Let me start by saying I'm looking for real answers to the real question at hand which is how to raise the most amount of money in the shortest time.

I need people on here to take this thread very seriously as I'm looking at being under the gun to get #1352 out of it current home in less than 8 months. Based on current conversations with them that a mandate looks to be coming from the current railroad its on wants it gone by the end of this year. I really do not want push them to see what they might do if it does not leave by 2013

I'm looking for all of the fundraising ideas that have been tried that can raise about $197,000K to get #1352 moved from Taylorville, IL to its new home in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the confirmed budget for all of the cranes, rigging, transportation and track work needed to get her out of the situation she is in. Our group has come to realize that there is only so many hats, t-shirts you can hock before that runs it coarse.

So I'm asking for real idea's that have been proven and not what if's if possible.

Best Regards,

Steven M Harvey
President
American Steam Railroad
A 501c3 Charitable Organization

Is your group a 501c3 non-profit? If so, go to Guidestar and search for foundations in the zip codes of areas you hope to operate or can show some kind of benefit. Look through their Form 990's to see if they give money to historic restorations or community development (skip those that only give to girl's field hockey or pet cemeteries). Most times the 990 will list how they accept grant requests. If they are not clear then call the number that will be on the return and ask them if they would consider a request from you. When looking through the 990 see hhow much they have given to whom - donat ask for $197K if the most they give is $25K at a time.

Good luck.

Thank you for that suggestion. I'll start taking a look.

Steven M Harvey
President
American Steam Railroad
A 501c3 Charitable Organization

Steven,

I suggest Plan B for a shorter, less expensive interim move, including a quiet campaign with your current supporters before going public for the remainder. Strategies such as looking for "2000 people to give just $100" are traditionally unsuccessful.

Best wishes in a tough fundraising climate.

Wesley

Since we don't know a lot about the situation this may not make sense, but if the new home in Cleveland is with new owners in Cleveland, it might be their problem.....unless you sold it to them including delivery. Even then........what's the recourse if you can't produce? Loss?

If, on the other hand, your group still owns it but you have an offer of storage space in Cleveland, well........I'd be looking for a partner or prospective buyer just in case you can't find the resources to move it yourselves.

If there was a proven strategy for raising a lot of money rapidly, we'd all be rolling in finished projects right now and inventing more of them to work on.

I hope you find an angel - but plans B, C and D never hurt just in case. Best of luck.

dave

How long has your group owned the locomotive?

When did you get a quote on the moving?

By my count, you have to raise just over $24k each month the next eight months in order to have the money to have it out by the end of the year.

Who is this "them" you've had conversations with about removing her from Taylorville? Why haven't you called the railroad directly?

Do you have a lease or storage agreement in place with the locomotive in its current location?

Is it possible to mover her on her own wheels to a temporary storage location, such as a siding or elswehere in the meantime?

I agree with Dave, you need to start developing Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and Plan E now.

It might be of interest if you told people what #1352 is.

R.L. Is correct...

Short version, a Frisco 2-8-2

As for the move, $200k is some serious money. I agree that you should come up with some more plans. Can it be stored locally? You say the RR waste it gone, but what if you paid storage fees? You could pay $10k per year for 20 years for the cost of the move.

Have you explored other shipping options? Take the boiler off the frame and maybe you'd only need a regular flatcar? Maybe it could go by truck? Get together with somebody here who's been there and done that and find out how to save money.

Also consider keeping it where it is. Heck, for $200k you could build your own spur track. (If you have land available somehow) You would probably do better raising funds to "restore our town's steam locomotive" than you will with "give me $200k so I can ship this to Cleveland. You'll never see it again, and once I get there i'll need to raise $500k more to restore it!"

So here is the short order of the story.

So the Railroad is the G&W out there. Contract is coming up for renewal at the end of the year for the lease of where its at. Problem is the G&W want out of that property and thus the lease is being talked about not being renewed so we are being asked to move on down the road per say.

The G&W also states any track work on the property has to be done by approved rail contractors. The track and switches have not been used in the last 15 to 20 years so thus add to your budget about 1900 foot of track work that will need to touched to make it to the NS interchange. Price quotes range from 35K to 54K for such work so you have to take the high one and run with it.

Cranes and rigging just for the Taylorville side for that market in the St. Louis Area is about 22,000 for both. So it all add up in the end to move the Frisco Mike #1352 where she sits to the Roundhouse in Cleveland.

Also to answer any other questions American Steam Railroad is a 501c3 tax exempt org, we do own the locomotive as a organization out right and our goal is to operate her in ohio.

Best Regards,

Steven M Harvey
President
American Steam Railroad

We have looked at trucking and due to the size of 1352 and even separating it from its boiler and trucking was way more costly then doing it via train. We have talked to many folks such a Robert Franzen and others who do this on the regular bases and they have confirmed our numbers as being accurate. The killer on the budget is the track work costs. Take that out and the whole move becomes only 129K from end to end and this is without a letter going to NS asking for a possible rate reduction on the cost of transportation.

Best Regards,

Steven Harvey

Most money goes to organizations which are already successful. The way to raise money for rail preservation projects is personal contact. You need a fund raising committee of well connected people who will get on the phone and talk to their friends. It is a big job and it is hard to be successful.

Once again proving that acquiring historic equipment is the easy part, moving it, caring for it, and operating it is the hard and expensive part.

So what does it take to become an approved rail contractor? Many contractors sub out their work anyways. So maybe find an "approved" contractor to bid the job then sub it out to you and just pay the "approved" guy his markup and you do the actual work at cost.

You will not raise $200k in 8 months. I just don't see it happening. You will have to get creative to do this project successfully. I assume that the locomotive is in the building on third street just SW of the station? You did not specifically mention it but I assume that the loco will be going out on two flatcars. I propose that before dismissing the trucking option that you look at it again. How light can you make the boiler? If you are doing an operational restoration then pull the superheaters and flues where she sits to get the weight down, seperate it from the saddle and truck that one piece. What would that cost? Then what about shipping the frame seperately from the wheelsets?

I think this is an interesting challenge. I have spent my life moving big things with little to no money and may be able to help in some way. We could meet face to face and discuss your options i you would like.

At the risk of getting this thread locked and me banned I pose the following question: As much as I love working on/running steam locomotives myself, why do people/organizations keep pleading and begging for others to donate to allow them to "live the dream of steam" while others pay for it via donations. What is/are the individuals in charge looking to achieve here? Raise nearly $200K just to move a locomotive with no money for restoration in place nor an operating commitment or defined place to run? Why? Just because you want to? Not a good enough reason. If someone wants to "pay to play" they should use their own money, not ask for others. Flame away....

Mortgages are cheap right now. Help them out of that property buy buying it. Then it's your property. Partner with a developer who will then redevelop the surrounding property and alllow you a space on it while you have time to get your ducks in a row to fund a move.

Of course, you will need to show the lender how you can keep up payments......what is your business plan and how have you been supporting your work?

dave