Train Festival 2011 organizers, California Zephyr Railcar Charters and the
San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society regret to announce the operation
on Santa Fe steam locomotive #3751 to Rock Island, IL in July of 2011 has
been suspended.
When planning of Train Festival 2011 began several months ago, Train Festival organizers shared their
proposal of steam locomotives and their proposed movements with high-ranking
officials at BNSF Railway. Provided that they were to be Amtrak trains, it was communicated
that BNSF would 'likely' approve the requests, including that of
the ATSF 3751, from Los Angeles to Rock Island and return.
In the intervening time, circumstances have changed, and BNSF is now
projecting greatly increased traffic volumes this summer on their Transcon
corridor. The Train Festival trips would use the Transcon between Albuquerque and Los
Angeles.
Steam specials are highly consumptive of management time, and of course
attract hundreds, sometimes thousands, of railfans, which in turn requires
significant efforts on the part of the railroad's police. The 3751 trip
would have had us on the property for 18 days, during the time when traffic
volumes would be at or near their peak.
For this reason, BNSF has reconsidered their position, and respectfully
declined the proposed move of ATSF 3751 via the Transcon corridor to Train
Festival 2011.
Other options are being explored to bring the #3751 East. In the meantime
other excursions are being worked on and proposed for Train Festival 2011.
They will be announced on the website www.trainfestival2011.com
when they have received approval.
Anyone that had purchased a ticket to ride behind the #3751 may get a FULL
refund, hassle free. Just email your request to
tickets@trainfestival2011.com
and a refund will be given. Please provide the name the order was under in your request.
