BILL -

I joined HVRM in 1991 and I soon heard the story that the original President of the organization had indeed stated that the 2-8-4 would run within a "year or two" and even made arrangements for some passenger equipment. That was obviously an optimistic assessment, and there was eventually a change in the upper management of the group. With the donation of six pieces of railroad equipment and railroad property in North Judson, Indiana, the original idea of a locomotive restoration organization changed to a railroad museum. It is still the policy of Hoosier Valley to restore the 2789 to operation, its just that no date has ever been set to begin that effort. In the meantime, she undergoes a slow cosmetic restoration.

Les

Sorry Les about the HVRM getting pulled into this with 2789. I thought this would be a happy time to see a locomotive in 2008 would have been scrapped by the railroad now making progress in getting the care it needs.

I'm very happy you have safe home and a growing museum to store the 2789. HVRM has done a wonderful job of making the museum grow into something nice. I remember the save the tower campaign which helped save a great tower from your area.

Keep Steaming

Steven Harvey

Les, Steve H. et al,

My point is that they don't all have to run. The days of "restore it and they have to let you operate it" are pretty much over.

I am all for dreaming big, but I think one also has to dream realistically.
Everyone dreams of having the next big, mainline engine to run. I get that.
At the end of the day it's the smaller, more manageable locos that have the best chance of boiling water. Mr. Symans and the Gramling family are 2 examples of that.

Some of these responses are getting to be a little pessimistic. Everybody has their dream of restoring the local ol'97 to operation but very few people ever do what it takes to form the group and make it happen. The case here is that the will to do the ground work and form a group to make it happen so to speak is there. What seems to be lacking is a longer term game plan. Quoting Steven Harvey, "Now I ask I would like you to support us in running 1352. The first question is when would you like to run her? Well I would like to do it 3 to 4 years from now. The person on the other side would say great! Give us a call a when your closer to your goal of running as we'll need to do inspections and get your folks through our safety class," I would expect that to be the exact thing for a group to do. What if you pick the phone up now and the answer is a definitive no? The same could be said about a change in management but that's still a lot to hinge on. I'm not bashing your efforts but in order to get they money out of people's wallets, potential donors are going to ask these questions and maybe even harsher ones.

I fully understand the concern and the questions people are asking. I’m guessing most folks are wondering who this group is and I have not heard of them before so I’m going to be cautious to help them.

So right of the gate our group has the uphill battles of getting out of you’re going to fail mentality. I fully acknowledge the uphill battle that is out there and yes a major milestone besides moving the locomotive is finding a guaranteed place to run which in itself is its own battle.

I’m still go back to 765 who plowed through there rebuild after a 10 to 12 year stint of being down on faith that railroad management would allow them back on there rails for the next excursion career. I can very much remember the locomotive rebuild was complete on 765 and she sat for a few years while making the proper connections with railroad management and finding a place to run her for the first time after the rebuild.
One can defiantly look back at the benefits of running at North Judson and a few other smaller locations have help them greatly in demonstrating the locomotive was not going to have issues while running on the main line and thus with the rebirth of the NS program 765 has become a house hold name again.

I do have to ask why this can’t be done in parallel. Is it so wrong to try to multi-task the situation on raising the funds to move the locomotive and also be making calls to lock down a run location? The bottom line is if no one takes the risk of taking on the project then nothing will ever get done.

If we sat on our hands and did nothing someone would be screaming at us they have not done anything so why should we help you. Seems everyone has short term memory disease about groups who have succeeded but long term bitterness on the project they supported that failed and vow to run others through the meat grinder before making a donation.

I know I have supported many non profits that had great ideas but failed to complete them or it didn’t work out or the project was shelved for a better opportunity to advance goals elsewhere. But I defiantly did not get mad about them not completing there goal or hold an axe the grind just because they delayed the initial project I donated too. It’s just like any business it can succeed or it can fail based on who is running the show so if the opportunity comes along that helps 1352 then why not explore it.

I’ll again use 765 as an example when it was pulled out of the park it was on faith and a lot of elbow grease that 765 came to life again. I might be wrong but it seems to me it was done on this would be a great idea to get her running again and here we are 40 years later with 765 running another great excursion career.

So why not take the baby steps to get 1352 ready for movement? Why not ask for donation for the movement? It’s the people who can dream the bigger picture that have the 50/50 shot of succeeding or failing.

Last time I check this called being an entrepreneur and there also the ones who shape this country with new ideas and jobs. Big companies such as Apple would not be around today if was not for the big thinkers and risk takers such as Steve Jobs and I consider myself one of them when taking on such a large project as 1352 and being founder of a non-profit.

If no one takes the risk or steps up to do a rebuild then what do we do? All sit on the internet and gripe and wish the days we could ride behind steam were still here?

So here is the timeline already showing the milestones completed to keep the ball moving forward 1352. While it’s not a break neck speed it’s always the tortoise that wins the race in the end.


1. Group formed 2005
2. Group files and receives IRS 501c3 status 2006
3. Group looks for locomotive project to purchase late 2006 - 2007.
4. Group finds 1352 and purchase contact signed 2008
a. 1352 saved from scrapping torch in 2008 from the railroad taking it 2 days after phone it had a contract for it to be purchased.
b. Funding campaign kicks off for purchase of 1352

5. Group completes purchase in 2010 of 1352 all with private donations

6. Group in 2011 looks for restoration facility to rebuild 1352

7. Group in 2012 signed contact to do restoration at Midwest Roundhouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
a. Full inspection done by Mr. Zach Hall on 1352 for overall condition report and formulation funding plan for the rebuild for 1352.

8. Group in 2013 negotiates with railroad in Illinois to install and reinstate interchange with NS to get green light for movement via railroad flat car.

a. Brush gets cleared from site to allow tender and locomotive out of storage which is completed October 2013 and prep work started for loading of on railroad flat cars.
b. Quotes all received from railroads, crane companies and riggers to get final cost analysis completed for move to Cleveland. Total cost found to be 100K for movement. This also sets up the ability to go for grants.

c. Phase 1 of 5 softly kicked off in front of major build up announcement of SteamUp1352 later in 2014.

9. Group in 2014 builds on 2013 bush clearing and completes all lubrication and stabilization with Mr. Hall on making 1352 ready for movement. This also puts 1352 in the position for next work session to do ultra sound of the boiler in the fall of 2014 if time permits.

a. Grant writer advisor obtained and first applications to be completed by fall of 2014.

If I posted the current break down of the lift and move phase would that make folks feel more warm and fuzzy about us having our act together or the whole business plan? I think if I didn’t have our stuff together all of this would not have been accomplished yet.

Thanks for reading about 1352.

Best Regards,
Steven Harvey
President
American Steam Railroad
Frisco Mike #1352

A good game plan by any measure and one that will in all probability result in an operating locomotive. However, the RRs are going to need see that the organization knows how to OPERATE AND MAINTAIN the locomotive properly before there will be enough TRUST to allow the locomotive on the main line. That's how 765 got into the mainline business. That is also how TVRM got in the main line business. It is all about trust.

I guess this is the part that gets me. Why start over by looking for a locomotive instead of helping along somebody who is already in progress?

Finally someone who is not pessimistic and understands building trust with the railroad is how it gets done in the end.

Until you have started or invested in a business it will keep alluding you why another group was formed. I encourage to sit back and just let us worry about the details.