Conway Scenic Railroad (CSRX) discussion thread

[Drewby27]

I meant Groveton not North Stratford. Why have they been using 205? Is 7324 out of commission or down for repairs?
Why wouldn't they be able to get an engine down to Groveton to make a move?

[NHV 669]

They have to arrange to have power/equipment ferried between N. Stratford and Groveton, over the SLR. If it's faster to borrow a CSRX unit, they may do so. All is dependent on when Dave Swirk wants the car there. I haven't heard anything since the original post of it coming for Rigby Yard.

[Jonathan]

why do they need more cars? For a 7 car valley train?

[NHV 669]

Car came west early this morning on SLR 393, and will spend the winter in N. Stratford.

[Drewby27]

why do they need more cars? For a 7 car valley train?

Expanding is never an issue when you can generate profit.

[Who]

Do we even know for sure if this car is owned by the Conway Scenic and not a private individual?

[Drewby27]

NHV 669 Posted this a couple days ago.
CSRX has acquired former RBBX 43004, it is stenciled as CSRX 400019. Car was on the rear of today's M426 into Maine. The car is originally a 44 seat coach built as UP 5533.

[Who]

CSRX is a reporting mark, unless said individual has their own, you need to use someone's for shipping, it doesn't necessarily mean they own it.

[Arborwayfan]

Is it my imagination, or has the railroad shifted from marketing the Snow Train as a way to get to Attitash to marketing it as a train ride that you can also use to get to Attitash? Have most of the passengers taken it as a simple round-trip train ride? Are many pairs of skis seen on the train?

No criticism, just curious. Maybe a little disappointed if people aren't actually using it for transportation because I loved the idea that there was a frequent for-profit passenger train service between North Conway and Attitash for a few days and weeks a year, but that's no criticism of the railroad. Whatever fills the trains.

[b&m 1566]

It does appear they have changed direction and are now marketing these trains as train rides, with an option to stay at Attitash and board a later train. I think the change just reflects what the customer's are doing and want. So, while the shuttle trains may not be popular with skier's, it does show the demand is there for people wanting a train ride. I also noticed they are not including NH school vacation week in February/March this year, only Massachusetts. I guess ridership during that 2nd full week, wasn't generating enough business.
I wouldn't be surprised in the next few years, they start including departures to Conway, especially when their event center in Conway opens.

[Arborwayfan]

That's about what I was thinking. It's a lot to pay for a slow ride to the ski slopes when most people staying in North Conway to ski probably (a) have a car and (b) aren't staying walking distance from the station. But it could be a fun thing for the people in a group who don't like skiing to do for part of a day, or for people with no interest in skiing who are up at the grandparents-cousins-second home-friends-vrbo for the weekend somewhere nearby.

On the other hand, the original plan was to use just Millie the Budd Car, right. If they get about one car's worth of ski-shuttle passengers on most of the morning trains to Attitash and on most of the afternoon-evening trains back, the original shuttle idea is succeeding even if the train-ride idea is attracting more of the business. However it's working out, it's great.

[Who]

I'm hearing a rumor that CSX is sending one of the B&M Big Hooks to the Conway Scenic, is this true and if so, is this a sale or donation to a third party or is the Conway Scenic, directly involved in taking ownership? I'm having a hard time believing any of this, as I recall two years ago the Conway Scenic turned down the option to take in the two former Maine Central businesses cars, now on the Winnipesaukee/Hobo Railroad.

[p42thedowneaster]

Going to need a facilty on the scale of the PRR Museum-scale to store and display all this stuff. I don't blame the railroad for restricting access to some of the active property, but I really miss being able to walk around the cars and locomotives and wish I could share that with the next gen.

[FtHill1231]

The grounded and mothballed Flying Yankee deserves to be (at minimum) a static display at CSRX.
Funds, logistics and negotiations with the state of New Hampshire etc are likely factors nullifying that possibility.

[BandA]

For the Yankee Flyer, they should replace the Winton prime mover with an EMD prime mover and make it a "daily driver" for CSRX or somewhere else.