The Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society has a deadline of March 15 to make final payment and complete our purchase of former Phoebe Snow Diner 470/770 from American Orient Express.

We have successfully raised well over half the purchase price so far. But we had a commitment for a large donation that was put on hold by the donor this week causing a shortfall.

ELDCPS needs your help. Please consider sending a donation as soon as possible. No donation is too small! We need to raise an additional
$5,000.00 to put us over the top.

When we committed to purchase former Erie Diner 741, dedicated Erie enthusiasts assisted us in raising the purchase price in record time. We need to have just a little more support from our Lackawanna friends! Diner 470/770 will be restored as Lackawanna 470, and we want to make certain this becomes a reality.

As all of you are aware, our mission and vision is to restore an Erie Lackawanna through passenger train for all of us to experience. We believe that we have made excellent progress towards this goal in a short period of time. We are the only nonprofit in the country that is attempting to restore a consist from the 1960s, and we are all fortunate that this will be an Erie Lackawanna train.

As a nonprofit we rely on donations and grants. Lets make sure that Diner 470 is restored as a Lackawanna Phoebe Snow car running on its home road through the Poconos (as Budd and William White intended). Would we want anything less?

To donate using Paypal log on to: http://www.eldcps.org or send your donation to:

ELDCPS
PO Box 5821
Parsippany, New Jersey 07054.

Thanks,
Tim Stuy
Secretary - ELDCPS

This is the type of thing we SHOULD be supporting AND doing --- I've said it before, but this is one of the most well thought out and doable projects I've seen out there, and, well, it just makes sense -- recreating an entire period train experience with the ACTUAL thing, instead of "lets save a coach here, a caboose there". So many opportunites have been blown to do this type of thing: The Reading Crusader cars --- the near complete set of "Broadway Limited" Equipment cut up to create Quaker Square in Akron; not to mention the many ex-CN cars that could recreate a "Maple Leaf" or even a "Mohawk". *Sigh*

Its becoming pretty clear that this is the closest thing that we will ever see in the U.S. (at least as long as we in-fight amongst ourselves over stupid things like pait chiop colors) to the AMAZING job Cranbrook, BC has done in train recreation. Leave it to the Canadians to show us how to "get 'er done."

If I can get Paypal to work on the $%^ thing, my donation is in the way.... and not just 'cause my daughters named Phoebe ;-)

TJG

If paypal worked, my donation is in.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time and effort to donate to ur effort. Since our crisis became known late Wednesday we have received nearly $2000 via Paypal. I am sure there will be more coming via mail as well.

Two heavy hitters in the railroad preservation movement have offered to lend us the money we need to bridge the gap. With that in place I am now confident we will be able to complete the purchase and save 470.

Again, thanks to all of the great people who make RYPN such an important tool in the railroad preservation field who were able to help us. We still have a ways to go so please give our project a look. We are very proud of the work already completed in restoring diner 741. http://www.eldcps.org

Sincerely,
Tim Stuy
Secretary - ELDCPS

I want to thank everyone at RYPN who sent in a contribution. We were amazed and gratified by the response. I am happy to report that we were able to send a check for the final balance due on DL&W 470 to American Orient Express. As of March 15th we will officially own the car! Also thanks to Mr. David Monte Verde, GVT and the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad, the car will carry the reporting marks DL470.

We still need to raise more funds to move the car from Tacoma, WA to safe storage in Kansas City. As always your help is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Tim Stuy
Secretary - ELDCPS
www.eldcps.org