Thanks for sharing, Ed. Progress is always good to see. But, what will the complainers have to complain about when the engines are repainted? :-)

I say this tounge in cheek as it has been an open secret that this project was on tap, just awaiting funds. Meanwhile, the Internet peanut gallery chirped on. Steamtown is a great place. I feel for those who only see the flaws. Potential unrealized? Maybe I'll give you that. But some really great things go on up there, and it's pretty much the only mainline steam in the northeast not on the R&N.


Rob

Looks like that gem of tanker 4-6-4 is getting attention too! Thanks for the photos Ed.

Joshua

It was really concerning that they looked so bad. You only get one chance to make a first impression. These paint jobs will surly help maintain a positive image for visitors.

*snort* Rest assured, they'll find something... guaranteed.

Just wondering if 2124 is getting the same attention . . . ?

FYI
The Grand Trunk and the Reading locomotives out by the parking lot are also to be painted, per a conversation with the park superintendent.
Mike Tillger

OK, call me a complanier or whatever you want, but here are my two observations:

1. Unless Steamtown gets these engines under cover in another 4-5 years or so they will go back to being rust buckets. Scranton is a harsh climate. Remember that these engines received very thorough cleaning and painting in the mid-to-late 1990s, and see how long that lasted.

2. It is hard for me to believe that Steamtown is waiting for money to do anything, especially just to paint some static displays. Couldn't this have been worked on over the years by their regular staff?

Chris.

Be glad the place is still there....grounds, equipment, operations, etc.

If you want perfection, go open up your own museum, with inherited JUNK and run it profitablly.... then get back to us on your progress.

And don't give me crap about the tax money going into this place. Before tax money bought it, it was about to be liquidated and or scrapped in place. No private investor came running up with dollars in hand to take the place over.

"junior" makes a valid point in that we should always count our blessings before we complain. Repainting the front yard equipment will certainly improve the first impression visitors get of the place and is a welcomed development.

Now, if the annual budget allocations of the nearly $6 million they recieve in operating dollars can be tweaked so that enough of it gets to the shop forces to allow them to keep at least one steamer road worthy, then we can all celebrate with gusto!!

Miracles do happen!

Ross Rowland

Ross, get rid of the hiring freeze and new positions added to books and they can! Same crap we are doing in the military, more with less!

Oh about the covering, keep an eye on things, can't say for sure but you all might get surprised in the next 2 years.

With all due respect Steve I STRONGLY disagree. What needs to be done is a serious REALLOCATION of the nearly $6 MILLION/year they now get.

Reduce enough of the way too many staff positions NOT connected with restoration/maintenance and replace those with people who DO SOMETHING!!

That's the change that's needed and has been for a LONG time.

Common sense will tell you that with $6 MILLION/year coming in the door and the place hasn't retored a single American loco. to service in 14 years with that subsidy, and in recent years has failed to field even ONE reliable road steamer that "somethings rotten in Denmark".

What's rotten is real simple..............far too many non-essential employees and far too little recources devoted to what should be the core mission.........preserving and OPERATING steam!!!

Ross Rowland

Well, I don't know where every penny goes but remember those that are working up there are Federal employees which means they have a lot more benefits/money that the average museum employee may not have or get. Again I don't who gets paid what but working with Federal employees they are making a good living.

Ross, you may be right, I don't know the organization chart, but the problem with cutting upper positions, at least what I have seen, is that those positions go bye, bye and they are not moved down. We see this alot in the military they cut those upper management positions in the civilian workers and they don't get moved down. Again I'm only going off what I know here in the military.
You talk about too much upper management and I laughed cause we have the similar problem in the military. We have cut our aircraft mechanics in my squadron by half. But the pilots have not been touched. So we have same amount of pilots but less mechanics. And the pilots still want/need to fly but we can't keep the aircraft fixed and they complain about broken aircraft. So I know what you are talking about too much upper management but that seems to be a trend in the Government.

Maybe a contractor is the way to go with the maintenance and running the engines but it would have to meet Federal laws dealing with all the rules and regulations for safety, haz-mat, etc...... So my question to you Ross is what would it cost? Operate, maintain ( 4 steamers), rolling stock, and restore 2 pieces every year? Remember you do have a dream!! :)

Perhaps the NPS could build a VMT-style shelter, even if it were only large enough to get some of the pieces out of the rain, snow and direct sun... anyone know if something similar is in their long-range plan?