Dear “Friends of 4449 and Ed Immel

First off I was no where in the area but I told a friend in El Paso, Texas who at least considered riding this trip. Second your posts here to me smell worse than sour grapes. Third how ironic that people who claim to be representing a locomotive that was once a “Freedom Train Locomotive” that you would give such a display of apparent ignorance and self centeredness for people doing things within the law just because it was not profitable to you. Furthermore I unfortunately know too many people (including myself) who have had difficult relations with the 4449 family spanning the locomotives entire time in excursion service. Due to these poor past relations it is the reason I do not go out of my way to support a 4449 trip most of the time.

Now if you really want to have an impact, more communication (talking and listening) with the community may actually result in better relations and better results for the group.
When advertising for a trip perhaps you could not only advertise the trip with the seating ticket but also a chasers donation option. I think it would be good for a group to publish the profitability or lack there of for a given trip. I do believe the railfans would be surprised how little profit comes out of these trips. Too few groups spend the time to communicate educate the public about the economics of running a mainline excursion. If those in the know do not do educate people on the costs then how do you expect the public to even have an opportunity to know the cost involved and how to help you with them?

Respectfully
Robby Peartree