Knox and Kane KO'ed?

Recently heard (and then read) that the PA based Knox and Kane Railroad has Embargoed itself over the condition of its trackage...

Also read a news article online that the city of Clarion is seeking a way to take over the operation somehow to serve the city???

What a shame.. Last I was in Marienville (Feb 06) the place did look like they just up and quit..

Real shame someone dosen't take it, and turn it around for the better.

Just because the Kinzua Bridge is knocked down, dosen't mean you still cannot run the railroad...

Joe.

Didn't they also get a steam engine from China ?

Frank

Gentlemen, there was an extensive discussion on the K&K in the Pennsylvania forum in this thread:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12514

The K&K does have a Chinese-built 2-8-2 on the roster in addition to a Baldwin-built 2-8-0 that originally served on the Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain, the loco number is 38. I passed through Kane last October and photographed the rolling stock parked in the small yard next to Pennsylvania Route 6 during an early fall snowstorm. I have no idea where the steamers are stored.

Info on the #38:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... splay=1014

And the Chinese-built 2-8-2:

http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomo ... splay=1030

With the heavy downturn in economy a lot of tourist railroads feel the crunch.
Peole just are not spending to much on traveling and rail excursions.
In last 4 years several tourist railroads folded.

The Knox and Kane was (is?) a common-carrier short line, in addition to once providing steam powered excursions.

The loss of the Kinzua Bridge was the big blow, of course. The freight service on the line was very light and ran though some of the more sparsely settled areas of western Pennsylvania-great for train riders wanting "scenery", not so good for a railroad serving on-line industries.

I tried to go to the K&K website but the link is no longer active. A little more about the railroad and politicians working to save the line, and local industry, here:

http://www.wpirr.com/news.html

(Admittedly a little "dated" but the most recent on-line reference I could find.)

BTW-I grew up in this area of northwestern PA, which has seemingly been in an economic downturn since the late 1960's.