According to the gofundme page it is moving to Texas then eventually Florida.
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OUR IMMEDIATE GOAL:
We're raising $65,000 to purchase the locomotive from the city's contractor and move it to the Texas State Railroad for interim storage. The locomotive is currently slated for demolition and scrapping in the next few days! The locomotive and display site must be disposed of by March 6th, 2018.
OUR PLAN:
1) purchase the locomotive from the contractor hired to perform the demolition and fund the move of the locomotive out of Port Arthur
2) place the locomotive under the care of a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to its ongoing rehabilitation.
3) finalize arrangements for the use of a restoration facility and restore the locomotive operation via funding provided through donations and from The Royal Palm Railway Experience which is operated by the Orlando and Northwestern Railroad in Florida.
4) move the locomotive to Florida for long-term operation with the Orlando and Northwestern Railway.
This is a campaign to save a locomotive that does have a future! These funds will accomplish the purchase from the scrapper and the initial move from the park to the Texas State Railroad.
I, Jason Sobczynski, will handle the disbursement of the funds raised to the owner of the locomotive for the purchase of the artifact, to the trucking company for the transportation of the artifact to the Texas state Railroad, and to the crane companies which will be utilized to load and unload the locomotive and tender.
Following the creation of the trust which will care for this locomotive, ownership of the locomotive will be transferred to the trust for $1.
Any left over monies from this campaign will be given to the trust along with the locomotive.
If we are unable to fund the immediate purchase and movement of 503, all donations will be refunded or forwarded to a railroad preservation organization of the donor's choice.
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Lee, I think those are good questions.
In this case I'd say it seems Mr. Sobczynski and others have a more detailed plan that some of the 'save X in the next few day plz thanks!' types of appeals. Since Jason has a fair amount of experience with steam restoration I would think this has a better than usual chance of not just kicking the problem down the road for a few dozen months.
Like any restoration either operational or even 'just' cosmetic it will take a lot more time and money to make happen of course. Here's hoping it is a success!
