Re: "Puffing Billy" extension

["David & Jan Winter" <winterd@nospam-icenet.com.au>]

Re the comments about Japanese tourists:

1. it is a concern that the numbers will be down during the "Asian crisis."

2. it is a credit to preservation/operation groups like PBPS/ETRB that they
can structure to gain good revenue out of this inbound tourist stream

3. HVR structure the run of the Etmilyn "tramway" in a similar fashion to
connect with tour coaches, rather than the "Ranger" trains to/from Pinjarra,
Armadale or Perth.

4. Those raising economic concerns about the Gembrook re-construction have
had 20+ years to make known their opinions, and the logic behind them. It is
demeaning to PBPS/ETRB to suggest they went ahead on the basis solely of
emotion, not good economics supporting a heartfelt desire and motivation.

5. The tourist business is extremely fickle - so please no brickbats or
told-you-so's if things don't go well at first. If you're interested in
rail, preservation, re-construction, expansion, operation, or whatever - get
behind these projects in your own (positive, please) way.

6. It seems these type of projects give governments a way of being
supportive without across-the-board compromise of economic rationalisation
policies - I suspect there is more "soul" in government than we seem to have
seen in the past 10 years or so of rationalism, just waiting to be released.
So, it's a case of being creative in the vision and seeing the various
indirect ways governments find to be suppportive and get kudos in the
process.

DW