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Re: [VIC] Headboards this weekend
Mark Bau wrote:
> Presumably they have looked at their market and decided that they get more
> bums on seats because of the headboard and the advertising it brings versus
> how many people it turns away but I doubt there is any such valid reasoning
> behind their headboard arrogance.
I don't think taking the headboard off at photostops would reduce their
patronage. If they did remove it only at photostops then it might help to
increase their patronage because some people would see this as the only way to
get a photo of their locos without the headboard. If I pay $90 for a trip, then
I think I'm entitled to a photo of the train without their advertising on it.
If they really wanted to get bums on seats they would remove the headboard at
photostops.
> I'm convinced that they do it now as a power/ego thing. Pity really that in
> the railfan community they are infamous for this instead of the good work
> they have done over the years.
I'm also convinced that it is a power/ego thing because I can't see how taking
the headboard off at photostops would harm the level of patronage on their
tours. I think it would help to attract more passengers if they removed it at
photostops. The behaviour of some Steamrail volunteers would indicate that it
is a power/ego thing. On the Kulwin tour in 1998, the organiser told the crew
on R761 to flip the headboard at the last photostop near Dunolly. There were a
few Steamrail volunteers who were yelling out to him to put it back. I agree
that Steamrail has done a lot of good work over the years and without them we
wouldn't see as many steam locomotives and historic rolling stock running. It's
a real pity that they wreck all this hard work by leaving a piece of wood on
the front of their locomotives during photostops.
--
- James Brook -
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