That is BC&G #4's boiler. It is in the same location as when I left the DGV 2 years ago. Behind it is WM 6. That is a BIG engine.

Western Maryland Shay #6 weighs 326,000lbs, BC&G #4 weighs 194,000lbs..is it any wonder it looks small by comparison?

There are THREE categories, (plus some asterisks).

You're right that "insular" is one of the categories: entirely behind your fence and physically unable to affect anything else the DOT governs. In principle if the FRA comes around, you can go get your shotgun. In practice this creates a regulatory vacuum which the STATE steps in to fill -- with their agency that regulates amusement parks and thresher shows. This is usually bad news, because you're nearly the only railroad they regulate, so they aren't very practiced or sensible about it.

Of course you know about the General System, defined as where you move freight cars for pay for third parties. (Freight cars to yourself don't count).

The third category is neither: Not Insular But Not In the General System, or NIBNIGS. This is most heritage and tourist railways. You are scare-quotes-"Exempt" from most of 49 CFR. They do inspect. They want to see that you have authored a practice, and that is reasonable for you. They are just on the lookout for sheer idiocy or neglect. Their everyday hammer is a stern talking-to, but they have no mid-level punishments: only their ultimate nuke, an Emergency Order. That has never happened as far as I know, which is a testament to how well the system works.

Being connected to the General System does not place you in the General System, and this is a common blunder I see roads making: "turning a rail" to isolate themselves from the general system. Not necessary; all you need is a George Bush "line in the sand". The steel is continuous: WRM could slap a generator in Petaluma & Santa Rosa 63 and drive it right through the "line in the sand" at Cannon, over the General System, through DuBois or wherever IRM's "line in the sand" is, right to the bumperstop at West Baden, Indiana. Neither is in the General System and this wild ride would not place them there.

Only taking freight cars for third parties for pay places you on the General System. The Western Railway Museum was solicited to use the Sacramento Northern to bring in windmill parts for the Shiloh wind farm. It seemed like a huge wind-win, the farm saves an expensive last-20-miles truck haul, and the museum gets the track rehabbed. But it would have hurled most of the railroad into the General System, and how do you blue-card a re-motored wooden chicken coop like Peninsular 52? The mainline tour would be shut down for several years. If the museum had *owned* the wind farm, different deal: it doesn't count when you're the end customer.

So if you do not haul freight cars for online customers, and you want to bring in ballast cars in for your own use... Go to town.

How recent is that boiler picture? I was at Cass maybe 6 weeks ago, and took a photo of BC&G 4 sitting north of the water tower. It looks like the boiler is back on the frame, under the plastic.

Pictures were apparently taken October 22nd.

Somewhere in the latter part of September as I was working on an ex B&O GP-9 in the car shop, I asked if I could make a test run and was given the distinction shoving BC&G 4 in to the shop to have its boiler removed again.

At the time the idea was more preliminary poking and prodding. I think after every thing gets laided up this year, Shay 5 is the primary target. Following that will be the big Climax. Some where after all that will be BC&G 4.

I've learned in this business, when it comes to shop work, don't set schedules, and if you do don't post them. No one remembers all the work, but they damn sure remember the date you said!