Is Museum Expansion Possible?

[Fred W. Schneider III]

When I worked for the Strasburg Rail Road back in the 1960s, management
felt that the 3.5 miles of track we had was an ideal length because it
allowed us to take the customer out and bring him or her back in 45
minutes.  With 30 minute headways, the average customer waited 15 to 20
minutes for a train, rode for 45 minutes, nosed around the stores for 30
minutes ... a perfectly ideal time frame.  We were very much aware that
customers thought that was reasonable.  Remember, the same as with
trolley museums, the Strasburg did not live off the railfans, it lived
and continues to live off the general public.  You simply cannot find
400,000 railfans in a year that want to come there!  

Kenneth Josephson wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> "Edward H. Lybarger" wrote:
> 
> >  4)  We are trying hard to constrain the physical plant to a size
> that we can afford to maintain and operate.
> 
> A friend at IRM raised this issue last summer. He believes their
> railroad is long enough and their energy and money  should now be
> directed at restoring the collection.  Makes sense, though a longer
> railroad sounds fun.
> 
> I am wondering if there will be unforseen liablities once the WRM has
> twenty one miles of right of way under wire.   Ken J.