But it's perfectly reasonable to ask: Do you HAVE to take every grant of money, regardless of the number of strings attached? Suppose I offered you a $50,000 grant to restore a boxcar. Now, I know your site is grandfathered under ADA, but I want certain improvements anyway because I want people in wheelchairs to be able to pass each other on their way to seeing my precious boxcar. Also your D&B report said you owed $15,000; you said that is an irreconcilable difference with a slipshod supplier; I don't care; I want you to settle that out. And I note your Board is 100% white males while your county is only 35%. Fix that too.

There's a point at which you HAVE to tell the string-obsessed donor "thanks but no thanks". It's a business necessity; you can't spend $35,000 chasing a $20,000 grant. I'm saying people tolerate that from the government when they would tolerate it from NO ONE else.

Of course not; just the ones that make sense. Not all government funding comes with onerous requirements, and not all private funding is without requirements.

I'm less patient with process and more attuned to results than almost everybody else I know, but there's tradeoffs and compromise inherent in every project. Sounds like the practical management of this situation in Altoona is working through them nicely.

dave

It's good to see 1361 finally going home. Hopefully put back together in some form.

Man, doesn't look like they got very far in 2 years. Actually looks more intact in this picture compared to today. Altoona better put her back together one way or another.

Just musing here, so bear with me...As far as I know, the tender has been mostly completed, and is just as much recreation as original fabric due to its deterioration, but lets call it more or less complete. Assuming the good folks as Strasburg have figured out a fix for the Belpaire firebox outer wrapper thickness issue (as they are working on another one), and could do the needed repairs to 1361, how much more work does she need to running gear, boiler etc to get her mobile again? I have no idea how far along her running gear got, but I have pictures of new main bearings sitting on the floor at Strasburg from several years ago. Anyone care to Guesstimate what the repair bill would be from here on in, assuming all the right people were used to finish the job?

Ah, but "the right people" have a sliding scale of prices:

"We need it yesterday" (top dollar, fast turnaround--say, UP 3985 needs a rebuilt safety valve or air pump now......)

"We need it by X date/have x dollars in hand" (price depends on how much of their own routine work has to be set aside to do your job....)

"Whenever you can get around to it" (can result in your locomotive sitting out back behind the shop for decades...........)

For all the condemnation that the abortive PRR 1361 rebuilds have received, I might point out that there's a certain 4-6-0 that has been similarly neglected as a "pile of parts" not too far away for almost as long as the 1361 debacle has been going on, a victim of the latter approach to the "how to pay for the rebuild" dilemma. And, come to think of it, there's yet another 4-6-0 that's been neglected for far longer a few more miles away in a different direction that has basically fallen off of everyone's radar........ Oh, wait, what's the status of that OTHER 4-6-0? In fact, where is it sitting these days?

The restoration of 1361 should be strung out as long as practical, and the work in progress should become the focal point of an exhibit about the inner workings of the Altoona shops. Make the restoration an integral part of interpretation at the museum.

Back to question though, how far did the restoration of the running gear get?
If the boiler issue was resolved, how much work remains to make her viable?

In case anyone is wondering about the status of those ten-wheelers mentioned by Alexander, it would be best to refer to the Oyster Bay Railroad Museums website which contains a blog dedicated to the #35's restoration:
http://oysterbayrailroadmuseum.blogspot.com/
Another member of this forum has already posted regarding #39's restoration.
Take Care,
Steve Piwowarski

Actually, those aren't the 4-6-0's I was referring to AT ALL.

<:-)

I inferred incorrectly as well. Care to elucidate?

My apology for making the assumption Alexander. Either way I'm glad I posted the link to OBRM because I don't believe that it was posted previously. In any case this particular restoration is still very early on.

Gee, how many hints will I have to drop, eh? Nine hundred and seventy-two? A thousand and ninety-eight? Maybe even fifteen hundred and thirty-three?

I'm assuming you mean engines like these...

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1138855
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2117997
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2273336

Am I right? :)