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Work and Events / Re: Mountain Extension - Official Work Thread
« on: October 22, 2019, 01:29:23 PM »
More track is great and all but the question always needs to be asked will more track be a benefit or a detriment to the museum and it's other efforts. My opinion (for what that is worth) it is not worth taking on all that is involved with crossing 218 UNLESS the railroad can be sure they can get all the way to the Head Tide station site. Taking on installing a crossing and transitioning to FRA regs just doesn't seem worth it if the railroad ends less then a mile passed 218 in a cut short of the original station site. Crossing 218 will be no small task as I know most here realize but for those who aren't in the know a crossing built to modern specs over a public road will cost close to if not $1 million. Also modern standards would have to be followed. The FRA and DOT make no acception in my experience for the use of older equipment. That is a massive undertaking and crossing a public road with heavy truck traffic adds a whole new level of risk to factor into things as well. I run freight trains for a living and I can assure you short of putting up concrete barriers that pop up out of the road you are running the risk of crossing incidents. It's a classic example of do the pros outweigh the cons? I would love to see the railroad cross 218 but that's a much more complicated discussion than "we need to keep the momentum and interest if expanding track going." Again just my opinion.
Eric Bolton
Eric Bolton
