Steam & Excursion > Racing North

Are you coming?....
Where?
Why to the North Pole, of course!

Well, maybe not the North Pole this morning but perhaps Cascade Canyon? Re-lettered K36 482 complete with wreath on the smokebox heads north up the Animas Valley past Trimble Crossing on 12/20/14.

Happy holidays to everyone!

LJG

---

Beautiful!!!

Did the D&S actually pay the licensing fee in order to use the "Polar Express" name? It seems most all other operations in the U.S. are using terms like "North Pole Express" or "Holiday Express".

Great photo. I am sure the D&S did pay the licensing fee. Some operators find it worth the franchise cost.

Martin

Those K-36's of the D&S just look sort of naked without the coal boards on the tender and the doghouse.

IIRC the D&S is owned by the same entity that owns the licensing rights to the North Pole Express name. Most short line operators have quickly learned that the name North Pole Express works just as well and does away with the need to pay the rather substantial royalties demanded to use the Polar Express name.

I have never understood why anyone would want to suffer that penalty when the other approach works equally well.

At the NH&I we'll set new all time ridership numbers this year running as the North Pole Express and without royalties to anyone.

Ross Rowland

Ross,

You are correct in that the parent company of the D&S owns the rights to the Polar Express trademark as used by tourist railroads. I'm sure that if the railroad is just running a train at holiday time then North Pole Express will work just as well and makes all the sense in the world. In the case of the D&S the Polar Express affiliation is more extensive as they re-enact scenes from the movie with employees and it is really something to see. These days they are running three trains a night with perhaps 14 cars apiece, so it is a big contributor to the economics of keeping the fires lit in all those Mikes year after year.

This video will give you some idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJPwV-Zw7kY

Good to hear from you Ross, and let me take the opportunity to thank you for the contribution you have made over the years to the steam movement. My first experience with steam on the mainline was 759 to Niagara Falls. It was a learning experience for us all!

Cheers,

Larry Gross

LJGross Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ross,
>
> You are correct in that the parent company of the
> D&S owns the rights to the Polar Express trademark
> as used by tourist railroads. I'm sure that if
> the railroad is just running a train at holiday
> time then North Pole Express will work just as
> well and makes all the sense in the world. In the
> case of the D&S the Polar Express affiliation is
> more extensive as they re-enact scenes from the
> movie with employees and it is really something to
> see. These days they are running three trains a
> night with perhaps 14 cars apiece, so it is a big
> contributor to the economics of keeping the fires
> lit in all those Mikes year after year.

>
> Cheers,
>
> Larry Gross

So Warner Brothers is the "parent company" of the D&S?

HotWater Wrote:

> So Warner Brothers is the "parent company" of the
> D&S?


http://www.raileventsinc.com/content/about-rail-events

Thanks John!

Yes Hotwater, American Heritage Railways, Inc. owns both the D&S and Rail Events. See this:

http://americanheritagerailways.com/

So no, Warner Brothers does not own the D&S. Hope this clears things up for you.

LG

LJGross Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks John!
>
> Yes Hotwater, American Heritage Railways, Inc.
> owns both the D&S and Rail Events. See this:
>
> http://americanheritagerailways.com/
>
> So no, Warner Brothers does not own the D&S. Hope
> this clears things up for you.
>
> LG

Thanks. On the other hand, the steam locomotive group that actually worked with Warner Brothers for the movie "Polar Express", i.e. the PM 1225, can no longer use the "Polar Express" name, since their "free use" deal expired. Thus, the 1225 group would have had to pay the "big fee" in order to continue to use the name. The 1225 now operates "North Pole Express" trains, I believe.

Larry, Thanks for the nice words. I'm well aware of the whole royalty scheme and am fully convinced that its a major rip-off as there's no need to use the exact protected names to achieve the same results.

I'll never understand the relatively few outfits who still are willing to pay this unnecessary ransom. Oh well, another real life example of.......you can lead 'em to water.................

Sad but true.

Ross Rowland