems to be taken by ex-conrail #23.. It would be nice to hear 7470's whistle sounding through the valley every weekend, like the good old days. I hate to see her sit in a shed all year with the exception of a handful of occasions.

[GrizzlyFlatsFilms]

Does anyone know when 7470 is going to start running again?...

Plans were to have 7470 running following the "Thomas" event, but according to the CSRR website, she's out of commission for the summer...

"This year, because of the restoration of our new dining car, the Hattie Evans and our goal of having her in operation on the Notch Train by Fall, we have had to shift our personnel resources this summer. This will affect #7470's operating season. In 2009, she will run during our Fall Foliage season only, from mid-September through the third week of October."

[#7470]

Are you kidding me? Whats up with the Conway Scenic in doing this? They did the same thing last summer but for good reason. I don't know who makes the calls down there but in my opinion, that person is doing a terrible job.

[SilverLakeRailroad]

Are you kidding me? Whats up with the Conway Scenic in doing this?

I agree completely.. I truly cant believe this... their reasoning, as stated on their website.. (tks for the link grizzlyflatsfilms) is that they are working on the notch dining car, and will operate 7470 during foliage season. I have heard CSRR is under new management, and if this is true i believe it.. CSRR used to be a place where we could see a real operating steam engine, and this was the basis of their operation. Now we cant even see a working steam locomotive. I've ridden on the notch train many times before, and i feel that seeing a running steam engine in the valley is much more important than a notch lunch car for foliage season. But in the mind of CSRR, a pricey (i can imagine, as i see the price of the valley train lunch) lunch car, where people eat, and pay $$$$$ for it is more financially important, than paying $$ to run a steam locomotive.. What ever happened to the nice operation, where CSRR wanted to run trains.. It's seeming way too much like a competitive money making business, than a tourist, making people happy railroad. I also heard it was 18.00 $ for a 25 minute ride with thomas. We had a bunch of people come to the railroad i work at, who walked away from the ticket booth, saying, "18.00 $..... forget it, i cant afford 3 children, and the 2 parents.... and ooh i forgot you get to meet sir topham hat.... yeah, that makes it all better!".. IDK, but CSRR is definitely not the same old happy place, where you got a great value for your money, and you could see a fantastic steam locomotive. And is Russ Seybold still the owner of CSRR?

[#7470]

Yeah Russ is still the manager of the Conway Scenic...I agree with all you said

[SilverLakeRailroad]

And also, what is with the "Sir, we are closing for today, i am going to have to ask you to leave the yard.. We re-open at 8:30 tmw".. this is only for thomas weekend right, not part of their continual operations right?

CSRR 009.JPG

CSRR 002.JPG

CSRR 007.JPG

[shadyjay]

In my experience with Thomas events, I recall our ticket prices were set by the "Thomas people". It always seemed a little ridiculous when the price was fixed at "Ages 1 and Up". So you can't blame CSRR for that. Also, if they are storing Thomas outside, then I can totally see why the property would be closed off like that. Or depending on what other attractions are set up in the yard. Etc etc.

(And someone did ask a little while back about whether Thomas was a "dummy" or "operational". The first year I was part of our Thomas event in CT, it was a dummy that could only pull its own weight. Now the one that comes is fully operational and pulls a 8-9 car train + steam locomotive. But I think there are several Thomas' that travel about. )

Elsewhere, I think the CSRR's prices are very reasonable. I have taken the Notch train several times and definetely wished they'd have better food options available.... a hot dog and a candy bar doesn't cut it for me for a 4-5 hour ride.

[CSRR573]

In todays economy, im sure CSRR is more concered about making a profit to ensure the continued operation of the railroad.

[SilverLakeRailroad]

I believe CSRR is very pricey, I remember taking my grandmother on the train a few years back, and she almost flipped over the prices.. and that is coming from someone who really appreciates the old time trains and such, and the thomas price scheme i know turned many people away.. I just feel that people do not come off the CSRR these days feeling they received a good value for their ride, and having a steam engine would definitely increase the value.. pricey lunch coach, would lower the value...

[GrizzlyFlatsFilms]

Re: prices, dining car operation

While the pricing of standard coach tickets is perhaps debatable, offering more diverse services such as dining has helped keep many railroads alive in recent times. The sad truth is that fewer and fewer people are interested in going for a train ride, even given the added appeal of steam power. Many tourist lines recognize this and have found that supplemental attractions (such as dining/luxury car service, events like Thomas, etc.) attract large audiences that might otherwise not be interested in patronizing the railroad. Extras such as these increase the overall value of the property and the likelihood of repeat visits. There was an excellent article about Strasburg's 50th anniversary in Trains last year which addressed this topic nicely... as I recall, they stated that the railroad hadn't made a profit on regular coach seating in years.

Long story short: though it is certainly disappointing that 7470 will have to slumber ‘til the fall, it makes good business sense for Conway Scenic to focus their efforts on the Hattie Evans. Who knows – the additional revenue that car will generate may prove vital in this gloomy economy.