@superwarp1 posted:Does the WMSR have any open cars where you can smell the smoke, get cinders in your hair, hear the chuff, etc, etc. Thinking of doing a trip this coming summer. Ride the train up and ride bicycles back if that's still an option?
@Rich Melvin posted:The insurance industry has pretty well killed the open car. I doubt they will have one. Open window maybe, but not an entirely open car.
My wife and I rode "open vestibule" on the WMSR once! However, this was before our daughters were born, so it was over 30 years ago. We drove all the way there thinking there would be plenty of room. Dumb! We should have called ahead. No Internet then. They sold us two "standing room only" tickets on the vestibule of one of the closed cars. Talk about cinders, Gary!! I didn't take any photographs, keeping my Canon SLR under cover best I could. I assume the insurance company would frown on that now.
Back to the 1309, I'm impressed the WMSR got the engine back under steam. I read many who thought they wouldn't have the money and resources to do it. We hope to ride next year. And yes, we will get tickets in advance! 
