This is more of a question for Kevin McCabe, but I though it might be of interest to others too...

How does the demise of Northwestern Steel & Wire (today's brief) affect the stipulation that the 0-8-0's never be restored to steam? Not that they're ideal candidates to begin with of course, but it might make it a little easier to find homes for the remaining two at Galt.


rjenkins@railfan.net

My thoughts exactly. When I inquired about one of these locomotives a few years ago the stipulation that it never be restored to operating condition was a BIG drawback to acquiring one of these engines. Not that we had any plans to do so, but I didn't want to saddle us with a project in which it was not an option, and played a part in our decision not to acquire one.

I imagine alot depends upon if the NS&W corporation is dissolved in its entirety or if it continues in existence in another form. I would like to see the wording of the original donation agreement from NS&W to IRM.

rickrailrd@aol.com

From a practical POV is IRM or Northwestern interested enough to file suit if somebody DID restore one of those behemoths? Hard to imagine........

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Seems IRM puts on lawsuits all the time nowadays.
My take on that agreement is that the restoration of those engines seemed not too safe under the lax standards that predated the Gettysburg incident. Today, FRA boiler regs and ultrasound boiler tests probably should reduce the likelihood of fault by original equipment owners.

I think running an engine again is not an issue here. The real issue is imported steel is closing down steel mills again after we had made some recent gains. Thousands of people have lost jobs and the town lost its biggest employer. There are no more facilities like this being built here in the US so as we loose these we just loose market share to the imports that we will never regain. This is sad.

Tom Gears
Wilmington, DE

> Seems IRM puts on lawsuits all the time
> nowadays.
>

Really? Far as I know--and I think this is an area where I have some knowledge, since I've served as a Director, President, and counsel to the BOD--we have only ONE suit going, and it's the only one I can remember for the past 10+ years. That one is against a farmer who is trying to claim adverse possession against land we bought from the C&NW. True, we are considering one more suit, against a group of grafitti a**holes who were stupid enough to have an identifiable website, but I hardly think that this qualifies as "lawsuits all the time," now does it?

Kevinmccabe@avenew.com

> This is more of a question for Kevin McCabe,
> but I though it might be of interest to
> others too...

> How does the demise of Northwestern Steel
> & Wire (today's brief) affect the
> stipulation that the 0-8-0's never be
> restored to steam? Not that they're ideal
> candidates to begin with of course, but it
> might make it a little easier to find homes
> for the remaining two at Galt.
I've reviewed the contract. My first impression is that the restriction must still be included in any sales contract from IRM to a purchaser. As to whether or not you follow that restriction...

Kevinmccabe@avenew.com