For those whoÂ’ve read (or should read if you havenÂ’t-its a great story-too bad Chris wasn't around when NYC J3a's or LV Wyomings or CNJ 800 Pacifics or...) the Feb 2004 (page 22) Trains article about 21 Year Old Chris Fussell and his quest to save F-40 231, I think the story contains 10 important points of preservation. Of course this could be amended.

1. FOR MANY of those (of us) over 40, our recent past is the “way back when”history of the youth.

2. IT NEVER hurts to make a few phone calls.

3. SOMETIMES, its good not to know what you canÂ’t/shouldnÂ’t be able to do

4. SOMETIMES youth and enthusiasm beats age and experience.

5. ITS VERY GOOD to have an experienced mentor (in this case Mr. Conrad, three cheers for helping a young guy get the job done)

6. MANY TIMES preservation worthiness is more often about about the purely personal interest of a motivated practitioner rather than the “significance” defined by academics and theoreticians.

7. ALWAYS Grab ‘em while you can. If it rests, it rusts, if it rusts-it gets in the way, if it gets in the way, it gets “recycled”.

8. SOMETIMES relatively new hands see to doing things grizzled old vets wouldnÂ’t have noticed needed doinÂ’.

9. RAILROAD PRESERVATION will ALWAYS focus on the locomotive, the icon and animating force of the railroad.

10. ALWAYS show them the money and you have a save.



superheater@rrmail.com

You make some very good points... although I don't think ANYONE could've changed history re:NYC J3a's. That was all about the money-plain and simple.

There is an element of serendipity to this tale, as there isn't a lot of interest in F40PH's on the second-hand market. Emissions and crashworthiness are the issues...

> For those whoÂ’ve read (or should read if you
> havenÂ’t-its a great story-too bad Chris
> wasn't around when NYC J3a's or LV Wyomings
> or CNJ 800 Pacifics or...) the Feb 2004
> (page 22) Trains article about 21 Year Old
> Chris Fussell and his quest to save F-40
> 231, I think the story contains 10 important
> points of preservation. Of course this could
> be amended.

> 1. FOR MANY of those (of us) over 40, our
> recent past is the “way back when”history of
> the youth.

> 2. IT NEVER hurts to make a few phone calls.

> 3. SOMETIMES, its good not to know what you
> canÂ’t/shouldnÂ’t be able to do

> 4. SOMETIMES youth and enthusiasm beats age
> and experience.

> 5. ITS VERY GOOD to have an experienced
> mentor (in this case Mr. Conrad, three
> cheers for helping a young guy get the job
> done)

> 6. MANY TIMES preservation worthiness is
> more often about about the purely personal
> interest of a motivated practitioner rather
> than the “significance” defined by academics
> and theoreticians.

> 7. ALWAYS Grab ‘em while you can. If it
> rests, it rusts, if it rusts-it gets in the
> way, if it gets in the way, it gets
> “recycled”.

> 8. SOMETIMES relatively new hands see to
> doing things grizzled old vets wouldnÂ’t have
> noticed needed doinÂ’.

> 9. RAILROAD PRESERVATION will ALWAYS focus
> on the locomotive, the icon and animating
> force of the railroad.

> 10. ALWAYS show them the money and you have
> a save.


newhaven0401-NOSPAM-@verizon.net