A few comments:

Louisiana likely has the poorest single record of scrapping during the preservation era than any other state, but fate has some how contrived to endow it with one of the most unique historic RR sites in the US, that being the former Crowell Lumber company facilities preserved at Long Leaf as the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. Three locomotives, a machine shop, sawmill, planer mill, ect. ( and a junk yard to die for) and they can't get a taste of ISTEA, or TEA21 or whatever to go toward preserving and, yes toward restoring to some semblance of operation the RR there. A much neglected yet intact ROW with rail in place remain for at least a couple of miles there.

Yet, we see that the ONLY railroad historic site of national significance in the state soldiers on with limited funding, while a well meaning, but comparitively insignificant (historically) project to fix up an engine to pull the Cajun version of the AFT gets 900K.

With financing so very limited, there are pleny of "hanger queens" in this country, and I would rather subsidize operations with the ability to run on there own track, or to stabilize something forgotten on display.

Before I get flamed and someone askes the obvious "Well, aren't you glad their fixing it up to run?" I will answer, no, I'm not.

Not as long as there are underfunded places that struggle to fund the new part 230 work and could and would run regularly on their own property. Not as long as places like Long Leaf, aka the EBT of the South, struggle just to stave off the elements and keep the doors open to really do something more than hear the whistle blow.

There does not need to be any more wastes of resources on locomotives with no place to go nor any real reason to run in the first place.



lorija799@aol.com

Well stated and you make some good points. If you go to the attached link and read the message you will see a proposal to increase transportation funds going to several "orphan" states that are trying to get better returns on their money. Of course this does not mean that any of this will be spent on preservation. Sitting here in the "state" of Ohio we do not have such a great presrvation history and we hope that this can be turned around.

The only thing I can say about your situation is that someone did one heck of a selling job to get the funding you mention ... HINT, HINT

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/news/2003/05-21-03.htm
lamontdc@adelphia.net

I think you might feel a little better knowing that you are not alone. Here in California, I only know of one small depot restoration that was repaired wi TEA-21 funds. As the biggest population in the country, you would think some of them would want to spend money on preservation projects.

But no, the state highway agency CALTRANS has got it all lock stock and dollar bills.

Some States like Pennsylvania and Minnisota has made good use of these funds for preservation work. I am glad you got what you got, it may be a long time before you see any more as the right wing now in control of Congress wants to drop such funds from the next round of highway money.

If I were King, I would set up a National Heritage Lottery such as they have in the United Kingdom as a source of money, It is going good things there.



ted_miles@nps.gov

I may be late in the discussion, but is/are there specific reason(s) the Long Leaf is unable to tap the ISTEA cofers? At the Southeastern Railway Musuem in the Atlanta area, we had several obstacles to overcome and it took a number of years to get all the pieces in place. I ask with objective in mind that possibly Long Leaf's obstacles may be like ours and would be willing to discuss it further with someone involved with Long Leaf or close to the organization.

Dale

. > A few comments:

> Louisiana likely has the poorest single
> record of scrapping during the preservation
> era than any other state, but fate has some
> how contrived to endow it with one of the
> most unique historic RR sites in the US,
> that being the former Crowell Lumber company
> facilities preserved at Long Leaf as the
> Southern Forest Heritage Museum. Three
> locomotives, a machine shop, sawmill, planer
> mill, ect. ( and a junk yard to die for) and
> they can't get a taste of ISTEA, or TEA21 or
> whatever to go toward preserving and, yes
> toward restoring to some semblance of
> operation the RR there. A much neglected yet
> intact ROW with rail in place remain for at
> least a couple of miles there.

> Yet, we see that the ONLY railroad historic
> site of national significance in the state
> soldiers on with limited funding, while a
> well meaning, but comparitively
> insignificant (historically) project to fix
> up an engine to pull the Cajun version of
> the AFT gets 900K.

> With financing so very limited, there are
> pleny of "hanger queens" in this
> country, and I would rather subsidize
> operations with the ability to run on there
> own track, or to stabilize something
> forgotten on display.

> Before I get flamed and someone askes the
> obvious "Well, aren't you glad their
> fixing it up to run?" I will answer,
> no, I'm not.

> Not as long as there are underfunded places
> that struggle to fund the new part 230 work
> and could and would run regularly on their
> own property. Not as long as places like
> Long Leaf, aka the EBT of the South,
> struggle just to stave off the elements and
> keep the doors open to really do something
> more than hear the whistle blow.

> There does not need to be any more wastes of
> resources on locomotives with no place to go
> nor any real reason to run in the first
> place.


dgrice@motorola.com