Durango & Silverton Lawsuit Settlement

Well, well, well. Mismanagement by the U.S. Forest Service and now a private company has to pay for it! Go figure.

If you are going to play, you have to pay.

Thanks for the settlement update. I remember when this case was filed but had forgotten about it.

Well one less eeeevil coal burner in the US. Meanwhile in the rest of the world....

@Farmall-Joe posted:

Well one less eeeevil coal burner in the US. Meanwhile in the rest of the world....

Britain is working on banning coal in all applications.

Rusty

@J 611 posted:

Trains Magazine is reporting that the Durango & Silverton Railroad has agreed to a $20 million dollar settlement associated with the federal fire lawsuit against the railroad. D&S will also have to obtain wildfire insurance coverage of no less than $3 million dollars and pay $100,000 dollars yearly into a wildfire fund. They also agreed to further limit their use of coal fired steam locomotives. Although they currently only have one active coal fired steamer on the roster. The others have either been converted to oil, are in the process of being converted, or are in storage.

https://www.trains.com/trn/new...QQ9BCO1OFMzbSsldFxVE

Ahhhhhhhh the government again always with the hand out..how about asking people who own Tesla’s to pay fire hazard insurance. After it’s a rolling napalm bomb looking for a place to go proof

@Hot Water posted:

Well, well, well. Mismanagement by the U.S. Forest Service and now a private company has to pay for it! Go figure.

Amount of the settlement is absolutely outrageous. The Durango & Silverton probably determined that they had no choice, as the government was obviously holding a gun to their head, and unlike a major corporation, they were in no position to withstand protracted litigation.

Pat

How can they afford this?  That’s my question.  I see bankruptcy in their future

@superwarp1 posted:

How can they afford this?  That’s my question.  I see bankruptcy in their future

Some of the cost is probably covered by insurance.  Fares to ride the D&S are certainly going to rise.  They are not cheap now.  

Colorado may contribute something because the state probably doesn't want the D&S to fail.  It brings too many tourist dollars into a section of the state that would be significantly less prosperous without the railroad.  Durango would revert to a small college town and Silverton would disappear without the D&S.  I think it is going to be difficult to pay this settlement without significant outside help.  Maybe the D&S has a large endowment that can be tapped?  Bankruptcy may be in the future.  NH Joe

Three observations.

1. Everyone likes to talk about personal responsibility until it affects them personally in some way.  Then it's someone else's fault. 
2. I find it amazing how uncivil people can be towards others when they hide behind a screen name.
3. The terms of service of this forum state that your membership can be revoked for discussing politics.  There is a good reason for that.  We will never agree on politics nor should we.