Anyone know where JR is serving his time??

Thanks, Ross Rowland

JR is serving his time in the Englewood Colorado Federal Correctional Institute not far from Denver. He is scheduled for release in October 2024.

Ross Rowland

I'm surprised noone has found/posted a mugshot yet

Most of us know what he looks like.

Found this. Just curious:

Awarding Agency
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Recipient
WASATCH RAILROAD CONTRACTORS
422 PARSLEY BLVD
CHEYENNE, WY 82007-82007
Congressional District: WY-00
UNITED STATES

21 GENERAL PURPOSE RAILWAY FLATCARS

$ Award Amounts
$879,614
Obligated Amount

https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_ ... NE-_-NONE-

https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/f ... f-P/latest

Just a reminder that "Obligated" means the money was set aside for a purpose. It does not mean that the money was actually spent on that purpose.

There is an update on #1021 in today's Times-Tribune. In short, prosecutors are seeking 1.1 million in damages for the car to be returned to Scranton, remediated and restored. Total restitution being sought is more than 3.3 million.

For those asking about the current condition of the car, "prosecutors said CNJ 1021 currently sits outdoors exposed to the elements at Wasatch’s former facility in Shoshoni, Wyoming, although a large number of disassembled interior fixtures are stored in a building on site."

Rimmasch’s attorney, Andrew Bailey, said the amounts sought by the government were 'grossly disproportionate' to any losses suffered. He also noted Rimmasch did not enter prison as a millionaire “and he certainly will not become one while he is there and unable to work.”

Addressing the park service restitution request, Bailey said prosecutors are now seeking over $1 million on top of $861,007 the court has already ordered paid in forfeiture and despite substantial work already done on the CNJ 1021.

“Importantly, following Wasatch’s cessation of work, the government could have seized the rail car and removed it to (Steamtown) or anywhere else it wanted to take it at any time,” he said. “Any deterioration of the rail car while in Shoshoni was as much the fault of the National Park Service as the elements.”

So, how long ago was the stop order issued by the Park Service? What work was completed to that point? The car was in bare metal in 2017. Has it been outdoors in that state for the past five years? At least it's outdoors in Wyoming and not Seattle. Link to the article is below.

https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/news/c ... fff3e.html

You know you'd think after you dug yourself into the hole by the first million dollars you owed people you would take a step back and evaluate what's wrong with your business practices. I can never understand the justification John and his cohorts had in digging down, hitting rock bottom, and deciding the best course of action was to start blasting down with dynamite.

It might have been better if the proposal to have replica coaches designed and built had been considered as it should have been.

Just an observation, but if the car was restored in-house, as was envisioned for the site as visitors could actually watch work being done on vintage rail equipment, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

This is a very good point. I can recall when shop tours were a regular part of the Steamtown experience. Now the shops seem to be off limits to visitors and are practically moribund.

John

Probably the reason for not doing the coach work in house was to move the asbestos remediation 2,000 miles away.

IIRC, they just removed the asbestos from the Big Boy on site, but then removing the white death from a steam locomotive is fairly straight forward compared to a passenger car, where the stuff is often built right into the structure of the car.

How was it "built in" In slabs? Blown in? Mixed with something?

Is it friable? Twenty-five years ago, I had an uncle was who then about 60 in good enough shape that he was working with my cousin who was in his early 20's. Getting winded walking up steps resulted in a precautionary chest X-Ray to "have you ever been exposed to asbestos". The response was "not really". He had worked for three months at Johns Manville after leaving the USAF; apparently the spot on his lungs was consistent with lung cancers common in asbestos workers. In fourteen months, he lost over a thind of his weight and looked 90.

White death indeed.