Amtrak charter policy

Robert K posted:

Does this mean that private excursion operators can’t run any excursions on freight only track like NS or CSX?

Yes

One time trips, does that mean a one time excursion or even a weekend of excursions?

Yes

This policy will make rare mileage trips like the NS steam trips and Amtrak Autumn Express impossible.

Correct

I guess it is what it is but a few years ago it was neat wondering where the year’s NS steam excursions and Autumn Express were going to run. And NS no longer wants to host or insure excursions directly.

You sum it up correctly.  I'll get my steam fix at the Cumbres and Toltec going forward.  Still a fantastic way to spend two days (we take the trip both directions).   Maybe once Delta Dan the Airplane Man moves on, this silly policy can  get reversed.  Until then, I have no need to ride Amtrak. My car works perfectly well driving to my excursion destinations.  

https://www.amtrak.com/content...uidelines-032818.pdf

And, a lot of tourist railroads aren’t even accessible by public transportation because they are in rural, remote areas. You have to drive to them. I’m pretty sure besides the bus they use to bring you back from the full length ride there is no bus service to Antonito or Chama. You have to drive there. In my area we’ll always have the Reading and Northern for a mainline like steam excursion and Steamtown as well although diesels are currently pulling the longer off site excursions until 3713 is ready, So the Amtrak policy now means that the NS line from NJ to Harrisburg via Allentown and Reading is unrideable, Amtrak had a fall excursion on that line a few years ago but now they are banned. Only way one is riding that now is to apply to be an engineer or illegally hop a freight like a hobo. NS has a police force though and if you’re caught joyriding you could be in trouble. I guess I’ll never have the chance to ride the tracks between Allentown and Harrisburg or Aldene, NJ and Bethlehem, PA. But couldn’t an excursion operator partner with a commuter railroad like NJT to run a diesel excursion on NS wouldn’t that work? Like the 2013 Lehigh Limited excursion which went from Hoboken to Bethlehem.

World-wide, never count on steam and excursions continuing forever.  In fact, you can count on the concept that nothing is forever, especially in the railroading world.  One of the 765's crew members, Jerry Feitch,  was quoted 20-some years ago in a Trains Magazine article as saying that you should never take steam for granted.   We are on seriously borrowed time since it is about 50 years now since the end of mainline steam in March 1960 (let's see:  GTW, N&W and IC).

Yeah, there were rare mileage excursions steam and diesel in the US that will never happen again because the big railroads are now saying no to excursions. However there are numerous tourist operations in the US and I found an operation in Ohio that operates diesel excursions over various short lines. I forget the exact name of the organization or website. Ohio rail or something. 611 and 765 are running on tourist railroads this fall. 611 is running at Strasburg, which is not too far from me so I’m going to see it again and take a ride behind it in open air coach as well as blow the whistle. I rode behind it on a 102 mile mainline excursion from Manassas, VA a few years ago but no open windows. The route was mostly freight only and an important link for NS to get from Manassas to Maryland and PA.

I'd say the most profitable tourist railroad would be the White Pass & Yukon. A consortium of cruise ship companies bought it and it rakes in millions of $$$ every season. 4 of those huge cruise ships dock every day and if you want a ticket for this seasons operations you better book it now.

From this Railway Age article...RA

"At the urging of the cruise lines, WP&YR tentatively re-opened part of the line in 1988 to haul ship passengers the first 21 dizzying miles up to the U.S./Canada international border at White Pass. The cruise business proved to be lucrative, and in 2017, after 20 years of stewardship by Toronto-based golf resort operator TWC Enterprises, the railway derived $60 million in operating income from some 430,000 passengers, during the four-month cruise season."

WP&Y