Re: Tapping into movie star money?

CVR220 Wrote:
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> I had to laugh some years ago when Clint Eastwood
> appealed to Californians to donate to Sierra No.
> 3's boiler construction. He could have written a
> check and never missed a dime of it.


Great point. The cost of #3's restoration, while considerable from the Railtown museum's perspective, was likely just a drop in the bucket for someone of Eastwood's stature in the movie industry.

With respect to what happens to V&T #11, I don't believe that the V&T Railroad has formally announced what they intend to do with the locomotive. Yes, I've heard the news releases announcing that the basic intent is an operating restoration, but there were no details with regard to schedule, cost, scope or purpose. It's a big undertaking, but unfortunately, it's not a big locomotive, making it a bit of a head-scratcher as to how it could be justified in terms of their regular tourist operations. I hope they are able to pull it off. Having the V&T #11 actually operating on the V&T ROW in daily service would be cool. Having it on a photo charter would be epic!!

As I recall, the Nevada State Railroad Museum, which was likely the only other major entity which sought to repatriate the locomotive, did have a relatively detailed plan in this regard, complete with cost estimates for most of the major steps. Their plan was to restore it such that it could be their regular duty locomotive, without the limitations that the #22 "Inyo" currently has, because there would be little concern about loss of "historic fabric". The museum would not have had the economic incentives to accelerate a project like this as a tourist railroad would have, but they might also have access to some grant money that might not be available to a commercial operation. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Regardless, V&T #11 is back in Nevada, and that by itself is progress I wasn't sure I would live to see.

/Kevin Madore