More importantly, practical because of available venues for operating. It's fortunate that the scale of their railways and the opportunities for use so nicely coincide. Perhaps we should look for similar models over here.......but that might not make enough of a difference.

dave

Could you elaborate on what you mean by opportunities for use? What opportunities are we missing out on here in the states?

Mainlines friendly to the operation of steam powered passenger trains....in England the national railroads are much more broadly available to qualified potential operators than the privately owned mainlines are in the US. Culturally, the island is made up of many places in proximity to each other since it was developed before railways. Railways were built to link cities through industrial sites and agricultural areas which fed the cities. An unbroken history of an intensive passenger rail service has existed there which never was as intensive or pervasive here, even in the early 20th century. We are geared up to move bulk freight a long distance - they are geared up to move smaller quantities of freight for short distances and a lot of people for any distance. Adding a special train into the mix is not a problem there as a result of the operating culture and legal and ownership framework.

The model that might exist over here would be a friendly and very flexible railroad interested in building a program. That may not exist.

dave

1) A main-line railroad willing to allow a big steam locomotive to operate over its lines.
BNSF: Decides on a case-by-case basis, has not permitted regular operation of any major steamer.
UP: If it's not one of theirs, fuhgeddaboudit.
NS: The Big "Maybe."
CP: Let its own mainline steam program die off, but not out of the question...
CN/IC: So when was the last time you saw any steam?
Amtrak: WAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......
CSX: Don't even THINK of asking them.

This leaves you with KCS (a major unknown) and smaller players like the Indiana Railroad.

1a) A corporate/administrative mindset and business environment willing to entertain the prospect of such an engine running on their lines under certain conditions.

2) A viable commercial environment for excursions. This includes an affordable liability insurance market, and/or a legal environment/culture where litigation isn't a national pastime, as well as areas with a healthy pool of potential riders combined with a place through which to ride or to which to go.

3) A readily available non-proprietary fleet of appropriate excursion cars that can be easily called into service to be hauled by such "big steam." Coupling sixteen Amfleet/Horizon cars or commuter boxes behind a T1 or isn't going to cut it, although at an extreme a few could be used as "economy seating." And twenty first-class cars will simply price out all but "the 1%".

You can scratch KCS off the list. The experience they had with the exSP 745 pretty much welded that door shut.

I'd rethink the opinion about NS and big steam. They did invite N&W 611 to become a part of the 21st Century Steam program (as well as donating $1.5 million to the Fire Up 611 project), and possibly may extend an invitation to N&W 1218. If the engine is of company heritage may be the deciding issue. They certainly feel comfortable in using NKP 765 on excursions.
lois

Would just point out... while this is talked about in a fanciful way... meanwhile, somewhat less ambitious projects are actually being built. Haven't we buit two Americans in recent years?