Well Gentlemen, What did we do to offend the Reading?
Mr RDGFan40-
Sorry you were dissatisfied with the trip. You were certainly in the minority. Approxamately 98% of the 822 passengers were quite happy. While we did make some mistakes, the majority had a good time (despite the weather). For those who didn't and took the time to write to us or email us, We did what we could to make it right with them. If you wish to discuss the Conrail Express Trip with me via email, I invite you to email me at (
[email protected]).
Mr. Gottschall
I assure you we are quite focused on preserving Conrail History. As a matter of fact, the money earned from the trip is being used to acquire an ex PRR gondola. Hopefully the car should be onsite in the next few weeks. As for your comment about money losing trips, which one would they be? I can only remember one trip (The Express) and we made money on that. Not as much as we would have liked as SEPTA required us to insure the Comet cars for $800,000 EACH, which almost tripeled our insurance premium. Dispite this, we still made money. Please get your facts correct before commenting on other societies' P&L statements. Speaking of getting things correct, where are the "endless piles of rust" that we own? We've got a caboose and a gon, and neither one is a pile of rust. (Ok, the gon looks a bit shabby now, but not for long!) It's interesting to note that our trip ALSO got us enough money to paint the caboose, which we will be undertaking this winter. (This statement alone seems to discredit your entire post!) Should you wish to discuss this further, you also may contact me at (
[email protected]).
I'm not really sure what we did to put a bee in your collective bonnets, but if you are unhappy with the successes of our group, I cant really help you. Either of you. We at CRHS are just here doing the best we know how. We're saving Big Blue and making sure that we have equipment and archives preserved for future generations to see and enjoy.
That being said, We have chosen a route for our next trip. The next trip is tentatively scheduled for June of 2012 and will be bigger and better than the Express. The info will be posted here when things are nailed down, and I personally invite the members of the Reading Tech society who rode the Kitchi Gammi Club to contact me at the above email if they are interested in riding again. (They seemed VERY happy!)
GO BIG BLUE! Long Live CONRAIL!
Russ
Russ Swinnerton - CRHS President
Conrail Historical Society, Inc.
Marysville, PA