Re: If you get $3 Million, spend it wisely ...

mikerowe Wrote:
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> ... So you learn to focus
> your planning and efforts on that which you can
> realistically save, trying always to save those
> items which best represent an important historic
> moment in time and/or class of object.

That's why I put my imaginary $500,000 into ex-T&P #610. IIRC, she is the ONLY surviving example of Will Woodard's original super-power design - with that unique trailing truck to which the drawbar was attached. Every 4-4-4, 4-6-4, 2-8-4, 4-8-4, 2-10-4, 2-6-6-4, 4-6-6-4, 2-8-8-4* and 4-8-8-4 ever built is a descendant of Lima's first 2-8-4's. The first several T&P 2-10-4's were a stretched version of that design, built only a few months after B&A's and Erie's 2-8-4's, and #610 is the only engine left of the first generation of super-power ...
>
> ... we have steam locomotives and cars
> rotting in "museums" all across the country
> because eyes were bigger than wallets, and
> too much was saved with little likelihood of
> it ever being restored ...

There was a major shakeup at the Golden Gate RR Museum a few years ago because a significant percentage of the membership recognized this. Subsequently a lot of their 'non-core-mission' collection was sold to other museums (and "museums"), and a lot more was sold when they had to leave Hunter's Point a few years ago.
>
> To a certain extent I think the musings on this
> forum about "We [THEY] should save this!
> [or I'll kick their butts]" and "We [THEY] should
> restore that to operating condition!" are nothing
> more than irrational, non [COUNTER]-productive
> [[u]childish[/u]] pipe dreams that ignore the realities
> of historic preservation.

... and distract us from discussing the more serious issues of what can we realistically do to help.

> We're not here to create personal play
> toys; we are here to tell a story. What you
> would spend on restoring a K-class to operating
> condition would buy one hell of a media advertising
> campaign. I contend that [proper "branding" and]
> the advertising effort is far more important to
> sustaining what we purport to believe in than
> restoring still another locomotive that we really
> don't need ...

My imaginary $500,000 for #483 is partly because of her unique place in the history of both the D&RGW and the early days of the C&TS, and partly because C&TS ridership is still growing, and she may actually be needed in the foreseeable future.

My imaginary $500,000 for #492 is mainly because she would be the only operational engine of her class, and a significant contribution to the telling of the story of motive power on the D&RGW. (Ditto #463, but she's already being taken care of.)

> I would imaging that, if you could get
> them to be honest about it, the fellows
> that restored the #315 will tell you that
> the effort was a labor of love -- and an
> absolutely lousy business model.

Ditto #819, #1522, #2472, #3751, and - after the Freedom Train - #4449.

Actually, IMHO, ALL museums are lousy business models - if all you care about is short-term profit and not long-term preservation of your culture ...

> I am a romantic to the core. But the older I get
> (warning Russ -- I'm gaining on you!), the more I
> realize you absolutely have to look in your wallet
> before you step out the front door.

You may be gaining percentage-wise**, Mike, but you're not closing the gap in actual years!

- Russ

* ... and the 'backup Yellowstones', S.P.'s cab-forward 4-8-8-2's - beginning with #4100 in 1930 (I wonder why these were never named the 'Sierra' type?). The lead truck not only provided better tracking on curves, it also supported a huge super-power firebox. But their cab-forward 4-6-6-2's were not super-power locomotives - these were converted from 2-6-6-2's purely for improved tracking after a few of the latter had derailed on curves. And I seriously doubt that anyone would call the C.P. Huntington - showpiece of the California Railroad Musuem - a super-power locomotive. She has a 4-wheel trailing truck, but it's under her tender - not her firebox. She's actually a 4-2-4T.

** The monkey's uncle sugardaddy is four times as old as the monkey, and in eight years the monkey will be 1/3 her uncle's sugardaddy's age. Twenty-five years after that, the monkey's uncle sugardaddy will be only twice as old as the monkey, and probably too old to monkey around any more. How old are the monkey and her uncle sugardaddy right now? ***

*** See - or better yet, listen to - John McCutheon's song 'The Red Corvette' ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2009 09:38AM by Russo Loco.