Train improvements and marketing credited for 2016 peak ridership

The Eagle Cap Excursion Train rolled out of the 2016 year with peak sales and attendance, much to the credit of the Friends of the Joseph Branch, the volunteer staff and train crew, and creative commercial partnerships throughout the region.

During 2016's train season, May through October, the Friends organized 16 runs, carrying a record-breaking total of 1,609 passengers, an average of 100 passengers per run. To attract this number of riders, the Friends board of directors cast a broad marketing net, including a website presence, advertisements, brochures and visitors' guides. A bonus was being featured on KGW's "Grant's Getaways."

"Internet searches accounted for about 19 percent of the 477 booking transactions last year," said Janet Dodson, marketing coordinator for the excursion train. "Thirteen percent of the bookings were made by people who found out about the train by word of mouth, while 12 percent of the bookings were made by people who identified themselves as local residents, living within 50 miles."

With such a visible presence near the newly built depot, more than 4 percent of the riders who made reservations said that they saw the train or depot while traveling through Elgin. Another 3 percent made bookings after seeing the train featured on "Grant's Getaways." More than 22 percent of the bookings were directly traceable to printed promotional marketing.

The breadth of the organization's successful marketing effort has drawn riders to the train from all across the U.S. "Nearly 30 percent of riders traveled more than 250 miles (to Elgin)," Dodson said. "More than 20 percent traveled from 101 to 250 miles away, and almost 32 percent came from 51 to 100 miles away."

One big project that heightened public awareness and the curbside appeal of the train was its new paint job. Volunteer engineer David Arnold of La Grande organized the fundraising to do it and partnered with Crisp Colors of La Grande to do some of the painting.

"Crisp Colors figured how to paint the train at the yard," Arnold said, "and it was going to cost a fair amount of money to do this. I sought funds from various sources, including private sources, Anderson Perry, Barreto Manufacturing and some matching funds from the county to match a private donation. All together, we were able to raise $19,000 to do this job."

After the funds were secured, the painting work began in phases.

"I had Crisp Colors do the basic silver, the main color on the train," he said, "and (for the design) I chose a traditional look based on the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Passenger trains, which was a blue stripe down the whole train that framed the windows and then a yellow trim above and below that. It's a look that would be consistent with the era of the rail cars that we're using so it fit perfectly for that. I also had enough paint out of that money to paint the locomotives."

After Crisp Colors did their part, Arnold went on site day after day painting the whole train by himself with some help on details from Ed Spaulding and his wife, Leslie Wood. Arnold also painted the caboose inside and out as well as the interior and trim inside the cars.

"It's like the curbside appeal of a home you're trying to sell. It had that kind of effect," Arnold said. "It was really remarkable. It made a big difference in people's attitudes toward the railroad and also on the marketing side with an attraction that people wanted to be part of."

The train's new design was completed just before the filming of "Grant's Getaways" and new photographs of the train were quickly circulated throughout all their marketing venues.

Besides this project, another big draw has been the inclusion of partnering businesses on the train runs. Partners like the Copper Belt Winery, Terminal Gravity, Umapine Creamery, Joseph Trading Post and Chuckwagon Sisters Catering, in addition to their long-standing partners, Ten Depot Street and Alegre Travel, all participate in some way with runs that feature or serve their products. Then there are businesses like Anderson Perry who sponsor the Veterans' Train run. It's been a huge success.

Another change that was made in 2016 that contributed to a robust business year had to do with the depot itself. The Friends have opened the depot four days each week during the season, and they have a part-time attendant on staff there to welcome people, answer questions and assist them at the gift shop inside.

Dodson said that all the proceeds from the train and depot sales, after expenses are paid, go to the Wallowa Union Railroad Authority (WURA) to help with the general railroad maintenance, equipment repair and maintenance costs.

Source: Train improvements and marketing credited for 2016 peak ridership