Nice to spread some good news once and a while - I was in New Orleans on other business Wednesday, stopped in to look over the SP 745 project - just want to send complements to Greg Dodd and his guys who are doing a very high quality job of returning this highly depreciated old girl back to service.

The project seems to be well organized, adequately funded, and has an operating plan for when she is done. They are also doing a nice job with some passenger cars also in the yard near Ochsner Hospital. I sense the original project specifications grew, but they have managed to keep the resources coming in to keep up with the requirements. This one seems destined for success.

Great work and best wishes.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Dave;

I have corresponded with a member of the organization working on this locomotive for some time, and share all of your sentiments.

It is in talking with individuals like him and hearing about projects like this that give me hope that my children will get to enjoy working steam engines as they grow older.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project
http://www.survivingworldsteam.com

> Nice to spread some good news once and a
> while - I was in New Orleans on other
> business Wednesday, stopped in to look over
> the SP 745 project - just want to send
> complements to Greg Dodd and his guys who
> are doing a very high quality job of
> returning this highly depreciated old girl
> back to service.

> The project seems to be well organized,
> adequately funded, and has an operating plan
> for when she is done. They are also doing a
> nice job with some passenger cars also in
> the yard near Ochsner Hospital. I sense the
> original project specifications grew, but
> they have managed to keep the resources
> coming in to keep up with the requirements.
> This one seems destined for success.

> Great work and best wishes.

> Dave


Surviving World Steam Project
james1@pernet.net

> Dave;

> I have corresponded with a member of the
> organization working on this locomotive for
> some time, and share all of your sentiments.

Yes James, I have seen too many times when faced with discovery of unpleasant realities a group chooses to cut corners and quality suffers to avoid having to increase resources. It is gratifying to see these guys made the better choice. Maybe some day I will get to work for management like that - if I avoid flaky nonprofits.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Just wonder if one of the unpleasant realities they may soon have to face is finding a railroad to run on?

With financial resources such a problem for real preservationists, there has got to be a real good reason to take public money and invest it in a potential hanger queen. As long as the CATS, the EBT, Long Leaf, and other sites scrape by to get crumbs, fixing up something with no place to run makes no sense what so freaking ever, no matter how enthusiastic the proponants are.

maybe if they were so well connected to get nearly 1 million dollars of Federal Money for railroad preservation, couldn't they have channelled that energy into a preservation project of state, even national significance.

Or are we just in the business of playing with trains?

This locomotive is significant to the rail history of LA, she was the only loco built in LA. The railroad wanted to order a kit from Baldwin but they would not do that, so the railroad bought parts a little at a time and eventually put the kit together.
The loco is going to go on an odessy through the state in celebration of their bicentennial giving rides and towing exhibits, and the have a fairly certain future for continued operations after that.
I would not say they are doing this for the hec of it, I would say this is one of the best planned restoration/operation projects for a main line loco I have seen in many years.

jasonsobczynski@yahoo.com

> This locomotive is significant to the rail
> history of LA, she was the only loco built
> in LA. The railroad wanted to order a kit
> from Baldwin but they would not do that, so
> the railroad bought parts a little at a time
> and eventually put the kit together.
> The loco is going to go on an odessy through
> the state in celebration of their
> bicentennial giving rides and towing
> exhibits, and the have a fairly certain
> future for continued operations after that.
> I would not say they are doing this for the
> hec of it, I would say this is one of the
> best planned restoration/operation projects
> for a main line loco I have seen in many
> years.

Ok, on whose railroad is it going to use for this wondrous "odessy" through the state? UP ain't lettin' 'em on, can't see either the BNSF of KCS doing it either. So unless there's a cajon version of Jerry Jacobson hidden in the swamps around Houma with an invisible shortline around the state, who, exactly, has committed to letting this engine run on their railroad?

And, since you say that this is "one of the best planned restoration/operation projects" that you have seen, what, exactly have you seen? Is their alchemy superior to that of the 1522 guys, or the 819 in Pine Bluff?

If these guys have some special mojo working or voodoo that is going to allow them to make all things happen, then the established preservation community needs to know what it is so that we can emulate it.

Big plans are one thing, the real world of the mainline something else.

Folks, the sarcasm is flying a little thick and heavy.

This is a fine subject for discussion and all are free to make their points, but please refrain from the rhetorical mockery. It's a form of flaming, and we don't condone it on this board.

eledbetter@rypn.org

Perhaps somebody involved in LASTA can provide some specific information - as I said, I was briefly there on other business and found the commitment to high quality refreshing, as well as the commitment to raising adequate funds and having an operating plan, which is described according to their release as follows:

"Once restored plans for the engine include a regular tourist route around New Orleans as well as frequent trips across the state of Louisiana."

I might infer from this statement as well as the level of public sector support that state DOT or some other agency may be involved in track access issues, or perhaps some railroads have been privy to the planning.

Hopefully somebody involved on a local level can provide more accurate information.

FWIW, complimenting a job being well done doesn't mean others are not also admirable. I hadn't heard a lot about this project (apart from sniping) for some time and wanted to pass along the impressions I got when I was there. If anybody involved has evidence I was lied to or was mistakenly impressed I would be interested in finding out about it.

Dave



irondave@bellsouth.net

> Perhaps somebody involved in LASTA can
> provide some specific information - as I
> said, I was briefly there on other business
> and found the commitment to high quality
> refreshing, as well as the commitment to
> raising adequate funds and having an
> operating plan...........

I would hope that everyone here has a committment to "high quality", but I will make the observation that it is a lot easier to be committed to it when you have nearly a million dollars of taxpayer money to do it with than passing the hat amongst a group of volunteers.

What I want to know is, how did they manage to get Enhancement Money when other, IMHO much more significant and practicle projects were shown the door. I also have heard via the grapevine that they believe that they can "muscle" access to the RRs, which is the absolute wrong attitude to have, and could affect many others.

sorry about the perceived sarcasm, Erik, but I just feel that if public money is involved, and there are some bonafide projects that involve much more than hearing the whistle blow, we must be very rational where scarce financial resources go.

While enhancement funds are federally funded, the administration of those funds are done locally. This group was able to capture the Louisiana portion of the pie, not those destined for use in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, etc. By combing a unique item, a home built steam locomotive, and a unique event, celebration of the Louisiana Purchase, this organization was able to obtain broad local community support for their effort. The award of locally competitive enhancement funds reflects that support. The key is a comprehensive plan that can be accepted by various elected officials and community leaders who, in turn, become advocates for your project.

Our beloved "Eleonar P" had several articles on fundraising. One article by Dan Cupper discussed the project management approached used for the GG1 in Harrisburg as a case study that could be implemented in any locale.

kamiddle@rockwellcollins.com