There are 28 feature films under camera in New York this week and a dozen tv series. I would bet my pet goldfish the muck-a-mucks at WMSRR don't even know the name of the union having jurisdiction over selecting locations, but have devoted hundreds of hours to determine the right shade to paint their cars and the correct type of speed lettering. If 1309 were operable it would be the only large engine with east coast jurisdiction. There are many engines away from the motion picture capital - which is New York - but it would cost a tremendous amount of money to get a union crew and cast there. Again, they have DESTROYED the team track opposite the station for no good reason. There should have been a static display of another steam engine there. Eye candy. Or a freight. The third track had significant value for motion picture staging purposes. A track for a second train in the land of make-believe. Not only as part of a "set". Perhaps to keep passenger cars and/or box cars with air-conditioning for rental as offices and holding areas for talent, dressing and make-up rooms for cast and crew. Take a box car. Put linoleum on the floor. A wooden stair. Plug in door. A bit of furniture. Air conditioner and electrical outlets. You have a $700--$1200 a day rental for commercials or movies. Think renting eight-ten cars for this purpose. For a seven day shoot $50-$75,000. income, just for crew space rental - not including fees for the location and train rental. Right now there is no room for this on existing trackage. Naada. There WAS room. All gone. Poof. And the new plans for extending the siding do NOT include plans for restoring the team track Who designed this "expansion" plan? A nine year old? .I had lunch today with a guy who selects locations for movies - he never heard of the WMSRR - you people have done an outstanding job of getting the J.B. Powers award for being "Clueless in Cleveland". I read their business plan. La-la land. The station, trackage and turntable area should have been viewed as a potential movie set - which Jerry Jacobson did magnificently with the Age of Steam trackage, yard , signaling and period structures.
And then was the total burning of tax money to reconstruct a "genuine" WMSRR business car. Ooooh.... Yes.....TAX money.
Or "OPM" - other people's money.
Yet you beg for more. To play with a big model railroad. The bathroom facilities at Frostburg are inadequate! Hello. Earth to the WMSRR. That's a no- brainer.
You should have gone to jail for selling "Man-0f-War. And had state and federal funding pulled. The hell with handicapped veterans and the elderly in wheelchairs.
And every day 1309 is not in service represents a significant loss in revenue. Get a good book (or any book) on "Engineering Economy", comparing and contrasting fiscal alternatives - and the monetary value of time - and the effect of delay in acomplishing ends. The ship is about to broach and the helm is spinning wildly. The crew is busy munching jellybeans and watching re-runs of Captain Kangaroo.
Oooooh! After all these years you STILL don't have a simple production turn-key package ready-to-go for motion pictures listing hotels, restaurants, motels, airports, car and truck rental, local historic vehicle list and availability, and local production logistical support. Nor even thought about supplying the Frostburg station with an electrical supply to support motion picture work- a biggie - You don't have enough free amps on location to run my kitchen fan - yeah we use generators - when needed. And the garbage station and turntable viewing modifications lighting and signage designed by space-cadet art students instead of maintaining a 1930's ambience. If I were younger I'd bid to buy the whole operation. And I'd make money. I'd make enough to pay everyone a decent salary and make money and create new jobs for the good citizens of- Frostburg. But wut do I know - just an old man closer the end then the beginning -
Oh! Time to feed my goldfish. Bye.
P.S. - If I couldn't come up with a meaningful sound business plan to get a 30 year 3 million dollar loan to restore the team track with another inoperable steam locomotive (I could locate one for this purpose in between ten and fifteen minutes) on display, make 1309 operational within six months, set up proper production support facilities for motion pictures, fix up four to five box cars with interiors as ready-to-go production support offices, set up equipment to support motion pictures , and produce a revenue plan, I'd turn in my brain.
And when the team track is back,, after firing the idiot that decided to remove it, park ten box cars (or more!!!) there with tables rented for big weekend flea market action. Or a gun show.
Every single parked boxcar a rentable income-producing entity. Tasty home-made gravy free and clear.
