HOBOKEN-BINGHAMTON RAILFAN EXCURSION: SEPTEMBER 25,2004

(1)Coach sales thus far are a disaster: 42 seats!

(2)I will CANCEL THE TRIP on JULY 5 if I have not reached break-even
of 462 seats by that date.

(3)I am not a masochist, so refuse to go on the hook for a AMTRAK
$8,940 (10%) cancellation penalty. I will escape with my financial
skin intact, losing only a Ticketweb $250 startup fee.

(4)Too bad that beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets are of more
appeal than seats on the first Erie fantrip to Binghamton in 38 years.

(5)Either SUPPORT THE TRIP by July 5, or to hell with it.

Don,

Hate to be a pessimist, but your price is way too high for the average joe to buy tickets for this kind of trip....We understand that NS/Amtrak is charging you an astronomical amount for equipment and the usage of the line, but people just won't stand for 25 mph running for most of the way at a price of $180.00... And the fact that it could only be run on a jewish holiday is a big blow as well!!!
Like I said I was gonna buy a ticket in August when I got the cash so maybe people will buy tickets closer to the date?......Why make July 5th a termination day??? Seems a bit early if you ask me?!?

Steve

Don,

I understand your problem and would love to be able to commit, but July 5 is too early for me. Good luck. I hope your hardwork doesn't get wasted.

DonPevsner wrote:(1)Coach sales thus far are a disaster: 42 seats!

Guessing your attitude may have something to do with this, no??

(2)I will CANCEL THE TRIP on JULY 5 if I have not reached break-even
of 462 seats by that date.

ok

(3)I am not a masochist, so refuse to go on the hook for a AMTRAK
$8,940 (10%) cancellation penalty. I will escape with my financial
skin intact, losing only a Ticketweb $250 startup fee.

I hope you're giving refunds to the 42 ticket holders!!!!

(4)Too bad that beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets are of more
appeal than seats on the first Erie fantrip to Binghamton in 38 years.

Nice approach!! Not a very smart thing to say if your looking to boost ticket sales.

(5)Either SUPPORT THE TRIP by July 5, or to hell with it.

Nice advertising campaign!! I rarely post, but this is just obsurd!! I was thinking of buying 2 tickets, but now i won't!!

ASD

[quote="DonPevsner
(4)Too bad that beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets are of more
appeal than seats on the first Erie fantrip to Binghamton in 38 years.

(5)Either SUPPORT THE TRIP by July 5, or to hell with it.[/quote]

Geez, that oughtta get people lining up for tickets now!!!!!! Nice approach!!!!! Perhaps your attitude has something to do with dismal ticket sales. I was thinking of buying 2 tickets, but after reading this, I won't!!!!!!

ASD

nysw3636 wrote: I rarely post, ASD

It shows.

I don't know that it's high a price considering all the factors involved.
For me personally ,I could've swung it had there been The Bingh-PJ
RT as originally advertised,but then again that would've added
to cost of running trip.Also I've gotta wonder how many folks from Binghamton would've gone for the trip with a bus return.I too am sorry to hear this might not run.I'm just time strapped vacation wise.

Only 55 people paid to ride. Advertising in major newspapers costs
thousands of dollars. Too bad R&R Magazine couldn't get the word
out to enough potential riders in time.

This trip is a goner..............

Poor advertising
Overpriced
Poor attitude by sponser

Maybe a trip using NYS&W equipment would have have worked better.
Amtrak is not cheap. Nothing special about Amtrak equipment.
NYS&W E-8's on a train would have been a better choice. More appealing to Railfans.

Just my 2 cents...

As I predicted, the trip has been cancelled.

I'm sorry I didn't know about this sooner

As an addendum to all the above, it shoould be noted that if the operator expected to see all the seats based on internet word of mouth(OK, keyboard), he was mistaken. Yes advbertising does cost money, to be sure. But getting the info posted and printed in various loal outlets would have maye accomplished more. Another option would have been to enlist the assistance of one or more local railfan groups such as the local NRHS chapters, the URHS, the NYSW THS, etc... These groups for the most part have a customer base that this operator could then tap into. But as he seems to belive that we here in the northeast are more concerned with beer and lottery tickets, I think we should remind him of his attitude if he attempts another excursion in this region. "Service with a snarl".... not the best way to go, and he has only hurt himself in the long run by not spending the $$$ for even minimal advertising, and then blaming the potential customers. I suggest he look in the mirror before he look at the railfans.

Kudos to Mr. Pevsner for trying to pull this trip off. I understand that he is probably very disappointed that the trip sold so poorly, hence the statements in his post. He has probably put years worth of work into this and not even selling 10% of the tickets a few months after announcement is truely a shame. I don't have any experience putting these big trips together, only one speeder trip on the Stourbridge RR last year, and it is not easy, and you definitely don't make a profit, considering the effort put into it.

RCBSD45,
if he asked for involvement from the local groups they would have expected a cut of the ticket price. Even at the "break even" point I highly doubt Mr. Pevsner would have truely broken even. Don't know what type of car service or attendents would have been present but that would have cost $$$ and time too.

Understandably the $185 dollars a ticket was out of my price range and many others, but that comes to less than $0.50 per mile for the almost 400 mile long trip. Not bad considering the rarity of half the mileage.

Renting the Amtrak equipment and running it with or through them may have precluded the need to have additional insurance with NS. The trip would have cost $90,000, what RR group or historic society has that much money to "front" for this type of trip? Even the NYS&WTHS had to cancel the Port Jervis trip last year for insurance, hence monetary, reasons.

Trips are getting more and more difficult to run.

Mr. Pevsner, THANK YOU FOR TRYING!

Chris Vitz

Oh I am sorry I could not sign up for the rail ride to Binghamton. I don't Smoke, Drink or Play the Lottery. I guess I am real scum then for not signing up for this ride. I am sorry that I had to spend my money for other things like food on the table for my family. Oh, but it is the first passenger ride ever in 38 years to go to Binghamton. I guess I should starve for months and save my money. Perhaps I could take my 5 year old son on the trip who would be so bored within 1 hour of the ride of 19 hrs it would take to get there and back. Also 8 hrs or more would be in the dark any way.

I am sorry I disappointed you all. I just thought spending my money on food was a better choice.

Train Bill

Bill after your rant maybe save some for medication, your rant is totaly out of context, if you can't afford it don't go, but don't rant about it.