I notice that the #223 project has been stalled for some time and that the locomotive remains in pieces for about four years. According to the website to the C16 group they (and everyone else) would like to see her return to service. But, no work can be done because the group has been kicked out of the Ogden facility and there is apparently some dispute over the title to the locomotive.
Well, it seems to me as a lawyer the city of Ogden does not have much of a claim on the engine, especially if they have locked the group out of the facility, and the city has done nothing to try and finish the project. They may own the building, but I have not seen anything where they claim ownership of the #223. Maybe I am wrong in this, I only know what I have read. Secondly, if there is a dispute over title between the historical society and Salt Lake City, what the heck is taking so long to figure that out???? It has been years since all this became an issue, and there appears no resolution is on the horizon.
So, what can be done to resolve this mess? One thing is to bring a quiet title action. Get all the parties in court and get a resolution of these claims. and get the title cleared so hopefully the restoration project can move forward. Someone....either the society or the city of Salt Lake has to take the bull by the horns and get this resolved. I would love to see the 223 run again. This should be a relatively simple legal matter to get resolved. And, even though the court system is slow in many matters, a quiet title action would have resolved this dispute a lot faster than all the hand wringing over the last four years.
Dan Markoff
