Gents.
Not sure how deep I am going to get involved with 6069 but I was wondering if anyone had any hints, tips or stories about how to go about starting a group or association to look after the Loco. I am not sure where to turn or how to go about this? Any help will be greatfully recieved!

Had a walk down to see the old girl and she is bearing the brunt of all that mother nature can throw her way. The more I walk around her, the more I notice needs repair or work. I guess it comes with the territory!?

Call a Priest, buy a tank and start a totalitarian regime.

Im serious to.. Almost every group I belong to has gone down the tube to the the board or management getting to greedy, steering off course and causing things to go kaput. However the ones that are privately owned do so much better..

Start by gathering a core group together that shares a common goal--in your case, we presume, the preservation of 6069. If the goals involve fundraising instead of just slide shows or painting, figure out the laws of incorporation in your jurisdiction and incorporate as a non-profit organization. To publicize your mission, flyers at a local hobby shop, train show, or in publications of local interest such as Railpace or NRHS Chapter newsletters. Please don't forget your local newspapers and news media.

Perhaps the most important advice I can impart: Make certain that the organization remains focused on the central point and objective (6069), not particular individuals or personalities. If a group becomes too much about "Henry and his locomotive" rather than "the locomotive," losing "Henry" means you lose half the group. Many groups have had to struggle to maintain momentum after a leading force retired or died. Also, the perception of a "ruling clique" and the inadvertently resulting glass ceiling will turn off many members after only a year or three.

I would suggest you limit your goals to getting a shed over the locomotive, putting a ground to roof chain link fence around it, making sure it is illuminated all night, every night. Keep her greased and painted and dry.

Do not let the nut cases suddenly up and declared "We'll get her running!", unless the CNR is involved and gives their blessing at the outset. From my experience in Waterville, Maine, with the 470, the city engineer, who knows NOTHING about steam locomotives, unilaterally started making declarations without having looked at what is left of the engine. You will find yourself on the outside, lookin in.

Do your best to keep it small and manageable, and within a sensible budget with money put in account to maintain the restoration. CNR 6069 is a beautiful locomotive, with a very unusual fate of not having been stripped and vandalized as of this date. Be sure you present plenty of visuals of her likely fate if not attended to immediately, when you go before the city powers.

Remember - A protective shed, a fence, paint, grease, lighting. These are the essentials to keep her in good shape until other plans develop. To lose her now would be a travesty in preservation.

Keep us informed.

I'm not sure how things work north of here, but look for a local or provicinal humanities or museum association that represents groups such as the one you propose. Often they can be a resource for how to structure a new organization so that you can be eligible for grants and major gifts. Here is a link to our local arts and humanities council:

http://www.creativemoco.com

and our State association for Maryland History Museums

http://www.mahm.org

Wesley

Thanks Guys.
A shelter would do wonders for sure and I like the idea of a better higher fence, although the iron fence is nice!

> From my experience in Waterville, Maine, with the 470, the city
> engineer, who knows NOTHING about steam locomotives, unilaterally
> started making declarations

This is the result of getting government agencies involved.

> Be sure you present plenty of visuals of her likely fate if not attended to > immediately, when you go before the city powers.

With the experience noted above, why do groups feel compelled to go before city powers, or any other powers, when they embark on projects involving preservation? I would think that there are enough examples of what happens when you do this to keep even the most naieve from taking that path.

1. Find a corporate entity to help you promote your project (the operative word being promote, not sponsor). They will give you credibility in the community without selling your souls to the city "fathers".

2. Get a privately owned plot of land. If you form a 501(c)3, a donated plot is a possibility.

3. Then get;
> protective shed, a fence, paint, grease, lighting. These are the
> essentials to keep her in good shape until other plans develop.

4. >To lose her now would be a travesty in preservation.

If you do 1 and 2 above, the possibility of losing her diminishes exponentially.

Good luck!

Hello:

Let me address some of the practical administrative matters. If your group gets to the point where you want to formally incorporate as a non-profit group at the state and federal level (501c3) , I think I could help you with some of that. Doing this would be mandatory if you want donations from outside sources who want to claim the donation on their tax return.

I have copies of our articles or incorporation, IRS form 1023, by-laws, a four-page checklist of what our Museum needed to do to get incorporated and running 3 years ago. These would, of course, have to be modified to suit your group's individual circumstances but at least they'd be a departure point. I will be happy to share this with you if you think that's the way your group is going.

Good luck!

Any preservation project requires very deep pockets. Unless you are a multimillionaire or related to one, you will need donations. Corporate donations are the best and largest single source of funds. But take a page out of the PBS play book. Acknowledge your corporate sponsors by putting their names out there and letting them know you appreciate their help. This in a way is advertising and your sponsors are more willing to pony up funds if they see they are getting something in return. Maybe a sponsors board on that new shed you will be building. Something that can be read from a distance.

Later!
Mr. Ed

I think she will be staying put for awhile yet. There is space available for a shelter or even a shed. If we are not non profit or incorporated as a group yet, would it not be wise to approach businesses for donations of materials such as oil lubricants etc?

First, I think you need to begin at the beginning...Who actually owns CNR 6069? On whose land does she reside? Are the owners of the engine and land even willing to permit a volunteer group to minister to her preservation let alone her restoration?

Another poster on here questioned getting a city government involved. I suspect ownership resides with the city and since they own it their permission to do anything will be required.

Start there.

Hi:

The way I look at it, nothing ventured nothing gained. It doesn't hurt to ask a business for a donation regardless of whether your group is non-profit or not. I think that in many instances businesses don't really worry about the tax-deductibility of their relatively small value donations. But for cash donations from members and outsiders it might be a hindrance to not have donations tax-deductible.

There is a downside to becoming a non-profit 501c3 group. You have to jump through the administrative hoops, have an elected/appointed Board of Directors/Trustees, have annual member meetings, account for your funds, etc. For a small group focused on a specific project that has a potentially short-term lifespan (i.e., the group would be less active once the project is complete) the non-profit route may not be practicable.

This is a good point. If your objectives are simple and straightforward--say, a roof and/or fence, maybe some paint or glass, no ambitions of operation--and you can work locally without having to appeal to government agencies and the like, then a simple bank account, mission statement, and direct appeals and handshaking may be the way to go. I still suggest flyers, publicity, et al.

The train is city owned and on city land I believe

It's a locomotive, not a train. A train is a locomotive with at least one car behind it. :)