. -A new concept called: "The Railroad Mall!!!
. Eight tables per car (on both sides) at $50-$100 income per table. Per day. Do the math. If this won't bring in over $100,000 every summer (probably more), I'm a monkey's uncle. A potential for $200,000 per year, Instead, you are begging for dimes from children. Because the cars can be locked vendors won't have to remove valuable goods at night. Nor worry about weather damaging their merchandise. Put removeable stairs on the side facing the woods so people will keep the train illusion from the station. I would bet you would have the most successful mall in the state. You might even add a fourth siding to add another ten cars and operate a dining car snack bar. Plus have the value of a rail yard for motion picture purposes. A great place for surplus circus cars. You would attract vehicular traffic and traffic on the rail line and money from rental space. Wire in power and water and you have a 24/7 365 day operation. Add a boxcar filled with pinball machines and video games.
Box cars filled with historic exhibits. On the restored team track.
How much did it cost to remove the team track and roadbed, hire an architect and pave the right-of-way for "improved bicycle access". $100,000. Oh well. "OPM".
How about a paintball rental range in the nearby woods?
Or an orienteering course.
And a corall with a few animals. Maybe a turn-of the century railway expeess truck.
How about a half-dozen four-wheeled put-puts to be rented as a you-drive it supervised convoy, to be turned on the table for the return trip? Fairmont speeders in good shape are available from $2,500 - $5,000. It need not cost you a cent. Allow people who have them lease them to the WMSRR for a portion of the revenue. Many owners would jump for that opportunity. And get a tax write off. Wow. That's what we do for those who rent historic vehicles to movies. In addition to rental fees provide them with a certificate for tax write-off. As an alternative plenty of people would pay or banks would loan to amortize purchase of such equipment. I mean... there would be actual revenue coming in. As part of the package arrange for a gourmet meal at a nice restaurant in Frostburg during the stopover. 😚 Let the local business ventures "wet their beak". A ride at the controls of a speeder! 😊A perfect birthday or graduation gift for a teenager. Issue "engineer" certificates for the motormen (or women). Why not let them drive? Why isn't that cash cow in your business plan? Duh.......
All that permanent artsy-schmatrzy ugly safety fencing around the turntable is an eyesore from a motion picture standpoint. 😣Arggghhhh!!!!! It CANNOT look like a period roundtable. Period. But it's all solidly set in concrete. Didn't anyone think the safety fencing had to be removed if you were using the table as a rental location for a movie? 🤔 Instead of a rentable asset you have ungotz. Incredibly poor planning. Why wasn't another track extended from the turntable for a display item? There was room. And I don't like the permanent modernistic outdoor seating installed at the station at great expense. It doesn't "read" 1920's. Of course not. Ambience. The wrong ambience. Like the dozens of modern street signs with reflective lettering everywhere - at the station - near the tracks - around the turntable. Welcome to La-La land. Was the architect for this project on drugs? Perhaps the governor's girlfriend? - The Shadow may know.
Last but not least perhaps set up a small-gauge train ride within a rock's throw of the Frostburg station. 7 1/2 inch..or 18 inch...
And a nature trail, of course...
Maybe a miniature golf course set up like those popular in the1920's. Another potential movie set. And a cash cow.
Of course nobody at WMSRR has ever heard of the "Red Book", that contains the e-mail addresses and phone numbers and addresses of every advertising company in the United States, Which is where you want to go if you want to sell your location for commercial production purposes. Which you can purchase, To send a production package to them via an attachment with images of your equipment and the other stuff I mentioned above. Plus the box-car rentals for production offices. That is, when you get your very flakey act in order - if that is at all possible. Maybe dinosaurs will parachute into Times square next New Year's from flying saucers wearing red capes giving out chocolate chip cookies? Alternatively, you might consider using the Vulcan mind-meld to make them aware of your existence. It worked for Spock.
Ohhh, please mister taxpayer...give me your hard-earned money! Waaaahh!!!
Wanna play with my big model railroad!!!!
