Passenger Trains > New River Autumn Colors Express canceled

For a second year, the Autumn Colors Express along the New River in October has been canceled due to COVID concerns.

I do hope next year the trip will happen!  I have tickets!

Let's see:   A million people can fly on crowded airplanes every day, where the air recirculated constantly, BUT an 85' train car with much better air circulation, and perhaps 60 people is dangerous??

This is not good thinking and reflects hysteria, rather than science.  

MEKoch Wrote:
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> Let's see:   A million people can fly on crowded
> airplanes every day, where the air recirculated
> constantly, BUT an 85' train car with much better
> air circulation, and perhaps 60 people is
> dangerous??
>
> This is not good thinking and reflects hysteria,
> rather than science.  

Follow the link and read their explanation. Appears to be more rooted in simple economics than hysteria. If you can’t handle enough people to turn a profit there’s no sense in running the train.

CW

https://www.autumncolorexpresswv.com/

Posted from iPhone

Lame

Posted from Android

Strange. It's almost like there is a pandemic that's still raging or something.

They shoudln't run it.

The Crescent is still [only] operating with 2 coaches, two sleepers, diner, & baggage (but still has two engines?) ...if they can't even run their regular trains pre-covid, than surely they can't handle an entire extra train.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/21 12:39 by nsrlink.

I think that each of us is dealing with the pandemic differently, and we should respect one another's choices.  As I tell friends, "my body, my choice."  I am in my late 50s, got COVID last month, recovered just fine with zero complications.  Yea, I was sick.  Yea, it sucked.  However, I knew I might well get it and was ready.  The INSTANT I felt bad I did a test at work (we process PCR tests here on a 4 hour turnaround) and quarantined immediately.  I infected no one but my partner who had it easier than me.

It is possible that I could have fallen ill on a trip like the New River ride.  In that case I might well have infected some others, which would not have been good.  And therein lies the problem.  It snuck up on me in less than 6 hours.  I felt a little off then had a fever of 102 six hours later.

For the record, I was infected by a vaccinated person, and we are certain of that due to the testing protocols where I work.  She got sick, too.

So I understand why they postponed.  But I get the airline point.  It is a legitimate point, and people know the risks at this point.  Some are willing to take those risks, others are not.  And that is fine all around.  

We all need to be kinder to one another right now, because I do not see a single level of government that is being kind.  On both sides, things are hostile. Maybe we can set an example for our "leaders," and maybe we can start right here!

Chessie 1963 makes good points. I suspect that the whole Covid thing has impacted their sales such that they faced running trains with patronage far below what's needed to pay all the bills??

   If I'm correct then they had no real choice but to cancel.

   Hopefully next year will treat them better. 

   Ross Rowland 

1. While in flight, the air in an airliner is completely changed approx every 3 minutes.  The air is not re-circulated, air in the cabin is ported overboard and new air from outside circulated in, every 3 minutes.

2. The total change of air in an 85' closed window RR car is probably once a day, if that.

3. The average age of a person on a new river train is probably 60+, which means if someone did catch covid, the chances of serious illness are greater, tahn the average person on an airplane.

4. who the hell in their right mind would want to run a special train, which may or may not make any money anyway, with all the logistics issues of getting pvt cars, volunteers, amtk, local authorities etc. together, and having a bunch of ornery old guys complaining  about having to wear masks (and everything else) for passengers
 
5. with the airlines its simple..no volunteers, no optional rules.  You wear a mask, follow the rules, or get kicked off the airplane.   I was an airline capt once upon a time. Be a jerk, u get to spend some time at the airport deciding what's more important to you...getting to your destination, or being a jerk. .Be a BIG jerk, and u get to call your relatives and ask them to pick u up at the local presinct.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/21 21:22 by pdt.

Lets see.  Amtrak is busy what I read here.   Numerous tourist type operations are running.  That outfit in CO is running.  I suspect a lot has to do with what part of the political divide you are on and also the state you are operating in.  Local town in Illinois cancelled their "Milk Days" mostly outdoor activities.  Town I live in down the road, Marengo is still having their fall festival best I know.   But then Marengo schools were in person successfully all 20-21 year for those that wanted. 

Bob Jordan

Weet Virginia is about as red of a state as you get. Not likely they are the ones imposing restrictions.

