While Cass is famous for their geared engines, I would feel the western roots of #2 make it advantageous to keep in Washington or the nearby area. At least my opinion.

Besides Cass doesn't have any Luttermollers do they? So even with an off-brand Shay they'd still be lacking some more geared oddities.

The track belongs to Tacoma Rail. Everything else did belong to the Western Forest Industries Museum (WIFM). Unsure who owns it now.

From other sources and from the press release AHR owns all of the equipment.

Who owned the equipment prior to AHR? I thought the equipment was owned by a non-profit?

It was owned by a non profit. They sold to AHR in 2016

This is terrible news.
Visited in August 2003.
Very impressed with operation, and the people involved.

The core value is there.
You can't blame them for the Virus Shutdown.

Just my opinion, of course...

I would certainly hope that the non-profit put in restrictions regarding selling off locomotives.

I thought AHR had just bought part of the operation and was an operator like they were going to do with Cumbres & Toltec. Not sure why a non-profit would sell off all of their equipment to AHR.

There you go. The body isn't even cold and the vultures are tearing it up already. Honestly, why would you want a locomotive that was made specifically for the west coast logging market to go to West Va.? We already lost the Klickitat #7 to California. Why can't we try to keep our local history local?

The whole thing makes as much sense as the Reading #2100 running out of Tacoma.

"At least four of the six board members are AHR management" according to this post and a reply over on the NGDF.

Reference: Open990.com's entry on the Western Forest Industries Museum

Well that explains a lot. Nothing annoys me more than the amount of conflict of interests that are allowed in non-profits (not singling out R.R. museums of course).

What makes Cass so special? Locomotives that either were operated locally, or are the type and style that did. If it was a wildlife preserve, we'd be saying the animals were being exhibited and preserved in their native habitat.

The Willamette's Native Habitat is the west coast. Even Shay called their version the "West Coast Model" and it has an enclosed cab due to the abundant liquid sunshine we get around here.

If only there was a West Coast version of Cass. Some place that the locomotives belonged. You'd need shops and storage facilities of course, and a nice scenic route. Being relatively close to urban areas, but not too close, would be good too.

Anyone know of any place like that? Surely there's a site closer than West Virgnia that meets those requirements?

You? In the back? What's your name? Mineral you say? Hey... Isn't that the place Jim Wrinn called "the Cass of the West"? What about that place? Would it work? Could they find a home there?

Frantically searches for the "like" button.