Awesome news - a step forward for LIRR #35!

Not to be confused with the concurrent restoration of LIRR #39.

From Wikipedia:
LIRR 39 - Owned by the Railroad Museum of Long Island, based in Riverhead, NY. The boiler is currently in the process of restoration at Strasburg, PA, while the rest of the locomotive remains in Riverhead. The restoration includes a conversion to oil firing.

And interestingly, there is an example of such both of these engines at the RR Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg in the form of #5741

From Wikipedia:
PRR 5741 - Selected by the PRR itself for preservation, currently on permanent static display in the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.[7] #5741 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as Freight Locomotive No. 5741.

Thanks for the news!

/Mitch

Ok - so which one is further along and would probably (at this pace) be running first - 35 or 39?

Considering the fact that LIRR #39 is at Strasburg having boiler work done, if I were a betting man, I'd say that one.

Here's a report from August 2009 regarding LIRR #39:

August 15th, 2009

Thank you for your continued interest and comments. Let me bring you up to date on a few developments since my last comment on June 17th.

On June 29 and 30, Linn Moedinger, Rick Musser and Kelly Anderson of the Strasburg Railroad Company did an extensive survey of #39 at Riverhead. This engineering survey, funded by the current ISTEA grant, allows the Museum and Suffolk County to have a current cost estimate and develop a scope of work for continued restoration of the locomotive.

The outcome of the survey: the locomotive is in very good condition and an excellent candidate for continued restoration. Primarily, deterioration of the locomotive is from environmental exposure, had it been stored inside for the fifty-four years since it was retired it could have been put back in service in about eighteen months once the boiler/firebox strength issues had been addressed. The estimate for restoring #39 to operation over the next five years is $1,800,000.00

On July 20 we were denied our grant request from one foundation we had applied to.

On July 27 another private-sector industry we had applied to denied our request based on the current state of the economy.

On July 30 a meeting was held with government officials to explore additional funding to keep the project going. A summit meeting of Federal, State, County and RMLI officials will be convened in the weeks ahead to brainstorm for additional sources of funding.

Other private sector and foundation sources of funding are being explored at this time.

I do not wish Brother Glueck his demise - but I am heartened by his willingness to assign his estate to the RMLI for use in restoring Engine #39. Dick, did you speak to your wife about this development?

OK, that's the news on the ground at Riverhead. We are nearing exhaustion of the original ISTEA grant and we continue to pull out all the stops to attract additional funding, even in smaller increments, to keep the work going at Strasburg. We've got to git 'er done!

I am also pleased to see what I will call a "cautious acceptance" on the railfan community's part to the idea of running Engine 39 off the Island for a period of time.

The RMLI Board of Trustees have taken a hard look at the expense and logistics of running Engine #39 on Long Island. The costs and logistics are enormous, not to mention a geographical lack of skilled operators, mechanics and backshop facilities. Remember folks, steam engines are Maintenance Hogs!

The Museum Board has, with much soul searching, developed a business plan that anticipates a call for RFPs from qualified tourist railroads to contract with the Museum to operate a restored Engine 39. A call for RFPs will not be made by the Museum until Engine #39 is near full restoration. That will, no doubt, be years in the future.

The Museum will be looking for a tourist railroad that is within a days car ride to and from the Long Island/NYC area. The Museum expects the locomotive to be accessible to families living in the area in which it operated. The tourist railroad will be a proven road with a good experience factor of operations. The tourist railroad will have experience with steam operations and have the backshop facilities and maintenance personnel necessary to keep the engine in good operating order. The Museum will be looking for favorable revenue sharing proposals from the interested operators. Additionally, if the logistics can ever be worked out with the MTA and the LIRR, we will ask for proposals to periodically return the Engine to Long Island for occasional fan trips on home rail.

This gives you an idea of where our thoughts are leading. We have come to realize the RMLI does not have the physical or financial resources to operate a steam locomotive service at this time. As a New York State Museum, we can not - and we are not going to - sell Engine #39. It is our responsibility as official stewards of a New York State historic artifact to get the locomotive restored and operational to support our Museum's Mission. We don't have to actually pull on the throttle - we are authorized to contract with someone who knows how to pull on the throttle to run her and thereby advance the educational experience for patrons and citizens of New York State.

As developments arise I will comment on these pages. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to give you clear answers. Keep the interest high and don't give up!

Don Fisher, President
Railroad Museum of Long Island


To follow the thread, visit the Long Island RR Forum site.
http://lirr.thermomods.com/index.php/topic,1818.60.html

/Mitch

My "premature demise", as mentioned in Don Fisher's note above, refers to my suggestion that museums offer a route for estate planners to include steam locomotive rebuilds in their financial legacy. AFAIK, I am not yet at that stage!

Regarding a better subject, let me point out, in no uncertain terms, there is NO RACE to complete a G5s of the Long Island Rail Road. Both museums are dedicated to having a operable locomotive on the property and available as soon as funding permits. That being said, and while I am a great proponent of the Strasburg's ability to get things done and done right, only a fool would risk his/her estate by betting one project against the other. OBRM is a very progressive, take-charge-and-get-it-done organization. You may see both G5's fired in very near time. When? probably another few years, if things go well. The only difficulty I could see with that is, we might have to endure two Pennsy design steam locomotives standing hot next to each other, or double-headed.

Who would want that?

If you are a Pennsy fan or a Long Island fan, send an ear-marked check to either the Rail Road Museum of Long Island, or the Oyster Bay Rail Road Museum, and prior to you estate maturing! Both organizations are on line.

Besides bequests, railroad museums can benefit from: lead trusts, remainder trusts, beneficiaries of life insurance policies or annuities, and donations of works-of-art and/or unusable automobiles.

Consult with an estate planning professional for details.

Sloan

P. S.: A number of charities with which I am familiar honor deferred giving donors with an annual dinner. This "exclusive" event encourages major gifts and gives the charity a means to showcase achievement during the past twelvemonths and to sustain enthusiasm for the cause.