Sign of the times Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You say I am overly pessimistic...

More on this later.

I would say
> that I just don’t see things getting any better in
> regards to mainline steam. Sure, I would love to
> see Nickel Plate 765 on the New River Train this
> fall but we all know that isn’t going to happen.
> What frustrates me the most is that the current
> manangement of Amtrak is being allowed to keep on
> destroying what is left of their already poor
> service. I suppose we peasants are to not
> question the Almighty management of Amtrak.

I never said you or anyone else should be quiet about Amtrak. If you have an issue with Amtrak's management, tell Amtrak and your Congressional representative and Senators.

We are
> to shut up and be reminded that we are subjects
> not citizens.
> So, in my opinion and everyone is entitled to
> their own, mainline steam is done.

Yup, you are entitled to your opinions and others in this thread stated what they thought of your opinions.

Your replies to my posts are mostly non-responsive.

>
> I congratulate the ORHF for raising the money and
> constructing a permanent home for the city of
> Portland Oregon steam locomotives. They will have
> a nice home until the city of Portland decides
> there not environmentally friendly enough and
> order them scrapped.
>
Your last statement reflects a toxic combination of pessimism, baseless speculation and hostility towards environmentalists. Seriously, if the City of Portland and its citizens truly believed that the ORHF is not sufficiently environmentally "friendly" (whatever that means), why was the ORHF allowed to construct a new facility when being kicked out of the Brooklyn Roundhouse?

I am a member of a national environmental group. This group and other environmental groups are not concerns about museums/heritage steam operators such as the ORHF.