****WARNING! ATTENTION! DISCLAIMER!****

I received this "article" in the mail a few days ago from a person that I have never heard of and neither has anyone else. The group currently tied to CNR 6218 "Friends of 6218" know nothing about this either. http://www.friendsof6218.ca/

This article is one of the most preposterous things I've read in a long time, and makes absolutely no sense. Highlights include:



The best part:

Contrast that with:

Questions:

-The first thing I want to figure out is, is this a real newspaper article, or some hoax conjured up by a senile foamer? Everything about this letter is "article" is suspicious. No names mentioned, no publication, nothing, however it does say that the "unnamed official" is also the long time leader of the "club" (Western New York Railroad History Club).

-Now if this is a legitimate article, any thoughts on why this "Club" is seemingly so out of touch with reality?

There aren't many posts here that get me to laughing out loud, but this is definitely one of them. Such BS.

I would take an option to save this article to spread it in my garden next spring. Even a cursory look at 6218 says $250,000 won't begin to remedy her long standing ills. NS and CSX will run her? Please include my squash and pumpkins.

Richard...

would you care for a hi-res scan?

Joe

Does Len have a cousin in Buffalo?

This is ludicrous, but the Fort Erie town council isn't noted for taking a serious interest in rail preservation. Keep an eye on the situation...

She's desperate for attention, but could be doomed if the council jumped at such an "opportunity".

Steve Hunter

Oh, and don't forget, I inspected this engine several years ago, and it is an absolute disaster. The smokebox is all rotted out, from water getting in through the stack, which also makes me wonder if the cylinders have been collecting water for the past 20 years. Then we have to wonder just what shape the boiler shell is in.

Not only has that engine been neglected, for roughly 40 years, but it has been abused. The restoration job it received in the early '90's most likely inflicted far more damage on that engine, then leaving it alone would have ever done.

(One thing I would say though, is that with all the work that 6218 does require, I think she would make a good excursion candidate, because I'd bet that so little of the engine's original "historic fabric" is useful, that you would likely have to replace just about everything, which would create the opportunity to build a modern locomotive, with all of the engineering features currently in vogue now, without the ethical problems of wasting the historic fabric of a better preserved locomotive.)

Actually, the address on the letter is from Ridgeway, Ontario. But there isn't a PO Box, and I can't definitively read the person's last name, AND we can't find any names even close to this in the phone book for the area... (So I can't even write back to yell at this person for sending such rubbish)

Can anyone from the Western New York RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY comment?

Perhaps it is from the April 1st edition of one of the British Steam magazines? Or maybe some half-baked idea from 20 years ago. It was seemingly written by someone across the pond.

Tom, that's about as plausible an idea as anything else.

Does the name Eric Higgenbottom mean anything to anyone?

Yup. It means large pumpkins and squash in my garden!

Western New York has a CPR Mike and the wonderful Pennsy Decapod. They would commit their money to those locomotives first. 6218 is a lovely design, but unless somebody jumps on her with a ton of cash today, she'll be good for some parts as a donor, and that's it.

Maybe this Eric Higgenbottom should get in touch with Abraham Tardlipus from one of the other forums. They sound like they would make a good couple.

Thanks for the laugh, I needed that.......

In the words of a former US President, "There you go again..........."

At this point, the leader of the Western New York Railroad History Club, should publicly either confirm or rebuke the statement from the "source" on the record in the paper, that the unidentified individual doesn't speak for the organization in any capacity and knows nothing about their policies.

This type of dementia is why many rail carriers will not host steam excursions, and why politicians, foundations, and private donors do not give to rebuilding and operation of steam excursions.

The byline "Special to this paper" is a contradiction. That makes it seem like it's boilerplate or filler that can be supplied to many papers, since the Special paper isn't named. Is it an actual clipping with any clue to where it might have been published?

All I got was this photocopy. I don't see anything aside from the name Eric Higgenbottom that could be used to trace its origin, nor is their a date anywhere.