superwarp1 wrote:From what I have heard from the one train crew that I talked to last June when I rode is this. The lone owner of the Conway Scenic is very tight with the money and he doesn't like running the 7470 do to cost(figure about double of what it takes to run a diesel). The only way to get them to change this policy is for the Conway to change hands.
Conway scenic is in business to make money, plan and simple. Yes they have some nice vintage equipment but if it didn't make money or cost to much to operate it would be gone.
Although it is
certainly true that Conway Scenic is in business to make a profit. I strongly disagree with the premise that their ultimate and only goal is monetary. Were that true they wouldn't have donated equipment to the Downeast Scenic Railroad or bother with the expense and trouble of finding and operating equipment that has roots in Northern New England's historic mainline railroads. There are
much cheaper ways for them to run their operation that would likely still continue to yield plenty of passengers including railfans of all stripes and colors.
They have had and continue to have a strong interest in historical preservation where practical and when possible within a revenue model. MEC #501 (see topic elsewhere) doesn't fit that criteria, MEC #252 does, GT #7470 also does, albeit on a more limited basis in the past due to changes in government regulations not just changes in ownership. I always try to give credit where credit is due and in my mind Conway Scenic deserves more credit than any other organization by far for continuing to run standard gauge passenger equipment from the golden era of railroading.