First question: how much money do they want
and the second, why bother with an empty
shell?

It might be better to load her with weight, re-install traction motors and make her available for "slug" traction on fan trips. I kind of like the idea of saving an ALCO demo, particularly one from late in the company's history. $10,000 is not too much for sucha project, but wow, is this lousy timing or what? Good luck with the project and the museum. You might do as well in grabbing up one of the ex-LIRR FA's that sit rotting around the country, and using it as a classic ALCO model. In the meantime, please keep us informed of the project.

I agree ten grand is within the realm of possibility but
before I forward a few bucks, I worry more about the
NYC electric not far from you.
This is a good example of how many worthy projects
and how little money.

I think the idea of an Alco Historical Society is a good one, especially at or near the place associated with Alco. I'll even go along with saving the shell of a C636, although it seems to miss the point of showing the engine which made it different from an EMD or GE locomotive. But when you start talking about saving two electric locomotives trapped in a difficult spot and that you have "other preservation ideas", I think you instantly start to lose credibility. You just created the organization, you are asking for people to send in money that may or may not be tax-deductible so that you can buy the shell of a locomotive and now you have a bunch of other ideas for which there is no permanent location and no money. I am sure your intentions are good, but this is on the road to yet another failed preservation idea/group.

I have to agree with Steamtown Observer...I know extremely little about your group, just as you know extremely little about me. Why would anyone give me money, or my upstart group? Almost no one here knows me. I have an interest in perhaps joining, but I am discouraged by the lack of knowledge. Your group should think less about being so secretive and open up, even in your larval stage. There is nothing to fear by doing so. Even a website would help.

About the electrics...incredibly difficult spot. My ballpark estimation is around 80 to 100,000 dollars, as I think the two electrics will need to come out in pieces with trucks and cranes. CSX does not want to move them, and PoA can't, unless you buy them a new bridge. Glenmont Power Station may not even let anyone on their end of the track.

And, just to be a bit of Devil's advocate - what would you do with the electrics if you had them? They are in poor condition, and being a third rail design, realistically can not be used in a museum environment. How much restoration would be done?

--
Will

To use your "new business" analogy, think of what a normal business startup needs to do to attract investors - a business plan. No bank or VC on this planet would even consider any money for a startup without some detailed business plan. Your plan does not need to be some 200 page glossy bound report, but it does need to exist and be available in some form for those people you are asking for help.

What I would like to know mostly involves what sort of history the group founders have (if they have been involved with other historic groups) and how to realistically score that real estate (which should be before artifacts get donated). I pass that old plant quite a lot, and frankly, it is a nice piece of land. The Capital Area is projected to grow considerably over the next 20 years, so I bet there are dozens of land developers looking at that parcel.

Really, I want AH&TS to survive and prosper, but I have seen too many museums (albeit non-railroad) with great plans fail due to funding and space issues. Every one of them did not have a business plan of any consequence.

--
Will

Considering the time factor you've got, open IRS issues, etc., this will be a tough one to accomplish in your timeframe.
I agree that a C636 is worthy of preservation by somebody; I'm somewhat less sure that we need a new group to do it. There's another situation like that in my neighborhood where there are two 501c(3)'s bent on essentially the same locomotive preservation mission and to the public, look like one entity, or at least sound like it. And they are only about 10 miles apart.

There's a model to look at here. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum has done a WONDERFUL job of working with their local community foundation to be the 'front end' for donations to the Graselli Tower preservation program (and they have almost pulled off a $50K moving project). You can donate online to the Foundation through their system and get the donation receipt, and it is a 'dedicated fund' for the Tower project. Whereever you're trying to move this to, maybe you need to umbrella yourself (at least for now) with another established organization (local, railroad, or whatever) that needs your enthusiasm and members. You can certainly continue to build and evolve your organization over time. And the 'thing' gets saved.

Wherever it is going, somebody needs a place to store a big, grungy-looking piece of scrap and understand what it is and why you want it. That certainly requires community support at some point, so may as well build allies there at the start, not at the end.

my .02....
Everything DOESN'T have to run or be 'complete' to be a valid exhibit.

For openers, every locomotive ever built began life with a full complement of technical documentation such as maintenance and parts books, schematic and physical wiring diagrams...etc, etc. This material is invaluable to those who pursue the art and science of locomotive scholarship...etc.

Another avenue to purse would be 'first person recall' with those who sold, built, operated and maintained the equipment in question. By way of example, I recall comments to the effect that one of the C636 demonstrators failed while visting the Western Pacific.

Photos are another obvious direction to take.

Finally, if one wants to view an operable example of this model, there IS one extant, operating as the manufacturer intended and maintained to a very high standard...perhaps far in excess than the original purchasers were capable of.

More often than not, 'demonstration railroads' or museums are not suitable environments to support operation of six-axle locomotives.

My final comment is essentially of a pragmatic nature. If one HAS to preserve a loco that can operate, purchase one in suitable condition...to run. The essential nature of locomotives is no different than 'bargain' automobiles, aircraft or boats,i.e., the item in question can easily consume the equal of its' purchase price in spare parts.

As the number of RTO Alco (and GE) spares continues to shrink by attrition, the prices of same can go nowhere but...skywards.

Generally, freeze damage is a particularly insidious affliction, as much of the support equipment is damaged in addition to the diesel engine. I shudder to think what a replacement set of heat exchangers (jacket water radiator, engine intercooler, carbody aftercooler(s) and lube oil cooler) would cost-given that all of these items are
MTO (made to order) some forty years after the fact.

DPK

That would be Delaware Lackawanna 3642, seen on September 20, 2008 leading a fantrip for the Penn Central Historical Society at Tobyhanna, PA with former Nickel Plate Road sleeper "City of Lima" and an ex-DL&W caboose to carry to PC/Alco fans:

No denying it - America is full of crappy little railroad museums with no plan, no future, and a bunch of junk sitting out in the rain.

I think there are a great many things that will doom a railway museum. But "big plans" is not one of them. Getting things out of order is the usual downfall. For guidance on what to do, let's look at the most successful museums:

Get some equipment.
Get some more equipment.
Get evicted.
Move equipment.
Get more equipment.
Get evicted again.
Get land.
Get serious.

Heh. Okay. Maybe our halls of esteemed museums aren't the best example. Well, figure what they would have done if they'd known better. "1. Get land."

You're getting things out of order already, but yeah, yeah, I know, you have to grab the equipment when you can. But next. Get the land. Do this before anything else. You will have to do the absolutely terrifying thing of letting pieces go to scrap while you stay laser-focused on the land purchase. But trust me. Everything else you save will be much better for it.