The West Virginia Rails 2010 committee would like to announce that steam locomotive no. 734 will not be able to attend the 100 year celebration of trains in Petersburg, WV. CSX railroad of Jacksonville, FL has declined to move the locomotive 10 miles to the South Branch Railroad from Cumberland, MD. After receiving tentative approval the first part of April, a decision was made that the steam locomotive can not be shipped on CSX rails. Western Maryland Scenic Railroad will be sending GP-30 diesel locomotive in place of the steam locomotive. Passengers scheduled to ride behind no. 734 will be treated to an excursion behind vintage 1952 built streamlined Baltimore and Ohio diesel locomotive no. 722…
They weren’t even going to run it on CSX, it was just a ferry move. A 10 mile ferry move. A 10 mile ferry move on a line that sees 8-10 coal trains on a good day.
So, despite being a sponsor of this well-advertised event, CSX refuses to move one of the main attractions a mere 10 miles on its own tracks. What a stupid public relations move. Of course, seeing how CSX is run on a daily basis, it’s not surprising. Nothing like generating a lot of bad feelings among people who should be your best supporters.
Who cares about supporters? Most of the people who attend this thing will do nothing to help CSX generate revenue. Frankly as a CSX employee and a stockholder, I am miffed that they are spending any money on this thing at all. There are far to many people laid off on the system to be wasteing money on such a thing.
Umm, you do realize they charge for special moves. Quite a bit, actually. If they move enough steam engines around, your dividend might go up enough to get the leather shift knob on your next BMW, Uncle Moneybags.
Anyhow, this story just gets stranger as time goes on. CSX is now claiming that they never agreed to move the loco at all.
Sorry a BMW is too econo car for me, thanks though. CSX spent money to sponsor the event, hence my comment. They gain nothing out of it, except scorn from railfans for something that they didn’t even agree to do. Seems like a waste of money to me…
You also do realize that if CSX thought they could MAKE money off special steam engines moves, and the risks do not outway the gains, they would do it. Jacksonville thinks that moving steam engines is a risk not worth taking, in no small part to the acts of some “fans” on the MILW 261 run out of Chicago a couple of years ago.
Consider some of the other expenses involved in ferrying steam, extra special agents have to be called out, extra supervisory personnel (they may be on salary but other provisions have to be made), possible disruption of regular operations, etc., etc., etc. And what is the return on this expense? Don’t blame the beancounters, CSX is a business whose main function is to turn a profit. It’s probably just a matter of time before mainline steam operations vanish completely.
This is awfull. [V] I was attending the TCA convention in Baltimore, but really wanted to see the 734 on the SBVRR. Glad I didn’t bust my butt to get trackside for the day.
I understand the arguments for and against this decision, but how can you not be disappointed, even a little [%-)]
I assume you are talking about that trip to Chicago to participate in the 1930’s era movie. I had not realized anything unusual occured on that trip. Would you care to tell us what happened?