In a follow-up interview, Crider voiced his frustration with rail advocates. “Regardless of what the numbers really say, you can’t convince them,” he said. “It’s kind of like a religion for them.” He explained that the district had asked for copies of some privately funded feasibility studies, including one from Rob Arkley’s Security National. “Nobody would give them to us,” he said.

All I have to say is...Astoria, Oregon is doing quite well sans railroad. Each time the railroad was re-opened, nobody loaded cars, so it sits washed out with a little trolley on it.

Seaside is doing quite well sans railroad.

Tillamook is doing quite well sans railroad; the rumors and threats of massive price hikes in cheese never materialized, and the sawmills in Tillamook and Garibaldi are doing fine, traffic hasn't noticeably increased on Highway 6. The railroad boosters actually think people will ride a train for ten hours to get from Hillsboro to Tillamook and ten hours back...

Lincoln City and Depoe Bay are doing quite well, never having a railroad.

Newport is doing quite well, sans railroad.

Crider is clearly onto something.