Georgetown Loop Railway may have to close?

A couple of photographers at our local camera club had brought back

some fine images of the rolling stock of the above R.R., but they

said that if anyone wants to take photos there, they may only have a

year to do so. Apparently the state wants to close it down! Does

anyone know more about this state of affairs?

Alex

It seems that the state owns the land and the tracks and the company that owns the rolling stock and some of the buildings can't come to an agreement on a new contract.So the owners of the rolling stock who also own the Royal Gorge Railroad will take their stuff and leave at the end of the 2004 season.

It sounds like the Royal Gorge R.R. may be in similar straits, but with the local government.

The deal is that the state (under budgetary crisis) wants more money from the railroad for use of the tracks, which the state owns. The R.R. wants more money from the state for maintenance of the engines and cars, which the R.R. owns (the R.R. operates as part of the Georgetown Historic District, which receives funds from the state). Raising the rates isn't going to be good for business, so... Personally, since each of them wants more cash, and neither of them has the cash to give, it should just wind up as a wash; the state isn't going to get a better competing bid, and the R.R. can't make the state cough up cash that it can't spend (thank you the TABOR amendment).

I believe the current agreement runs through October. Hopefully both sides come to their senses before then.