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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:17 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
DavidKaplan wrote:
Good grief! How much oil could have possibly leaked from Engine 503? Surely the tender was virtually empty when it was placed in that location. Any oil in the lubricators would probably be negligible.

I would think many automobiles have leaked more oil than that locomotive.


A quick googling found this statement, (***which may or may not be the same amount for the location in question, but it gives you a general idea***) "The State considers a soil sample yielding a total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) level greater than 10 parts per million to indicate contamination requiring cleanup. "

While they may have a different threshold than 10 PPM, the fact remains that during remediation they search for trace amounts. A few gallons leaching into the soil over the years can cause a large amount of contamination.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 8:23 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:26 am
Posts: 4642
Location: Maine
Which makes me wonder what the acres of jalopy covered auto graveyards get for testing and remediation.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2018 6:50 pm 

Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm
Posts: 2213
Quote:
"... what the acres of jalopy covered auto graveyards get for testing and remediation."


A quick levels check and a field of cores to see how far down the levels of 'key' pollutants have gone, followed by excavation and either removal of contaminated soil or on-site pyrolysis.

My father had a broker who was always proposing great ideas, like getting in on the emu-breeding frenzy only a couple of generations in. One thing they were financing was a company that was building complete pyrolysis systems into mobile trailers, to be driven to these brownfield and blackfield sites that were suitable for pyrolytic cleanup. I didn't follow up the 'opportunity', but something like it was certainly done in quantity, as most of the auto graveyard horrors I remember patronizing are clean (and devoid of ancient parts opportunities!) now.

I suspect there was quite a bit of old heavy oil caked in that cistern, and I don't doubt that some fraction of that leaked down over the years and particularly after the hurricane inundation. This is an area that Inland specializes in, according to their web site. So they almost certainly know exactly what's there, how deep it goes, and what it will take to correct it to TDEQ specs.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:30 pm 

Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:20 pm
Posts: 211
Anything new here or is this project dead now? Donations returned?


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2018 5:06 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 12:14 am
Posts: 17
Hello! No, the project is not dead... We are just waiting for the City to make a decision. Quite interestingly (at least to us), the City has recently held an executive session discussion to assess the land value of Bryan Park... We do not know why, or whether the discussion is related to the locomotive.

If you haven't already, please see the proposal we submitted to the City of Port Arthur at http://nextgenrail.com

Nick Hovey


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2018 5:49 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am
Posts: 705
The City's intention to discuss the value of land located at 1000 Gulfway Drive (Bryan Park) was originally published last Friday. In order to give Mr. Sobczynski time to investigate this development, I was not going to post this, but since Mr. Hovey brought it up:

https://www.panews.com/2018/05/14/port-arthur-still-awaiting-soil-test-results/

Mr. Hovey - You and Mr. Sobczynski may want to consider reaching out to Mr. Beard and asking him what, if anything, is going on with the property at 1000 Gulfway Drive. He may not know steam boilers but he does appear to be an astute politician within Port Arthur. If this in any way impacts the City's plan for 503, I would not be surprised if he is on it already.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2018 9:58 pm 

Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am
Posts: 746
Baseless internet prediction of the week:

Near 0 contamination of any kind found. Samples only come back with traces or less. This entire rigamarole was a farce to begin with. Heads roll.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2018 9:54 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:19 pm
Posts: 2557
Location: Sackets Harbor, NY
Classic gov't. actions. When the soil results come back then the Council will need to face the reality that the citizens action group has not raised anywhere near the amounts needed to rehab the 503 nor provide her with an enclosed, climate controlled display building.

At that point one would hope that they would see Jason's offer to take the 503 off their hands and move her towards a brighter future as the best option for their cash starved city??

Sure hope I'm proven wrong but my bet is that they will decide to keep the engine in PA, spend taxpayer dollars to throw some house paint on her and pledge to "work towards" a long term display plan involving an indoor building etc.

We'll soon know. Ross Rowland


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2018 1:05 pm 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
I do not believe the City feels obligated to provide the kind of thorough, top notch preservation of the locomotive that people here would expect. They may head for a goal of eventual painting and signage, but I believe they would be perfectly content to let the engine sit where it is, and as it is, in the meantime. Some of the residents may wish to see the engine run again, but will be willing to wait for that possibility to arrive some time in the future.

