Somehow, SCVR66, we have to get you to understand that not every extant steam locomotive can or should be restored, the wishes of the railfan community not withstanding.
It generally boils down to dollars and cents. Restoring a steam locomotive (when it is not so far gone that the choice is between display and scrapping) generally runs from high six figures to low seven figures. At the CRRM, we will probably be into the restoration of RGS #20 for close to $1.5 million--and that's for a small n.g. ten-wheeler. Unless you can give a sound economic reason for a restoration, putting that kind of money into an old locomotive is simply not a sound business decision.
At the CRRM we have on the property three locomotives owned by the former operators of the Georgetown Loop, locomotives that are in various states of disrepair. A fair guess would be $600,000 to repair the three of them. They are not the museum's locomotives, so the museum is not going to drop precious dollars on them. And the owners have chosen not to spend anything on the locomtives unless and until there is an economic justification for doing so. No, the locomotives are NOT for sale (or available for donation)--unless you are prepared to drop dollars in the low seven-figure range to buy
all the Loop rolling stock as a package, lock, stock, and barrel. This presumes additional money spent to restore the locomotives and having a place to run them. Let's postulate that the package (with restoration work included) of $4 milliom. That does not count having a railroad on which to run them. See my point? Will the equipment ever return to the Loop? I doubt it, although I can't say never.
Complicating all of this is the fact that the world of places to run steam locomotives is rapidly contracting. Here in the West, the UP will not permit operation of non-company steam locomotives on their properties. The BNSF will grudgingly allow some steam operations,. generally speaking for company business exposure or employee recognition events only. Back East, (AFAIK), the CSX has no interest in running steam. The NS runs only the equipment it has chosen to lease and operate on a very limited basis. And so on.
The question before us all, SCVR, is is "Does it make any financial or operational sense to restore whatever locomotive we are currently discussing?" And the answer usually is "Show me the dollars!" That's the reality.
So, before you post again asking if XYZ locomotives is going to be restored, ask yourself two simple questions: Why? And how much?
Mike
PS. Do you know how to make a small fortune in tourist railroading? Spend a large fortune buying and operating a tourist railroad.
