Not sure if anyone was interested in doing this tour, but it will not be offered during Pixelmania this year due to track maintenance. http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...closing-for-refurbishment-later-this-year.htm
"Unforeseen track maintenance" sounds like something that needs to be done RIGHT NOW, not in October.
Copied from a post on the Burnsland WDW Railroad forum: "Insights from my inside source: 1) *Most* of the 1 1/2 miles of rail is getting replaced. 2) Main Street Station will be getting new tile flooring. 3) The Indian village is getting replaced/updated, along with new scenery along the backside of the park. Will give guests something to see besides trees 4) Locomotives will be getting repainted. My source tells me that the current paint jobs are in *bad* shape. 5) Frontierland station will be getting a rehab. Wood is rotting, stairs are getting reworked. 6) Possibly installing the in-cab block system similar to Disneyland. 7) And all of this done in about 6 weeks" Regarding #4, at last years CPHS UnMeeting, we were told that OSHA does not allow the maintenance CM's to climb on the running boards to clean and polish the locomotives anymore and that they were working on a scaffolding that would allow "safe" access. The lack of cleaning and polishing may explain the paint issues
Thanks for sharing this Michael! It is nice ot have more information than "unforeseen track maintenance."
Re: #3 one thing the railroad I sorely lacking is ANYTHING to look at other than the back side of thunder mtn and Indian village. Slim pickings otherwise. Compare that to Disneyland railroad...