[PRCo] Re: East Broad Top Railroad won't run this summer | News | CentreDaily.com

[Herb Brannon]

I just took a look at the CVSR roster and counted eleven (11) people
(volunteers) with 412 area codes and six (6) with 814 area codes. We also
have people who come from the states of Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia
to work. Most of the out of state people come for a weekend or two or three
days during the week. Special lodging rates are available at a close by
Holiday Inn. Four workers from Pittsburgh can be counted on to work once to
twice each month. The progressive, individualized training per the new
volunteers personal schedule attracts a lot of out of state people. Only
one day of classroom training, given once and sometimes twice each month,
is set by the railroad. The 100-hours of on-board training is, however,
scheduled by the "students" themselves according to their own timeline. A
very progressive approach to attracting new members, unlike some other
tourist railway operations who can't think "outside the box". CVSR is one
of the larger tourist railways in the US.  Running more trains, operating
more charters, putting on more special events (Day Out With Thomas The Tank
Engine is this and next weekend) and employing more volunteers than most
operations makes people want to come out to help. CVSR also has become a
"testing ground" for new locomotive technology. We are now using, in
regular scheduled service, the third engine in the past two years equipped
with new "green" technology given for testing purposes. People also have
started using the railroad as part of the public transport system between
Akron, Cleveland and Canton if our scheduling fits their need.
Yes, it is a few hours drive (maybe it was a "days drive" back before the
turnpike was built) but it's worth it to be a part of a real railroad
operation. Should be around 310 miles and 5hrs 20minutes driving time on
2012 highways.

Oh yes, you say they (tourist railroads) don't make any money? CVSR was
being chastised by the RNC-controlled Cleveland Plain Dealer for having an
"Emergency Fund"  well in excess of $2,000,000.00 at PNC Bank. CVSR is,
however, permitted to have this fund (sometimes called a Rainy Day Fund)
under Ohio law. This fund was remaining after all bills had been paid. You
think you pay a lot for fuel....you should see how a small fleet of diesel
locomotives gobble up the oil. On-going maintenance also consumes very
large amounts of money in addition to general expenses.   CVSR makes money,
but a properly operated and Federal Railway Administration inspected
railroad has to spend a lot of money in order to remain operational. CVSR
has the blessing of the National Park Service and the grants given in
conjunction with the US Dept of  Transportation under the "Transit In The
Parks" program plus the support of many Cleveland, Akron and Canton area
businesses who give a lot of money to keep things rolling and their
corporate name displayed. This is in addition to the wealthy Cleveland area
citizens who give a lot of money because they like the "cause".

Right-of-way is another item which works to the advantage of the CVSR. The
National Park Service owns and maintains the right-of-way between Cleveland
and Akron while Akron Metro (the public transit provider for Akron) owns
the right-of-way between Akron and Canton. The Wheeling & Lake Erie
Railroad leases the Akron-Canton segment and has an "Operational Agreement"
with the CVSR. W&LE maintains the right-of-way on the Canton sub. All
rights-of-way are maintained to the highest of FRA standards and are
inspected on a regular schedule.

So, like I said in the beginning, if anyone wants to continue "railroading"
then come on over.



On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 12:16 PM, Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>wrote:

> Aren't those operations about a days drive from each other, Herb?
>
> When the EBT was first recreated in 1956, a lot of the men who were
> running it were guys who had worked for it before.   Many of them came back
> after a four year layoff.   Over the years the company trained a lot of new
> people but I think the EBT staff were mostly guys from the Mt. Union -
> Orbisonia area.
>
> The trolley operation was different.   It was begun by a now deceased chap
> from Allentown and therefore many of the fellows came from the Lehigh
> Valley.  In fact, their library was housed in empty space in the former
> Lehigh Valley Transit Company bus garage in Allentown, i.e. the former
> Fairview Carbarn.   Ownership has changed; it's now Lehigh-Northampton
> Transit Authority but the museum guys still have their library there.
> There was also a second group of fellows from the Harrisburg area that
> included Dick Steinmetz, his grandson Steve Gurley (both are dead now),
> Alan Martlew (also departed).   I believe the Rockhill Trolley Museum
> membership is still strongly from the Allentown - Harrisburg area but they
> are not the same people who started it any more than any of the museums
> have the same cadre they did in the 1940s or 1950s.
>
> The strong point with EBT / RTM is that land is cheap and it's pretty
> country.   The weak point is that no one goes there to support it.   When
> the only thing in the area is a railroad or trolley museum, you really do
> not attract visitors.   When you have millions of visitors a year to the
> area, then the railroad can easily syphon off a few hundred thousand.
>
> Examples … Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was a strong tourist destination
> beginning in the 1960s because people came here to see the Amish /
> Mennonite farmers.   I don't know why people want to follow a buggy and
> watch the horse poop but don't knock it.   Those horses dragged in people
> by the millions.   The result was the Strasburg's peak year was something
> like 425,000 passengers. By diversifying into Thomas the Tank Engine, they
> are still in that neighborhood.
>
> The EBT peaked at around 40,000 in the early 1960s and dropped, I was
> told, to somewhere around 3000 to 4000 a year in recent years, principally
> because there is nothing else in the area to draw people.
>
> There have been others.   A portion of the Huntingdon and Broad Top
> Mountain RR operated as the Everett Railroad in the 1960s.   It's long
> gone.   That was on US 30 at Everett, east of Bedford … again, nothing else
> to attract the visitor.   I have doubts that the Middletown and Hummelstown
> will hang in too much longer.   Remember Sloan Cornell's various
> operations?  Penn Vue Mountain Scenic Railroad --- gone --- the engine went
> to Gettysburg?   Knox and Kane … I think the scrapping was finished in
> 2010.   Gettysburg Railroad …. the boiler explosion resulted in a total
> rewrite of FRA rules for tourist steam railroads … someone else is running
> it today as a diesel railroad … the 2012 schedule showed on day in May,
> nothing scheduled yet for the rest of the year.   Free standing tourist
> railroads are not a way to make money now that the people who remembered
> riding the trains are all pushing up daisies.
>
>
> On May 20, 2012, at 11:44 AM, Herb Brannon wrote:
>
> > If anyone who usually participates at East Broad Top wants to continue
> > "railroading" this year come to Northeastern Ohio. The Cuyahoga Valley
> > Scenic Railroad is alive, well, and always looking for volunteers to
> serve
> > in a variety of ways on the railroad. June begins the Summer season with
> > service between Akron-Cleveland and Akron-Canton. Training (one day in
> > classroom and 100-hours on-board the train for Trainman positions) and a
> > few benefits are provided. The training can be scheduled to fit the
> > individuals schedule. Check out the CVSR website and click on
> > "Volunteer".    Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Website <http://cvsr.com
> >
> > Plus, don't forget "Steam In The Valley" for three weeks this September.
> > On Sat, May 19, 2012 at 7:44 AM, Dennis F Cramer <
> trombone at windstream.net>wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> http://www.centredaily.com/2012/05/19/3201167/east-broad-top-railroad-wont-run.html
> >>
> >> DF Cramer
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Herb Brannon
> > In Cuyahoga Valley National Park
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>


-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park