Millard's Bomb-Drop: Running That Train Will Never Be Profitable

No. 34 -- VIRGINIA AND TRUCKEE RAILWAY -- Nevada Railroad Reconstruction Chronicles

At the July 13, 2009 meeting of the Carson City Convention and Visitor's Politburo, Dwight Millard dropped a bomb. You can see the meeting at the ACCTV.org website, his comment was made at 56:20.

CCCVP member Molly Walt was asking why the contract being offered to the CCCVP by the Nevada Commission to Reconstruct the Virginia and Truckee Railroad was only being offered for 2009. She was getting a little greedy, wondering if the CCCVP was able to clear a profit on 2009 operations would they get the right of first refusal on a 2010 contract. She was concerned that when private companies see that the railroad experts of the CCCVP can make money at it, they greedy private companies would try to get their hands on the profits. This sort of thinking is not surprising from a public schoolteacher.

Dwight Millard answered, "Running that train from here to there will never be profitable for anybody, no matter what you do. You can't charge enough."


He went on to say that tired old line I have heard from so many in Carson City, that's it's worth running a loss-making railroad because it will bring economic development to Carson City.

LET'S MAKE SURE THIS BENEFITS CARSON CITY OVER OTHER COUNTIES

Well I'm going to wrap it up here. I'm running out of time to waste on watching these jokers. Kevin Ray explains that it was never the intention to make money running trains. He admits that much of the benefit is going to accrue to Washoe County with its superior hotels, casinos and other attractions.

He finally lets the cat out of the bag, he figures that if Carson City does the marketing they can steer people to stay in Carson City hotels. Questionable.

Thanks for following, I'm probably done at this point.