Steam & Excursion > New Hope and Ivyland Steam schedule (reduced)

An FYI for New Hope and Ivyland 2-8-0 #40 fans:

Tentative steam engine dates are May 10th, 11th, 24th, 25th, 26th;
June 14th and 15th; July 4th-6th and August 30th and 31st.


This opposed to past years running of #40 nearly every weekend.
Obviously, it's cheaper to run a diesel and if no one knows the
difference, well...

No need to whine - but if you have an urge to comment, how about
something along the lines of "Here's how I believe New Hope can
"profit" by running #40 more often."

Personally, I'd love to see a few more "special" trips - trips
past Lahaska and perhaps even a few trips with steam from the
"other end" - Warminster to Wycombe for instance. Imagine
running steam every other weekend at alternating ends of the
line - it would be "special" without necessarily reducing
frequency (and diesel could be run on the opposite ends).

Course, short of deadhead moves - the railroad would need
proper facilities at the Warminster end of the line to store
and fuel the engine.

/Mitch

Sounds good Mitch...but what about the mixed train (freight)?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you get out that way to take pictures, but a ticket even if you don't ride. It is easier to justify steam more often if ticket sales justify it.

Posted from iPhone

OC6325 Wrote:
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> I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you
> get out that way to take pictures, buy a ticket
> even if you don't ride. It is easier to justify
> steam more often if ticket sales justify it.
>
> Posted from iPhone
OC6325, you have opened up an old wound here. I have seen this happen over and over again and I am sure that there are many people who are on Trainorders.com who go out and do all their photos and NEVER buy a ticket or send in a donation to the non-profit groups running trips. I saw this many times in bygone years when we had lots of excursion trains operating out of Baltimore and I spoke to rail fans taking pictures many times and asked them, do you support these trips financially? Many times these guys just laughed and stated "I'm here to get my photos of the locomotive and I don't care to give any money." This used to make me boil inside as there were a lot of us volunteers who worked very hard to put the trip together and work the trips, etc. And these types of people could care less, yet they are the ones who scream when the trips are no longer in operation.

John in White Marsh, Maryland

I agree on the purchase of tickets or donations to support the cause. The world is full of freeloaders who ought to be run off from photo lines. Perhaps the railroad should sell a photo permit that is worn on the buyer's shirt so the real supporters will know who the bums are. I've seen this done in Germany at a couple of Plandampfs.

-JH

Keystone1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds good Mitch...but what about the mixed train
> (freight)?

Wrong railroad, wrong side of the river...Black River & Western you're thinking of (unless you're joking, in which case, my bad)

Jim Lipnitz
Morrisville, PA
Big Jim Video Productions

Panamerican99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree on the purchase of tickets or donations to
> support the cause. The world is full of
> freeloaders who ought to be run off from photo
> lines. Perhaps the railroad should sell a photo
> permit that is worn on the buyer's shirt so the
> real supporters will know who the bums are. I've
> seen this done in Germany at a couple of
> Plandampfs.
>
> -JH

Photo permit? I'd buy that in a heartbeat for a few places around here...

Jim Lipnitz
Morrisville, PA
Big Jim Video Productions

I hate to say it out loud, but railfans generally are rather "tight with the buck". I believe in railroad preservation and support it where it counts - financially. Most recently to the 611, before that to the C&TS. Plus membership in a few other groups.

I agree with Panamerican, ClubCar, OC & bigjim - put your money where your mouth is!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/14 17:52 by moltensulphur.

The NH&I is doing this to get the best use out of # 40 based upon the new FRA regs and thus stretch out her useful life span before she's again due for the 1472 day tear down ritual.

It's true that most casual riders hardly care what's up front pulling the train..... they're there for a train ride and to see the scenery.

By only using her on the heavier weekends and then more extensively come the Santa/North Pole season ( 3 weeks leading up to Christmas) they can get the max. lifetime out of her.

IMHO- Ross Rowland

Thanks Ross, is there any work being done to the NdeM 4-8-4, or is that pretty much a dead project now?

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