Bad news from Eureka, California.

http://www.timberheritage.org/update.pdf

http://www.timberheritage.org/

Scot

Scot:
Thanks for reposting this. I have now seen this story via no less than a dozen outlets ranging from live steam yahoo sites up to RyPN.

One release I saw indicated that a trucking outfit has been located and that the bid was $30,000 to move the locomotives. To me this sounds cheap, but if true its not really a huge amount of money.

I tend to wonder about the merits of forums such as RyPN or the many others that are out there. Are all these postings just talk? No action? Just arm chair quarter backs?

I'd like to think not. This is a museum that apparently needs help. There are many members of this group who have the capability to help. Could a couple of the better financed operations float a low interest loan to the Timber Heritage group? Are there a few people on line who have the means to make a sizeable donation? This is where RyPN stands out from the others. Can some organized help be developed via the RyPN members?

J.R.

Let's review.

An interested third-party posts a link to information that is now a month old and "we" are supposed to jump in with financial support or a loan. I would consider our museum to be better financed, but we are not in the position to allocate funds for a loan to our immediate traction-based neighbors in the east, let alone reach out to a group with an unrelated mission on the other side of the country.

To borrow a phrase from the 1970s, what did Timber Heritage know about the potential need to move, and when did they know it?

I'd welcome first-hand information posted on RyPN.org by a bona fide representative of the group. This is an unfortunate situation. Perhaps with more detailed and accurate information it will be possible to indentify some solutions and help save the collection.

Wesley

I have emailed them via their website, asking them to post any updates. I still think the California National Guard might be able to help, with those heavy duty low boy trailers they have, assuming they're not all in Iraq. It is obvious this group has overextended themselves, but rather than criticize at this point, it is best to try to keep the equipment away from the torch. While it is rare to see locomotives cut up these days, the last 30 years have proven that it can actually happen. I wonder if it is possible to just move the stuff on the property where it is now, to make way for the truck garage, then move it out later? Hopefully, we'll hear from them and get accurate information.

here you go, the following link is first-hand information by a bona fide representative of the group.

http://www.timberheritage.org/update.pdf

what more do you want??
its from the groups own webpage..how more "first hand" can you get?

sorry for posting this..I assumed with a deadline of December 31, 2006 to move the equipment that maybe it qualified as "current"..and I did search RYPN for an already exisiting thread on this topic, by searching for "timber heritage"..I didnt find one, so I assumed it was new info to this group.

silly me, for daring to bring up railroad preservation concerns on this forum...what was I thinking?


Scot

I would suggest they contact the local politicans to put heat on the current property owners to allow for some additional time to move the equipment, but the Timber Assoc. also needs to show they are doing the most they can to remove the stuff as quickly as possible.


I am not familiar at all with this organization so forgive my indulgence but, as far as coming up with $30,000, I know its not something they would want to do, but maybe it is time to sell some equipment to another organization to get the funds to move the rest. Not only would it be a source of funds, it may place that piece of equipment in a better place to be throughly preserved an appreciated instead of being in storage or scrapped.

This "update" is a month old - 22 Nov.'06! At the rate they are/should be moving equipment a 2 week old "update" might/should be old news.

What equipment is left after last weekend's moves that must/should be moved in the next 10 days?

Happy Holidays, Roger



The following link is first-hand information by a bona fide representative of the group: http://www.timberheritage.org/update.pdf

What more do you want?

We were given the 30 days to buy the first 7 miles of our line. We raised 140,000.00 Dollars in 30 days. We went to the memebership and members put up 5,000 and 10,000 dollar loans repaid over 5 years at 7% It was better than the banks were paying way back when. This also provided good motivation for said members to work fund rasing to get thier money back. Worked good the second time we bought real estate Also.
Use the equipment as collateral.
Charity starts at home.

Last week TRAINS News Wire carried an item about the Timber Heritage Association -- this was on Dec 15th. Part of the write-up said:


So, maybe a short reprieve. Also the TRAIN's item says that maybe a location to move to has been found; again the "uproar in the community" has had an affect.

What would be nice would be if someone with the organization will follow up on Bob Y.'s request. But they may be running around just too busy to even catch their breath.

The Altamont Press board carried a thread about this. Apparently the group has secured the former Hammond Lumber company shops at Samoa. This is a very complete facility (see link) that appears would be a very good fit to what the Timber Heritage Association is trying to do.
Absent reports from people on the front lines of this situation, it is very difficult to draw a fair conclusion of what they should or should not have done. The one main conclusion that can be drawn, as is has many times before, is the utmost importance of controlling your museum site.

Best of luck to them to making their move and in their new location.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Historic overview of Salmo Site
http://www.timberheritage.org/samoa_roundhouse.pdf

Contemporary views of same:
http://www.timberheritage.org/samoa_shops.pdf

Well, other than if anybody with a big heavy lowboy rig is taking off for the holidays, might be a nice idea to drop Marcus a call and maybe move a locomotive or two for him. Beats sitting around the house overeating and watching football.

dave

From the Yahoo Logging list (4L@Yahoo.com)


"Dear Board Members and Supporters,

"The Timber Heritage Association got a miracle for the holidays. On
Friday 12/22/06, I signed an agreement with the Harbor District to lease the roundhouse and boiler shop buildings for 1 year with a potential for a longer term renewal after some studies are completed. A month ago I believed that this was impossible, because of complicated ongoing negotiations regarding this site.

"On a suggestion from Connie Stewert at Patty Berg's office, I
had lunch with Brain Morrisey from Security National and asked him about the site. He said all of their plans were on hold, so "go ahead." The deal we put together with the District is to pay the $40,000 annual rent with volunteers re-roofing the buildings. The repair work is estimated at $120,000. We have the opportunity to put together a fantastic community volunteer project. I invite you to come to the Harbor District board meeting, this Thursday night, 12/28/06 at 7pm, Woodley Island, next to Cafe Marina. You could enjoy dinner with a view at the cafe before the meeting. The Harbor District board will vote on this short-term lease at the meeting and should sign it.

"The plan is to move the steam locomotives to their historic home, the
roundhouse, and allow the public access to them for the first time in 30 years. We must bring in a special lowboy truck trailer from Stockton to accomplish this move. We must raise $30,000 ASAP to do this. Please help get out the word on this. We also need help getting auction items for our Fundraising Dinner and Auction, on 2/3/07.

"Thankfully, we have a hand shake agreement with the property owner at
Glendale. As long as we keep moving forward with removing our
collection from the site, the deadline has been extended until at least
next spring. Things have taken a turn for the better. Out of crisis has
come opportunity."

Marcus Brown

President, Timber Heritage Association


Forwarded by

This is certainly good news if it can be worked out. I don't know much about the site, but it appears to have similar potential to the roundhouses at Como and Hugo, Colorado, that being it is a real historic site, not a contrived one, where some of the equipment they own actually worked, and the site has not been encroached upon by modernity.