Margaret (SP fan) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Curious" --
> I am not a member of the Friends of the 4449,
> but I believe I can give you a reliable answer
> to one of your questions.
>
> You wrote --
> > I wouldn't think BNSF would support an Amtrak
> > steam excursion under their trackage rights??
>
> 1. The 4449's excursions are not "Amtrak steam
> excursions". They are sponsored by others. The
> excursion to Bend this June is a Friends the 4449
>
> steam excursion.
>
> 2. This excursion -- and all the other 4449 steam
>
> excursions except for the 1977 Transcontinental
> Excursion from Birmingham, Alabama, to Portland,
> Oregon, was actually sponsored by Amtrak. AFAIK,
>
> that was the only steam excursion Amtrak ever
> sponsored.
>
> 3. I am not sure what you mean by ""their"
> trackage
> right". Do you mean Amtrak's on the BNSF or
> BNSF's
> on the UP?

Thank you for your response Margaret, I should have clarified this question better along with the Amtrak statement. I meant BNSF trackage rights on UP owned tracks. It has been implied in previous discussions that a excursion to California with 4449 would need to be over BNSF owned lines along with operating under BNSF trackage rights on UP owned rails like it did back in 1999. My question to this is, since the trip would be sponsored by "Friends of the 4449" and operating under Amtrak insurance, then the 4449 group would need to work directly with UP themselves for permission over their tracks they own from say... Chemult, Oregon to Klamath Falls, Oregon. Or from Keddie Wye through the feather river canyon to Sacramento and they would not be considered a BNSF trackage rights train since it would not technically be backed by BNSF correct?