First, yes, the trucks are intended for Combine #16 which is currently at NJMOT.
The rest is the story as best as I know it and may not be 100% accurate. Apparently a change occurred in the BOD at NJMOT in 2003. The new board decided they wanted to keep #16 and restore it and so terminated the lease on the basis that FEBT had not done any work on the car for several years. It is true that after the first few years of on-site cleanup and stabilization FEBT members had not been actively working on the car on site. However since then FEBT has been making consistent progress on contracted work to manufacture parts for the reproduction trucks. Each step of the work proceeded as funding became available. The last major component, the wheel sets, were completed and the parts were transferred to Strasburg for final assembly just before NJMOT terminated the lease. In addition, a complete set of new windows had been made for the car. NJMOT apparently made no attempt to determine if FEBT had actually been working on the restoration of the car off site. The FEBT BOD proposed three scenarios to NJMOT to resolve the situation - 1) FEBT would buy the car outright for a reasonable cost 2) The lease would be reinstated 3) NJMOT would buy the truck components for the amount FEBT had invested in them so far. There was no reply from NJMOT. Pending a resolution to the issue, FEBT opted to suspend work on the trucks.
Then, again as I understand, the BOD at NJMOT changed again. The new board did not have plans for #16 but was still not responding to the FEBT offer. It was about two years before FEBT was able to make contact with someone at NJMOT and to this date there is still no response from NJMOT to the FEBT offer.
In the meantime four truck kits (two new and two patterns) have been lying at Strasburg taking up space. The decision was made last year to go ahead and complete the trucks. Even if the #16 issue is not resolved for a while, the presence of combine #18 and baggage #29 from Colorado and current restoration of combine #14 means that having a spare set of brand new passenger trucks on site could be quite useful. Also, with the Tweetsie trucks returned to NC, FEBT will no longer have to pay lease on them or be worry about being responsible for their equipment. It will also free up space that Strasburg needs for other projects.
This is not an official statement from FEBT, rather I am relaying what I have been told by usually reliable sources.
Christopher D. Coleman
[
www.febt.org] Friends of the East Broad Top
[
www.spikesys.com] East Broad Top Homepage
[
www.eastbroadtop.com] East Broad Top Railroad
