Does Mr. Kepner still have the NYC 4-6-4?

No, I bought it late last year and just moved it to my storage building in Oscawanna, NY. Metro-North is supposed to cut in a switch any day now.

Howard P.
Hudson Division, NY

Why on earth is that hard to believe? The majority of people who’d really want one of these engines would most likely be a group of fans, or other non-profit group of some kind. I can quite easily imagine him being approached by people proclaiming that they’re doing him a favor by ‘relieving him of the burden’ of a locomotive by accepting his donation. I know a person who owns a very rare WW2 airplane sitting on his property. You cannot imagine the numbers of people who have had the gall to show up at all hours and demanding he either sell it to them so it can be ‘preserved’ (probably more like just moved to their own back yards with no changes) or berating him for not donating it to the museum they feel is best (or to them directly). He’s gotten ZERO serious offers and the few people who’ve offered any money at all were seriously insulting amounts (nothing you could buy a beat up used car for). If not for him, the airplane wouldn’t exist at all, a point nobody seems to grasp.
There’s a pathetic sense of entitlement in the preservation field, self-appointed ‘experts’ telling people what should happen to their own property. I’ve noticed Ross Rowland has stayed out of this discussion, but I’d bet he’s read this already and I can imagine his take on it, given all the people who’ve tried to tell him what to do with property he owns or was in control of.
I’m SO glad that people can’t just walk up to a property owner in this country and say, “This locomotive belongs in its original roundhouse, and I’ve come with a lowboy, now stand aside while I take it from you.” What people who’d think otherwise fail to realize if things worked this way, that would mean a museum with more money and better facilities would be entitled to the engine YOU feel should stay on your line, in your park or at your museum. Thank God life don’t work like that. This is EXACTLY the sense of entitlement I was referring to. Don’t say ‘everyone’, please, because I do NOT agree that his property must go to Railtown. It’s HIS. I’m sorry you didn’t have the means at the same time to secure the engines for yourself. The man beat you to it. Get over that fact.
Fred doesn’t have to sell anything if he doesn't want. He can paint them all pink, put them in the bottom of a swimming pool, or yes, (God forbid) he could pull out a torch and turn all of that iron into bird feeders if he wants. The sad part of the Paulson Spence and Dick Jensen debacles was they allowed equipment to be destroyed (Spence through failure to secure a future, Jensen for thinking nobody would dare cut anything up, regardless). Fred hasn’t done that. In fact, he has them secured in a field where the climate is reasonably agreeable to aging iron. Instead of thinking the man wrong for not giving up his property to those YOU feel more entitled to it, you should thank the man for saving it at all.

What P51 said!!

DBH

There's only one problem:

If the stuff sits forever where no one can see/visit them, and eventually the stuff never reaches a good home............. then exactly why does anyone have any cause to "thank" him?

At least with Spence, a couple good steamers did come out of the debacle. At least with Jensen, a few folks in the Chicago area got to see/ride behind steam that otherwise may not have. At least with Bennett Levin, he picked up a nice observation car and gave it to the RR Museum of Pa., and I suspect that in the future a couple pieces will find a decent home.

But the thanks in this case (and that of a certain warehouse in Michigan) have to wait until some museum gets a call, or someone in charge says, "Okay, I'll accept that offer; when can you come by to pick it up?"

A few of Dick Jensen's steamers were also saved including CB&Q 2-8-2 #4963 at IRM and the Ten-Wheeler at the little museum up in Minnesota.

Les

IMO, by us talking about this and people still go and ask Mr Kepner what he has planned is important. Why? It hopefully shows him that there are folks out there that care about those engines too! Yes he may not want to give them away or he is waiting on the right organization to come along so he can give them to them, but his passion for these engines still exists and people want to see the old gals in the public eye. Who knows maybe the right folks haven't knocked yet!

Does anyone know if the Kepner collection bothered to get the sets of Buliders drawings for the locomotives in the collection when they purchased the locomotives that the blueprints were available for? The blueprint sets were usually owned and kept at the RR shops of the locomotives long time owners.

The Sierra RY locomotives would make great scale livesteamers if the intereseted builders could get copies of the 400-500 blueprints that make up each set.

1.) Structures can be cheap, if you own a locomotive you should keep them covered.
2.) When this guy passes on, his locomotives will likely end up as Chinese goods, think the spring holding in the battery on your electronic farting key chain could be made from the scrap steel from one of these locomotives. Just think of all the cheap knock off Chinese goods these locomotives are going to make.
3.) Neglect kills a locomotive a lot better then running it.

I read with interest the speculations being made about Fred's collection. One person wondered about the blueprints.
Fred did a good job of obtaining the blueprints for his engines.

Martin

I don't think that Mr Kepner is as quite in the dark as some would make him out to be. Just because he's not a member of the discussion, doesn't mean the lot is destined for destruction, should he pass. Mr. Hansen's invovlement leads me to think that there is an inner circle that will continue to ensure this group of locomotives existence. There are locomotives in far great danger of dissappearing than these.

Mike Stillwell
Buena Vista, VA.

I'm sorry, I live too close to Washington, DC to not reflexively read between the lines here......

The next question you ask the Press Secretary is "Yes, but does he still HAVE them?"

First, thank god for search! Secondly, that there could be people working out of the public eye may be entirely possible. My grandfather has a backyard full of construction equipment, and to an outsider it may seem very similar. Considering that my brother has been getting the individual pieces working in about three month's worth of work (he stays at my grandfather's for more than a week at a time so he can do some work). Granted steam locomotives are nowhere similar, but my brother, family members and friends, are supportive of my grandfather's collection. Anywho, who's to say that Kepner's successors won't keep the collection intact? If you have the support of your family, then the collection should be fine for the time being.

I have read this thread from time to time and find it totally amusing. To P51, I congratulate you very much on what you wrote, I think he stated things eloquently and is so right on. In this "age of information" or "information age" {thanks Al Gore}you might think the Declaration of Independence has been re-written and we now live in the world of "new age/feel good" policy.

Of course I too hope the locos go to good homes and live happily ever after. Personally I think every person has the moral responsibility to send me money and cold beer. Will keep you informed on how this works out. I say this light heartedly, but honestly in our world today, how many people or organizations have the money or need to be honorable hosts to these wonderful locomotives? I hope some one or organization with money and a sound mind aquires them, restores them to operation. For the record the owner owns them, saved them and all of us have the option of approaching him to buy them, what a country?

Cheers, John.

I like P51's take on this.
My neighbor years ago (in the '60s) had the prettiest little '48 Plymouth convertable that sat beside his house for years. I'd offered to buy it from him at his price, but his comeback was "I'm gonna fix that up one of these days". At the time it didn't need it but eventually the top rotted and caved in and he eventually sold it to a junkyard. Guy across the street had a 66 Mustang that they never drove and it went through two paint jobs before I moved. Same deal.
I guess I should have demanded they give or sell them to me because I would give them a good home and they were neglecting them.
Some people have large cajones by making "Demands".
Maybe the government can take over the Kepner collection and do a bailout?