EBT news

[nachoman]

I have always wondered why the EBT has not gotten the attention of the more notable Colorado 3' tourist lines. The EBT could be the Cumbres & Toltec of the east. Plenty of infrastructure and rolling stock still exists, and I think it could be a decent tourist draw in a populated area if marketed correctly. But for some reason, the EBT has limped along, unknown to almost everyone except the narrow gauge rail buffs. I am glad to hear that it may be taking a different direction, but I will hold of on being optimistic for now.

Other historic railroads have relied on "gimmicks" to keep the revenue coming in (Thomas, Polar Express). While the historically-minded railfan may cringe about those gimmicks, the fact is these railroads wouldn't have the revenue to continue operation without them. The Cumbres and Toltec is a good example. They do their best to remain as historically accurate as possible. Unfortunately, they rely on state budget money, and given the budget issues these states face, funding could be yanked at any time. Smartly, in my opinion, they have taken a few less than historic approaches to try and attract riders beyond the railfan crowd. That means adding extra amenities, different classes of service, painting their cars a different color, and modernizing some of their facilities. While railfans scream that this takes away from some of the historical ambiance, the reality is the railroad may not exist at all a few years from now if they don't take these measures. In my opinion, having a working railroad is better than having a derelict railroad.

Back to the EBT... I hope that this "preservation organization" recognizes this reality, and doesn't go nitpicking historical accuracies at the sake of having an operating railroad.