Mr Rice, I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

Trying to deal with anything that has a board or a committee is almost always impossible. You could very easily be in a holding pattern for the rest of your life. The only way in my opinion it might be likely to work is if you just happen to stumble into a situation where they are looking for a "sucker" anyway. (And PLEASE nobody get mad about what I just said, OK ??? I'm not trying to insult anybody, just give a potential private owner some good advice.)

If you nose around, you can find orphan, unwanted, endangered equipment of almost any type you can imagine. There are plenty of worthwhile potential projects out there, although what you find might not be exactly what you have in mind. Finding it doesn't necessarily mean that the owner or his representitive will be reasonable, or even deal with you at all, but the odds are much better than if you are negotiating with a group. Look for amusment parks, motels, shopping centers, tourist railroads, etc that go belly up, or possibly wait for an owner to die.

In general, talk is cheap. Most of the time somebody who really wants to complete a transaction will get to the point with you. If they don't, it's almost certainly a crapshoot... and the girls are hotter in Vegas.

BEST OF LUCK with the engine you're watching, or maybe another one you don't know about yet.

And whatever you do KEEP YOUR NEGOTIATIONS SECRET !!! NOTHING ONLINE !!!! Tell nobody.

Over the years a certain tank engine has been the subject of many accusations (including on here) of being worn out, beaten junk. The running gear referred to as trashed. When I saw it for the first time it was after a life altering car crash. I saw myself: beaten up, neglected. I saved up and brought my new friend home. The "impossible" locomotive whispered to me "I'm possible".

Tombstone Junction 2 was called a parts locomotive.

Now going by her original personality as USATC 5002, a slow restoration has begun. Among myself and a small cadre of close friends work progresses. Turns out there was no scale in the piston or valve cylinders. The bearings are fairly tight. One spring is broke and another is collapsed. Neither are game ending repairs.

All of the sheet metal is junk but so what? Changes are being made to suit the operation 5002 will call home. As Sammy said, "the engine needed a full time friend."

What a feel good story, Preston !!! Go for it. I've seen worse looking engines than yours, fixed up and running.

This is kind of like what my vet told me about stray cats, once you give them a name, you're their Daddy after that.

I've also really enjoyed reading the posts about private owners succeeding despite not having any money to speak of. That's my biggest concern, too, but it hasn't stopped me so far.

You can't keep a good lokie down !!!!

VIVA USATC 5002 !!!

Here's a "too far gone" example from the streetcar community.

Other museums around the country have similar examples.

Thanks!

A locomotive does not have to be operable to be preserved or restored.

exactly