How to derail a grant.

One huge mistake we made in our first grant request to the CHS was we mentioned the Durango and Silverton too many times. There was confusion that the project was somehow tied directly to the local railroad, and that was not good, even if we are a distinctly separate group. Apparently a couple of CHS board members didn't understand the engine was very different from what the D&S and the C&T run today. One CHS grant judge said something like "Don't they have enough trains in Durango?" Another mistake was we were too general. Language has to be very specific, and how the money is spent and cost projections also have to be very specific. Another aspect is the request has to be specifially targeted. Asking for $350 K to rebuild a steam engine won't fly. It's hard work, and we were very fortunate that our president was smart ans skillful enough to navigate this bureaucratic thicket. One has to remember that many states have seen a tax revenue loss over the last few years, and of course, there are many other factions, most worthy and a few not, all competing for the same dollar. One strategy is instead of asking a big block of money in one grant, ask for smaller amounts in a series of grants. The CHS liked this approach becasues they could monitor our progress and become more familiar with our group.