Dan Markoff Wrote:
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> Watcher,
> It was really quite simple. My wife, Ditty, was
> dragging me out to an arts and crafts show in
> Boulder City in May 1986. It was a hot day, and I
> really had no desire going to an arts and crafts
> show. On the way out to BC there was a place
> called Old Vegas, which was a really neat re
> creation of the old town of Las Vegas. There was
> a restaurant there called Tony Roma's and we
> stopped in for a cool margarita ..After we cooled
> down, we went back outside and I noticed the back
> area to the recreated Las Vegas town was closed
> off. I knew the locomotive was back in that area,
> but could not see it. So, Ditty and I walked
> around the outside perimeter. Much to my
> surprise, much of the recreated town was burned,
> and so was the shed under which they stored
> Eureka, which burned and collapsed on the
> locomotive. It was all a very big mess.
>
> However, I had a background with things
> mechanical, particularly airplanes, and looked
> over the charred mess and saw the possibility of
> doing a restoration. I asked the security guard
> how long it had been sitting in the burned up
> pile, and he said a year. Now I already knew the
> history of the locomotive, and a little bell went
> off in my head that if no one else cared for it,
> maybe I could do something with it.
>
> As far as acquiring the locomotive, it was
> relatively straight forward. I contacted the
> owners of Old Vegas, and began talking with them
> about it. We negotiated back and forth for a
> couple months, and finally agreed on a price. At
> the conclusion of our negotiations, they mentioned
> that they knew the Nevada State Railroad Museum in
> Carson City was interested in Eureka also, and
> thought they would offer it to them first......for
> free. All they had to do was come and get it.
> This was fine with me as what I cared about was
> preserving the locomotive. I put a time limit on
> my offer to which they agreed. They contacted the
> NSRM Director at that time, but apparently he
> thought the whole thing was a joke, and threw the
> Old Vegas letter away. The time passed, I
> contacted the owners and asked what happened.
> They said they did not know, but they never even
> got a reply of any sort. I said to them, I still
> wanted the engine, and if agreeable I would FED EX
> the cashier's check, if they would send the Bill
> of Sale. They agreed. And that is how I got
> Eureka. And yes, I did purchase it.
>
> Interestingly, the day I went out to Old Vegas to
> start preparing the locomotive for transport to my
> home, a bunch of suits showed up. They asked me
> who I was, and they identified themselves as being
> from the NSRM CC and the Calif. State Railroad
> Museum. They asked me if I was willing to sell
> the engine right then and there for a substantial
> amount over what I paid for it. I was amazed, and
> told them that the NSRM CC could have had it for
> nothing if they just picked it up. They said
> that whole episode was a very sore spot with them
> and told me how the director thought the whole
> thing was a joke. I thought about their offer,
> but then decided I got it now, and might as well
> see what I can do with the old gal. So, I thanked
> them, and spent the next six years rebuilding
> Eureka. according to its original blueprints and
> finish schedule. I'm glad I kept Eureka. It has
> given me and my little family the adventure of a
> lifetime.
>
> Dan Markoff
It has probably been done but I would like to see a photo story of your build, before, during and after. Or even some before shots would be nice.
Wayne from Oz