But generally, I also don’t think they are relating to the point of total restoration, let alone desirous of it. And so they can easily rule that out especially if it requires giving the engine to others to take to another state. They see that as a loss of the locomotive and its history with the City.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Thu May 17, 2018 2:09 pm 

Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 5:27 am
Posts: 50
Location: Dallas, Texas
Here is a time lapse video of the locomotive move on the contractor's page.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 3986109304


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2018 8:55 am 

Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 8:41 pm
Posts: 61
Location: Salisbury, NC
nahovey wrote:
Hello! No, the project is not dead... We are just waiting for the City to make a decision. Quite interestingly (at least to us), the City has recently held an executive session discussion to assess the land value of Bryan Park... We do not know why, or whether the discussion is related to the locomotive.

If you haven't already, please see the proposal we submitted to the City of Port Arthur at http://nextgenrail.com

Nick Hovey


Keep diggin'!

May want to proofread the proposal. Bottom of page 4 of 7, sentence with 'A fate which will ultimately (in decades) ultimately lead to.....'.

Also, page 5 of 7, there is a reference to the City of Macon. Gives it a recycled, CoG 509 feel. Last, there is no page 7 as the preceeding pages reference.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 5:10 pm 

Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:27 am
Posts: 569
Location: Winters, TX
Today marks the 3 month anniversary of the date when the 503 was to have been bought from the scrapper. Since then, has any real progress been made towards obtaining the locomotive? The city has remediated the asbestos issue and moved the engine to a new display site so they can address the ground contamination problem. To me, that indicates that the city is going to keep the 503 for better or worse. They are under no obligation to do any kind of restoration on it.

There have been no updates to the GoFundMe page in well over 2 months and a couple of people have posted questions about what's going on. I donated to the fund to prevent the 503 from being scrapped. I did not care for the plan to restore it to operation and give it to an operator in Florida, but that was the only plan around at the time. At this point, it seems clear that the engine will not be scrapped and the city has addressed the issues that threatened its destruction. So how much longer are we supposed to keep supporting the plan when there are no indications that it will succeed?


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 8:08 pm 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
Charlie wrote:
There have been no updates to the GoFundMe page in well over 2 months and a couple of people have posted questions about what's going on. I donated to the fund to prevent the 503 from being scrapped. I did not care for the plan to restore it to operation and give it to an operator in Florida, but that was the only plan around at the time. At this point, it seems clear that the engine will not be scrapped and the city has addressed the issues that threatened its destruction. So how much longer are we supposed to keep supporting the plan when there are no indications that it will succeed?


It seems that the City has not said yes or no to Jason's proposal, and as I recall, they said they would decide after the environmental work was completed. However, I don't know if they ever said when they would make the decision. What do the terms of Go Fund Me stipulate under these circumstances?


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 1:43 am 

Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:18 pm
Posts: 75
EDITED Tuesday, ay 22, 2018 @ 10:30 am PDT -- my computer would not let me EDIT this post last night.

I'm glad the 503 did not get scrapped -- so far, and I am glad Jason and Nick stepped in to do what they could to save her, but it is very important to remember that the biggest reason the 503 did not get scrapped before Jason ever heard of the plans to scrap her wsere the heavy rains that fell, which stopped the scrapper from cutting the engine up on the date originally scheduled.

The next big reason she did not get scrapped is the article one reporter wrote for the Port Arthur newspaper about the impending scrapping. IIRC, that is how Jason fund out about the plans to cut up the poor 503.

Jason deserves a lot of credit for stepping in an raising around $67,000 to buy the 503 from the City of Port Arthur for the scrap price.

As it is now, it looks to me as though the Port Arthur City Council will probably just keep "kicking the can down the road". After all, what happens to an old steam locomotive they own is the least important thing they need to do. The city's reportedly poor economy has got to be their #1 priority, and they also must maintain their infrastructure and keep essential city services functioning well.

I still really hope that the 503 does not eventually get scrapped, and I do very much like Jason's plan for her. Good luck, Jason! (And, yes, I did donate to the GoFundMe campaign.)


Last edited by MargaretSPfan on Tue May 22, 2018 1:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 8:31 am 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
People donated though Go Fund Me to a mission surrounding 503. I would assume that if that mission had failed, the contributions would be returned according to legal terms of Go Fund Me. In that agreement, has the success or failure of that mission been defined? Generally, it seems to be perceived that the mission is two parts; one being to save the engine from scrapping, the second part being the restoration of the engine to operation.

Although the second part of the mission has not yet been fulfilled, perhaps the first part has been fulfilled. The initial intent to scrap 503 was removed. Since that was the first and most important part of the objective, some might contend that the prevention of scrapping 100% fulfills the fundraising objective; and so the raised funds should go to compensate Jason and his company for their organizational effort that had the effect of preventing the scrapping of 503.

Do the legal terms of the Go Fund Me campaign spell out exactly whether the mission has been accomplished, whether more time to achieve the mission is allowed, if so, how much more time? Or is this all just subject to interpretation and consensus?


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