Margaret (SP fan) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, taking Amtrak to Albany or Eugene, and renting a car sounds great, but the trouble
> is that Winterail is held in the winter, and driving in Oregon in the winter can be
> dangerous.

From somebody who has lived almost half his life in Oregon, and the other half in the San Francisco Bay Area, I feel much safer driving up here in the Winter than I do in the Bay Area at any time of the year.

For a highly educated lady your lack of knowledge about Oregon in a shame. Yes, Siskiyou Summit (I-5) and Cascade Summit (Hwy 58) can be bad during or immediately after a heavy storm can be bad but overall there is nothing wrong with driving in Oregon at any time of the year. However, if your warnings keep the bad California drivers away that will be fine with those of us who live up here.

As a public safety service Highway 58 from Chemult to Eugene is generally considered to be the most dangerous highway in Oregon throughout the year due to it being a two-lane road with too much traffic.

> The big problem with taking Amtrak to Winterail for those who come from California is
> that #14 (NB Starlight) does not arrive in Albany until 1:22 pm if it is on time. That
> is only 3 hours and 38 minutes before the Railfan & Railroad pizza party and slide show
> begins at 5 pm. That is not enough time if #14 is late, as it too often is, and you
> would miss the pizza and most of the slide show.

Solution - come up on Thursday, which I know is what some people are doing as they're also riding the AE excursion on Friday.



> Winterail is, in a way, a business, and Vic moved it away from 75% of his customer
> base -- California -- in 2016. And I do not think young railfans (20s and younger)
> even know it exists,

Can't we get over moving to Oregon - it's Vic's show now and he can do what he wants. If you want a show in Stockton, maybe "SpringRail", then do it!

Moving from Stockton was a blessing. It had been tried once before when it went to Modesto but that didn't work. While some in California might be inconvenienced by the move there are others in the Pacific Northwest who can now attend. Based on what I saw last year it was great because evidently the move seemed to have eliminated the rude and inconsiderate faction that drove me, and no doubt others, away.

While I'm sure Vic "makes money" off the show most of what he charges goes right back to the show, giving stipends to presenters for lodging, rental of equipment, plus there's no reason Vic shouldn't get something for all the time he puts in to make it all work, no small feat. But Vic also stands to lose the most also if he doesn't cover his expenses so it's his choice on where to have it.

The venue in Corvallis is excellent: seating is comfortable with good views, air conditioning works, and it seems to fit all the needs of Winterail. Although I do not know how this works out I'm also sure the rental of the venue is less as well so if you want to compare it to a business then Vic is simply reducing his costs - be happy he didn't outsource it to India!

The lack of young railfans isn't the fault of Winterail or railroads in general; it's a generation thing and I don't know if it can be changed. It's as if today the younger generation is into electronics and technology, immediate satisfaction. Railfanning can be a boring outing at times watching old technology. Plus today the younger people have no real connection to railroads and trains so they can't relate. It is a shame the hobby is shrinking but unfortunately that is life.