This is a rather belated reply but I just now happened across your post dated 4/10/2009, Bobby. I don't see what the big deal is about the passenger death. The FRA report indicated it was non-railroad related. I.e. the person died of natural causes but just happened to be on the train when he expired. How do I know this? Well, the FRA report listed the date as June 20. I was in the Chama yard that day working on the Jordan Spreader and saw the train come in with the deceased on-board. An emergency room doctor who happened to be on the train could be seen through the car windows performing CPR as the train pulled into Chama. The body was left on the train for several hours while the local authorities waited on the county medical examiner to arrive and give the official pronouncement that he was in fact dead. This had nothing to do with the railroad directly as the person reportedly had a history of heart problems and had been warned by his doctor to avoid exposure to high mountain altitudes.

However, I will add that, indirectly, the incident prompted some concerted effort by several Friends members, one of which is a cardiology nurse, to acquire some defibrilator units for the railroad and get training for the railroad employees on their use. As a result of those efforts, this year, four defibrilator units were donated to the railroad, one for each trainset and one for each depot, and the railroad crews were trained in the use of the devices. This is definately a plus-plus.

I also would like to take exception to your analysis of the current condition of the track on the C&TS. I have a contact in the FRA and he has told me that the FRA inspector for the C&TS is very pleased with the progress of the roadbed and track rehabilitation. Quite a turnaround from a few years ago. And I might add that the bulk of the money being used for the trackwork has come from New Mexico and not Colorado. Your dollar numbers for Colorado are misrepresented in that the numbers you quote are not for one year, but rather for a number of years. And they just don't add up to what New Mexico has budgeted. It is what it is.

You really should research your information further before you make yourself look like an unreliable and untrustworthy source of information. I am sure that your anti-tax and libertarian values are well intended, but how about getting the facts straight when you post on these forums?

Should you care to know any more about the FRA C&TS death report incident, feel free to contact me back channel at mark.valerius@alcoa.com.

Oh, and BTW, I sincerely do hope you enjoy your trip to Australia. Should be a trip of a lifetime. Bring back some pictures!