I'll preface this be noting that, thanks to Railstar and Uhrich, Bob Richardson was able to see #9 steam again. They deserve major kudos for that.
Next, I'll offer my take on the key points the article makes:
(1) The author took a lot of care to make sure that the reader knew that the CHS, and *not* Railstar, was the source of the information.
(2) The article says that #9 probably won't be running in 2007. I concur with this.
(3) The article says that, when #9 was restored, the restoration was intended to preserve as much of the original locomotive as possible. IMHO, that's a reasonable explanation for all the difficulties Railstar had with her. Also, my recollection is that some GLRR, Inc. crew members predicted --right here on the NGDF-- that a restored #9 would not be powerful enough for the loop.
(4) The CHS source says "No. 12, a 1927 Baldwin 2-6-2, is undergoing repairs by Railstar at Silver Plume." Even though I am three time zones away from Silver Plume, I am pretty confident that I can call *BS* on that one.
It was previously reported on here that #12's wheels were in Durango, awaiting available shop time. This week, another poster said that he had heard that the wheels were going to be shipped to Ohio. Lots of rumors, but nobody seems able to confirm that actual work has been started on the wheels.
The article also says that "Repairs are expected to be complete by May so the locomotive can power trains this summer." Note the phrasing of that sentence, namely the *by* May part. Today is March 15, meaning there are six weeks left until repairs are supposed to be done.
Anyone else remember those Courant articles and the promises that repairs would get done over the winter? I don't know about the rest of you, but winter has come and gone for me -- I had to mow my lawn yesterday.
In short, it seems to me that the owner is making promises to the media that their contractor(s) can't possibly make. I hope I am wrong about this.
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Chris Webster
[www.speakeasy.org]