Re: (erielack) Railroads "That Should Never..." A&GW

["Jim Guthrie" <jguthrie_@_pipeline.com>]

Philip asks:


> Jim Guthrie has an interesting post, but the "equal time" concept is a red
> flag for me.  He says:
> "I think equal time demands the Thruway pay for restoring a daily Phoebe
> Snow to Buffalo to help the Southern Tier economy, but . . ."
> How would a half-filled passenger train help the economy?  A bus driver
> recently told me that Greyhound has furloughed a lot of drivers; (and New
> York - Buffalo is one of their routes.)  So that form of transit is 
> loosing
> patronage.

A restored Phoebe Snow would serve far more people for far less money than 
it costs to run the Barge Canal for pleasure boaters.

> But there's really no such thing as "equal time."  Helping one form of
> transportation doesn't obligate a government to help all others.
> Where would the money come from; by making the people who drive the 
> Thruway
> pay for the railroad too?

Sure. Tolls pay for the pleasure boaters on the Barge Canal. The last 
commercial activity happened -- a sand barge -- went through a couple of 
years ago.

So, why not the Phoebe Snow? Station agents, train personnel, track 
workers -- and even some revenue from fares -- what more could you ask for? 
<g>

Cheers,
Jim 


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