please don't take this as a slam against anyone.<p>When I am involved in restoring a railroad item for operation, I know that it will indeed be operated on the SD&A.<p>My question - what is the motivation for volunteers to restore something to operating condition- let's say a steam locomotive - with absolutely no long range plans for it's care and/or operation? We have several big steam locomotives in this country all dressed up but no where to go. How/why does this effort go on? Maybe there's a hope that someday ... ?<br>



JimLundquist55@yahoo.com

In my opinion it is a lot easier to get the major railroads to listen and co-operate with you if you already have an operating steam locomotive than if you only have a rusted shell.<br>



robsterne@hotmail.com

Hey Rob; <p>I know of a (then president) of our club who went down to Toronto to propose excursions on a certain Canadian Railway. <p>We had a locomotive maintained by the federal government, backing from a federal museum, but this president was told "I wish you rail nuts would keep your trains in your basements". End of conversation.<p>We did successfully run on CN tracks for years, and did later get invited out to the "Last Spike" ceremony, but...<p>John.<br>



john.stewart@crc.ca

Hey, I didn't mean to imply they railways would welcome you with open arms if you had an operating steam locomotive. I just meant it would show them you are a serious group and not just a bunch of kids with pipe dreams. I feel they would be more willing to listen.<br>

There are probably about as many different reasons as there are locomotives, and some overlap each other. Among them:<p>*Ego. One or two people have a desire to boss a bunch of other people around and to get their names and faces in the magazines and videos.<p>*Greed. Some projects end up funding one or two peoples' lifestyle as much or more than the locomotive.<p>*Desire to play train.<p>*Unreasonable expectations.<p>*Jealousy of other successful groups. <p>*Ego, again. Someone in a group has his feelings hurt so he breaks away, forms a new group, takes on another engine to "show up" the previous group.<p>*Commercial reasons. Money, a place to operate, and a business plan are in place before anything else is done. <p>*Devotion to history. The polar opposite of the ego guys. Seeing it run is less important to them than seeing it properly preserved and maintained for future generations. <p>*Nostalgia. Real or imagined. <br>