If a steam engine was running the train, bet it would sell out. Thank goodness Cass and the Potomac Eagle are still running their fall excursions, pretty state for fall colors. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/21 19:27 by grlhughes.

A lot of good responses on here. Of course some absolutley stupid responses as well. 

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> West Virginia is about as red of a state as you
> get. Not likely they are the ones imposing
> restrictions.

True that! West Virginia was built on coal, chemical production and some other things the stupid Greenies now in charge don't like. It is a different state than it was even fifteen years ago, and not in a good way.

This pandemic has pointed out it is how thoughtless and selfish some people are is they don't get their way. It also blows my mind how people come to some of their conclusions. For me, I totally get the idea that on something that makes little or no money if it doesn't pay for itself this year there won't be a next year for it...

My dad decided he didn't want to go to a big board gaming convention in Columbus next week. It had been cancelled completely last year, postponed this year and there are fewer groups attending this year as well. I was only going to go if he was so I am passing on it as well. Of course I wouldn't be able to take any extra days off work since we have work that isn't getting covered every day. I am sure I am not alone on the last issue. I would expect this will be a very slim year for the convention and hope they turn a profit or can at least write it off as they hold it in the Columbus Convention Center which cannot be cheap.

I am in two nationwide, really Worldwide bus groups. One is US based and the other is Canadian based. The Canadian group has cancelled this and last year's conventions, in part due to the restrictions of crossing the Canadian border and crossing back. The US one cancelled both trips last year, cancelled the Spring Meet this year but is going to have their Fall meet. At last count there were only 17 people going where usually there are anywhere from forty to sixty or more depending upon which city they are visiting. This is a non-profit organization and they have to pay for a charter bus, plus insurance for the convention so if they don't cover their costs, well...

For any of this stuff a lot of people simply aren't going to want to hang out in masks for ten, twelve hours. We've seen posts on here where people don't want to ride Amtrak until the mask mandates go away, so you can figure that would reduce ridership. Personally I hate really the stupid masks, especially since I got the J&J One Shot. I still will travel but I have reduced it simply because of the mask mandates and not wanting to spend all day in the thing.

In the end, I doubt anyone will die from not having a New River Train this year.

Jim

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> We all need to be kinder to one another right now,
> because I do not see a single level of government
> that is being kind.  On both sides, things are
> hostile. Maybe we can set an example for our
> "leaders," and maybe we can start right here!

Thank you, Chessie1963

Gordon

"This pandemic has pointed out it is how thoughtless and selfish some people are is they don't get their way. It also blows my mind how people come to some of their conclusions. For me, I totally get the idea that on something that makes little or no money if it doesn't pay for itself this year there won't be a next year for it..."

It all goes by consumer demand and consumer's are not always logical.  The sponsors can't take the financial risk. Restaurants seem as full as ever, not a 100% safe activity, yet the NYS Fair in Syracuse, which I went to, had just 60% of normal attendance over 2019 even though it was 18 days rather than 13, admission reduced to $3.00, most of it outdoors, a very safe activity, mask mandates for what little was indoors, but people linger indoors only for short periods of time.

Go figure. I don't get it.  

Comparing a RR car air circulation to an airplane isn't valid. RR cars are not pressurized, end doors are not air tight, vestibule diaphragms are curtains are not air tight, and are constantly opening and closing, staying open long after someone hits the panel, and there is a draft. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/21 06:00 by joemvcnj.

Anyone heard about the Cincinnati Daylight train? Promoter hasn’t responded

Posted from iPhone

dhawtree Wrote:
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> Anyone heard about the Cincinnati Daylight train?
> Promoter hasn’t responded

Was that the train from Chicago to Cincinnati? It was to use the passenger cars headed to the Autumn Colors Express, so if that's the excursion, it won't be running.

Quote from the sponsor's web page - which OBVIOUSLY the Usual Suspects did not bother to read:


"The current surge in COVID-19 cases in West Virginia has local hospitals operating at emergency levels, making postponement our best and only option this year,” said Railexco CEO Adam Auxier."

Shaking my head . . . I've lost all empathy / sympathy for the noisiest ~ thirty percent of the population.

Brian

Would be my presumption, but I don’t know that as fact. Thought maybe some one at railexco would get the word that folks are looking for clarification.

Posted from iPhone

How were the ticket sales coming along this year?