Re: What would you do if...? (Hint: I wouldn't be padding the lottery jackpots)

Rather than sink money into lottery tickets, I would put together the best possible historic preservation presentation, and then initiate discussions with mega-philanthropists such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Steam locomotives were the first machines built by the hands of humans that could move at will under their own power. Virtually everything we know today has been enhanced or made possible by the development of railroads. Railroads facilitated and powered the industrial revolution. They fostered the expansion of our country from coast to coast. They played a key role in winning wars. I'd make the case that this is a critical piece of our history that we ought to preserve for future generations to appreciate and enjoy, and make it a strong point that the money necessary to do that is just a tiny fraction of what will be required to do some of the other, perhaps more compelling philanthropy work.....like curing cancer, solving world hunger, etc. The money needed to preserve/improve the C&TS, EBT, etc. is mere pocket change compared to some of the other requests being made of folks like Gates/Buffet.

/Kevin Madore