Dear Don,

Thank you for this very interesting and detailed account of the current fundraising situation for 39. The problems you have encountered with foundations and other institutional donors are especially sobering to hear about, and serve as a reminder of the gap that is often apparent between our visions for preservation (what we in the railfan and railroad preservation community see as beautiful or important) and what those who are in a position to fund those projects see as worth supporting (or not).

Just as Richard Glueck said of himself earlier in this thread, I am a Long Island guy, and 39 has a special meaning to me. While I'm not old enough to have ever seen steam on the LIRR, I did play and climb all over 39 when she was on display in Stony Brook, and she was the first steam locomotive I ever got to know up close -- truly an old friend. I've been waiting most of my life to see her reborn, and I think this time it's really going to happen. So congratulations on the great fundraising success RMLI has had with 39 in the past two years, and I hope the money keeps coming in! I was able to make a small donation to support the project in 2013 and hope to do so again in 2015.

Below is an old (and very out-of-focus and over-exposed) snapshot of me in the cab of 39, taken sometime in the late 1970s.

-Philip Marshall

Thanks. This is the preservation story.

The hardware stuff can be easily hired out if you don't have the expertise in house and it seems to be more attractive to many, especially unfortunately those who lack the expertise and have no idea what to do after they convert something into a pile of rusty parts.

Fire most of your BODs and replace them with people skilled in development and marketing, if you haven't yet figured out that that is what will lead to success.

dave

Don,

Thank you for a great analysis of the grant process. The 1:10 payback in terms of successful responses is typical. Finding grant makers is not easy work. The payoff can be worth the trouble when you find a good match between your mission and the goals of the funder.

Best wishes for your continued success.

Wesley

Thank you Phil,

Great photo of you enjoying #39 in Stony Brook!

I am confident that the Museum is on track to be successful with #39's restoration. We have a great Team, the Board is focused and understanding of the realities of "Steam on Long Island," there could be no better partner for this restoration than Strasburg Rail Road Company, and we have a PLAN that takes this locomotive through restoration -to operation for the masses - including continued care and maintenance for the long-term. These key elements to a steam locomotive restoration program have never been assembled before on Long Island. Thank you for your support!

Thank you Dave,

You are correct, particularly concerning Long Island. Our heavy manufacturing has moved away, we do not have the Grumman plants and other factories that used to be able to design and fabricate parts for us. (We don't even have a bakery, Entenmann's and Wonder have moved from the Island!) Our employment focus today is on technology, finance, service and tourism. Skilled mechanics that knew or know about steam locomotive technology have died, retired and moved away or have found work at tourist railroads around the country. The service facilities have all been torn down, there is no infrastructure of coaling towers, water towers and functioning turntables. It just isn't going to happen at the Museum or on Long Island. We MUST go where the skill sets, knowledge base and facilities are located - those elements are not going to come to us!

And you are correct in stating that we have to be marketing people in rail preservation. We must always try and educate the public of the value of preserving our history and by extension connect our artifacts and efforts to them, include them and make them want to visit and support us.

Thank you for your support.

Don

Gentle Forum Members,

A near-end of year fundraising update, as of this evening the Fund stands at $164,235.75. Our last granting application was denied, C'est la vie! More applications and letters of interest are going into the pipe for 2016. Below is a collectible fundraising boxcar in "O" scale that we will be marketing through March 2016. A "HO" scale model is in the works, probably for release during summer 2016.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Don Fisher, President
Railroad Museum of Long Island

PS, a SPECIAL shout-out and THANK YOU to Phil Marshall - we got it!! :-)

You're welcome! I wish I could afford to give more.

-Philip Marshall

What will be the price for them in O and HO scale, or did I miss it someplace else?

rob216,

The "O" gauge model is pre-ordering now at $85.00 per unit. NYS residents pay tax. The HO model is to be determined and not yet ready for ordering.

You may download an order form here: http://www.jameswerner.net/rmli/Steam_U ... r_Form.pdf

Thank you for the interest,
Don