Status of the #18, #20, #1744, etc.

In regards to the status of the #18 and the other equipment offered on Ozark Mountain, and especially in response to Dirk Ramsey's comment...

A trip through the Surface Transportation Board website a short while back turned up the back story. Ed Ellis and his various companies had tendered to Varilease Finance 17 locomotives and 23 railcars, including the steam locomotives on SLRG, as security for a loan. Ellis and his companies defaulted, and on 23 October 2018 a Michigan business court issued a ruling directing Ellis to pay Varilease $3.2 million and immediately surrender ownership of the equipment to Varilease. Earlier this year (15 July to be exact) Varilease sold the equipment to Sandton Rail Company, who promptly had all the equpment remarked with SDCX and then listed it on Ozark.

The various documents associated with this transaction are freely available on the STB website at the following link:

[www.stb.gov]

Unless the receivership has some effect of cancelling out any of this, it appears that ownership of the #18, #20, and #1744, along with a lot of other equipment was settled thirteen months ago. They shouldn't be part of the SLRG/MHRR receivership or any other associated issues.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV