As a volunteer/member of the Sumpter Valley Railroad since 1976, I understand how hard it is to keep a tourist railroad running with mainly volunteers. Thank you to those who support these lines with riding them. As to being too far away, I agree it is hard to volunteer many miles from home, but at the Sumpter Valley most of our crews are over 100 miles away. Some come from Salem (350), Portland (325), Medford (long was away), Boise, Stayton and other places with only a few volunteers living less than 100 miles. What works for the SVRR is that these volunteers come over for a weekend or whenever they can. The SVRR has places for them to set up a RV or stay in limited crew quarters. What model works to get and keep volunters: have dedicated on-site people who make new comers welcome. If new folks feel welcome, made to feel at home and given meaninful work they will come back. If they are stuck by themselves out back, why would they come back. Yes distance is a huge problem for volunteers and the cost is great but that can be overcome as shown by the success of the SVRR. Am I blowing our own horn (the horn of all volunteers who make the trains run no mater which line them are on), you bet and proud to be a volunteer. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE COME TO RIDE AND OTHERWISE SUPPORT ALL OF THE RAILROADS RAN BY VOLUNTEERs. The volunteers give up a lot of their time and are A DEDICATED BUNCH. Come volunteer when ever and where ever you can. Get involved.