Re: DRGW #278

All,

Pictures fine, drawings no. There is a staggering amount of dimensional information available for these engines. What pictures give you if you are a large scale modeler is the general shapes and appearance of items that are generally unseen in most photographs. Nook and cranny pictures show people at lot they can generally only imagine. We fenced her today and tomorrow the photos will start.

A full set of detailed drawings for this engine is about 750 to 1000 man hours along with the two to three weeks to measure everything. Anybody got 100K they don't want. Besides all the information is already out there. This is one of the most modeled engines in the country so there is a great deal of information available. We have produced these in 2.5" and 5" to the foot scale and obtained all our information for our patterns and drawings from the railroad museums side elevation and on site pictures of the #268 and #278. Before somebody writes in and says how did you do it while it was on the bridge we did it when it was in Montrose. Yes I am that old.

As much as we would like to see it I really doubt this engine will ever run again for a number of reasons. While those on this forum are passionate about these engines many individuals currently are more concerned with how they are going to keep their state solvent to protect things like pensions and old folks healthcare. I for one am grateful to the National Park Service for their commitment to the project and doing what they can in these difficult fiscal times.

I encourage all of you to write your congressman and express your desire to see a structure built at the Cimarron site to house the engine out of the elements. That would assure its survival and give it its best shot at ever seeing life again.

John