Steam & Excursion > All Aboard The Steam Train

The general public had the opportunity to ride behind today's UP steam doubleheader between Ogden, Utah, and Evanston, Wyoming, as part of a fundraiser. 

Seating in the dome went for $5,000 per seat, while coach ducats fetched $3,000.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/19 20:10 by walstib.

---

What a gorgeous car!  Worth the cost!

Joel Kirk

What a price!  God bless them if they wish to afford it.

-John

This was not a fund raiser for the UP Museum. It was a fund raiser for the 150 Group from Ogden and as a condition of the UP providing the cars the 150 group has to donate half their take to the UP Museum.
The fund raiser for the UP Museum is in July from Omaha to Boone Ia.. Become a Benifactor of the Museum and they will send you info in the future.
Steve 

As a fund raiser for two non-profits, presumably the amount above the fair value or some such of the ride is tax deductible. And the ticket included an up close and personal tour of the train and engines.  And it sure looked like some folks got a cab ride.  Presumably a lot of the riders thought of it more as a donation than as buying a ticket.  But I'm speculating.  Hell, if they had had some decent runbys it might have been worth the price.

JBWX

Thanks for the correction, wpjones. I appreciate the details.

I was told the 150 group is not non profit and since it was this group that sold the tickets and then they will do the donating none of the puchase price is a donation. The purchaser better check for sure.
Steve

jbwest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a fund raiser for two non-profits, presumably
> the amount above the fair value or some such of
> the ride is tax deductible. And the ticket
> included an up close and personal tour of the
> train and engines.  And it sure looked like some
> folks got a cab ride.  Presumably a lot of the
> riders thought of it more as a donation than as
> buying a ticket.  But I'm speculating.  Hell, if
> they had had some decent runbys it might have been
> worth the price.
>
> JBWX

These prices are too rich for my blood.  Those that want to spend it, more power to them.  We were on the coach (lower) level of this very same car on the Council Bluffs to North Platte and back excursion in 2010.  An all-day deal, 844 to North Platte, with the E-9's pulling us back to Council Bluffs.

Cost for that great day?  $200 per ticket.  Yes, two hundred.  Nine years later, the price jumps to $3000 for a seat on the Columbine?  No thanks.

Pobo6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These prices are too rich for my blood.  Those
> that want to spend it, more power to them.  We
> were on the coach (lower) level of this very same
> car on the Council Bluffs to North Platte and back
> excursion in 2010.  An all-day deal, 844 to North
> Platte, with the E-9's pulling us back to Council
> Bluffs.
>
> Cost for that great day?  $200 per ticket.  Yes,
> two hundred.  Nine years later, the price jumps
> to $3000 for a seat on the Columbine?  No thanks.

You need to remember that it is the organization which is operating the excursion that sets the ticket prices.
For some of these organizations this is their opportunity to put extra funds toward their operating costs.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was told the 150 group is not non profit and
> since it was this group that sold the tickets and
> then they will do the donating none of the puchase
> price is a donation. The purchaser better check
> for sure.
> Steve
>
> jbwest Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > As a fund raiser for two non-profits,
> presumably
> > the amount above the fair value or some such of
> > the ride is tax deductible. And the ticket
> > included an up close and personal tour of the
> > train and engines.  And it sure looked like
> some
> > folks got a cab ride.  Presumably a lot of the
> > riders thought of it more as a donation than as
> > buying a ticket.  But I'm speculating.  Hell,
> if
> > they had had some decent runbys it might have
> been
> > worth the price.
> >
> > JBWX

That is correct. The tickets to ride the car are NOT tax deductible in any way shape or form. The 150 Spike organization is NOT a federally registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

From what I understand it doesn't matter if they are 501(c3) or not.  If you recieve goods or services for a stated price then it's not tax-deductable.  Only if you give a donation over and above the stated price is it deductable.
​If I am wrong please let me know.  I would have a lot more write-offs.

wingomann Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From what I understand it doesn't matter if they
> are 501(c3) or not.  If you recieve goods or
> services for a stated price then it's not
> tax-deductable.  Only if you give a donation over
> and above the stated price is it deductible.
> ​If I am wrong please let me know.  I would
> have a lot more write-offs.

A simplified explanation: If you make a donation of say $100 to a 501(c)(3) federally registered non-profit corporation, and in return for the $100 you get a book with a declared value of say $35, then you can deduct on your federal income tax return $65, with the caveat you have the documentation to prove the amounts. (All normal tax question related small print applies.)

Friday at Promontory Summit was an excellent event!  I have nothing but praise for the SPIKE 150 organization.    It was more than I ever expected.......about 3 hours for the full program.  The President Pro Tem of the Utah House of Representatives told my son and I that there were enough tickets sold for 20,000 people.  I don't doubt that.   The program finished with fireworks in the daytime (still impressive) and followed by four fighters in a "flyover", timed to the second with the end of the National Anthem.  And based on UP CEO Lance Fritz's comments at Cheyenne, Ogden and Promontory - he is a very strong backer of UP Steam and their Heritage activities.  For those who didn't attend, special attention was paid to all of the Chinese and Irish laborers who actually built the transcontinental railroad.  The Chinese Ambassador to the US and the Irish Ambassador to the US were both present and spoke.  We saw many, many Chinese everywhere in Ogden and Salt Lake City.  US Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine  Chao also came, and she noted her Chinese ancestry.  This whole event was much more than just the Big Boy.