Easter Express a Success

[Jason M Lamontagne]

The final count I heard was 247- the best yet for Easter trains.  We're getting into a steady format and date for this event- and it's working.  Huge credit goes to Jane Robertson, whose been doing local advertising for us lately- her efforts showed with today's turnout.  The photo freight in the morning is growing into a tradition as well.

Jason

[John McNamara]

Can anyone tell us more about the Easter Express? What equipment was used besides #10?  Were there any special features/events et cetera that would make good fodder for the newsletter?

-John

[Jason M Lamontagne]

What I know...

The morning involved coach 3 and freight cars- coach 8 was buried.  So to avoid a quagmire of switching- we used coach 3 and 103.  At Sheepscot Station there were treats, cider, and a jelly-bean counting contest.  At Alna Center there was an easter egg hunt- with plastic eggs filled with treats.  There was also a table filled with mysterious activities which always had a crowd around it- thus the activities remained mysterious.  Generally everyone would pile off the train- we arranged to unload the train at three locations to speed things up- pick up that train's worth of eggs in the field, huddle around the mystery table for 10 minutes or so, get back on the train and off we went.  The first three trains were essentially filled to capacity- to the point where we dropped the hourly headway, moving up to about 50 minutes between trains.

We also had some treats to pass out on the return trip on the train- particularly helpful for the smaller kids who didn't get many or any eggs.

Friday evening, while out with my wife, I decided that we as a crew may not be festive enough.  So we undertook to find several pairs of bunny ears for the train crew to wear.  After a few stores without luck (who'd think you couldn't find bunny ears at Easter?), Sheil pointed out to me that the crew may not really appreciate this idea.  Realizing that I wouldn't want to wear bunny ears, I agreed and we abandoned the search...

Simple little event that to works to get the locals involved-- perfect.
Jason

[Bill Fortier]

Friday evening, while out with my wife, I decided that we as a crew may not be festive enough.  So we undertook to find several pairs of bunny ears for the train crew to wear.  After a few stores without luck (who'd think you couldn't find bunny ears at Easter?), Sheil pointed out to me that the crew may not really appreciate this idea.  Realizing that I wouldn't want to wear bunny ears, I agreed and we abandoned the search...

Festive Frank agrees.

[Mike Fox]

We also gave handcar rides in the yard to entertain the kids, and some adults. Some didn't want to stop.

[Stephen Hussar]

...handcar rides sure have become a big hit!

[Keith Taylor]

Friday evening, while out with my wife, I decided that we as a crew may not be festive enough.  So we undertook to find several pairs of bunny ears for the train crew to wear.  After a few stores without luck (who'd think you couldn't find bunny ears at Easter?), Sheil pointed out to me that the crew may not really appreciate this idea.  Realizing that I wouldn't want to wear bunny ears, I agreed and we abandoned the search...

Gee....I used to wear bunny ears at Easter, and a Santa hat at Christmas time and rubber masks at Holloween when running  trains on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor. The only funny looks I got were from the odd drunk collapsed on the waiting platforms. Mostly I got smiles and we had a lot of fun.
Keith

[Wayne Laepple]

That's a wonderful photo (above) that Stephen made of Steve Z. and the kids on the handcar. Odds are those kids will remember their handcar ride as much as they remember hunting for eggs or their train ride. If personnel are available, an effort should be made every operating day to offer handcar rides, at least during some portion of the day, at some nominal cost. You might be surprised how much such an operation will bring in.

[Josh Botting]

Some pics my mother took:

[Mike Fox]

That youngster on the left of the handcar got his mileage in that day. He went on atleast 3 trips with me. Just could not get enough. Every child was smiling, until the car stopped.

[Jock Ellis]

Just as small children prefer pushing Thomas and his friends around the clickety clack track to having an electric engine do the job, the slightly older ones would really seem to enjoy such a ride where they get to show off. Assuming it is safe, such a track for them would be a good money maker and something school kids could go on - and learn about full size railroad history - if there is such things as field trips to the museum.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

There have been a few field trips to Sheepscot, I was around for one a couple of years ago.  Yes, the handcar rides are very popular.  There has been little time for a break each time I have operated it.  The idea of charging for a ride was discussed on the Forum earlier... don't remember where. Maybe someone can post the link.  I noted that the East Broad Top RR had reopened about a mile of mainline track South of the Rockhill Furnace yard for the purpose of operating track cars and handcars.  Tickets are sold for the trips and the ride is very popular.  Sometimes there are more people in line for the track car / hand car ride than to ride the steam train.   The EBT runs Fairbanks powered (hit-and-miss) track cars, handcars, and their old 1920's era Nash railcar on the line where the steam trains do not run. 

I think a ride from the South end of the team track up to the stub switch would be a nice ride for visitors.  Getting on the car would be safer at the South end where the track is covered up to the rail head, less of a step for the smaller kids with the step box.