I want to send a letter to the MBTA requesting one of the F40's they plan to retire this is what I have so far
"Greetings we are the F40PH Preservation Society, a not-for-profit organization headquartered here in Massachusetts. Our purpose is to preserve a locomotive that has had a major hand in developing modern passenger service, and to educate future generations about America’s passenger rail service as it was, is, and is projected to be. We have been hard at work trying to get the organization off the ground, and now we are looking to start and expand a collection to preserve for future generations. It has come to our attention that the MBTA is looking to retire some of their aging fleet of F40PH locomotives. We are wondering if there is any way we could acquire any of these locomotives for preservation."
Any suggestions would be welcome. As for where any F40PH would be put. The plan is to have it shipped by rail to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum which is connected by live rail.

Be a recognized 501(c)3 recognized non-profit for starters.

Recruit a few member with some experience.

Get letters of support/commitment from local businesses who pledge funds/donations in-kind for your project.

Have a storage/track lease agreement in hand.

Include all above with your letter. Remember they are a government agency and do not benefit from a tax write-off. They need to be sold on it some other way.

Amen! But don't you mean 501c(3)? Anyway Rowan, send me a PM. I've done some digging into 501c(3) stuff for the Seven Railroads NRHS Chapter over the last few months that could be of use for your plans.

F40s didn't develop passenger service. They were developed for passenger service....cause and effect confusion? Is this your mission statement, or have you written one yet? If so, I'd make sure it makes sense and is attractive from a supporters POV.

Like other good advice, walk in there readyto answer questions about a committed home and business and public support.

dave

Good advice on this thread.

I am all for F40 preservation. Question, is there any MBTA that rises above the rest (maybe least modified/most original)?

Some advice I got a long time ago that has served me well in many phases of life goes something like this - don't start a new quest with a vauge ask or an offer to do it all, have a specific goal, know your strengths and show how you have all the bases covered.

In this case, non-profit status is likely a must before any serious conversation can be had -- unless you are looking to purchase one outright.

Good luck,

Rob

Well Rob, the F40PH Preservation Society is a Massachusetts based group. One would imagine that logistics dictate going first for what's closest....

I wasn't arguing against an MBTA unit, just wondering if there is one that is most-worthy.

Yes thanks for pointing that out.
While an Amtrak F40PH would be ideal the MBTA ones are what are about to become available.

We are a not for profit but not a 501c(3) here is a link for more information http://www.bizapedia.com/ma/F40PH-PRESE ... Y-INC.html

We are working with the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum for storage, the board seemed open to the idea and told us to come back to iron out more details once we had a unit ready.

I hope you have some of the other finer details hammered out. "Come back when you have it to get details" is not a final/firm answer for storage. Get it on paper, especially since you say in your letter that it will be shipped there. How are you going to pay for moving costs? Who's reporting marks are you going to use? This is all stuff you need to have hammered out well before you send any sort of letter. Have somebody that has done this before be apart of your group. You are going to need somebody familiar with rail shipments. You may also have issues with whichever carrier is going to move the engine. Does it have Alignment Control Couplers? Is its Air system up to snuff? All these things need to be addressed before getting an engine..because they can simply go "You have 30 days to get it off the property", which, is not always enough time.

I also think your letter could use alot more meat to it. DO some digging and talk to other groups who have done this before.


These aren't meant to be a downer, but its the truth. Have your ducks in a row before going to the pond.

Isn't one of our frequent posters well-connected at MBTA?

Steve

To begin with, you state "We are a not for profit but not a 501(c)3". Your incorporation as a "non profit corporation" in the State of Massachusetts has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on your Federal tax status. It compels you to act as if you were a 501(c)3 but conveys none of the benefits of being one, at least on a national level.

That having been said, I can absolutely guarantee you that any organization you approach with a request of the form "Please give me an F40PH so that I may preserve it" will ask you, "Please show us your 501(c)3". Because nothing in your current status makes any donation to your organization tax deductible. If you make the same speech to a potential donor that you made here about not for profit, they will thank you politely and say no.

If you're going to do this, you need to do it correctly and NOT cut corners. So suppose that you do all the paper work, and a year or two from now (realistic time frame) you finally get your 501(c)3. Now, make the same approach (possibly after paying someone to rewrite your request letter).

The first thing the donating organization is going to ask you is "Where are you going to put it? And may we see the paperwork?" They aren't going to give you your F40PH if you've no place to put it. And according to you Shelburne says, "Come back when you have it." What does that tell you?

The MBTA is a government organization so a tax write off doesn't affect them. The board at the Trolley Museum is open to the idea. I am also a active member of the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum and all of them there know what I am trying to do. Also the F40PH did help devolve modern Passenger service it was the next generation of motive power at the time and it was the standard for all passenger servace in North America outside electrified zones.

In my opinion, this letter needs to sound a bit more professional; otherwise it will just end up discarded.

Here is my edit:

[Name of whoever handles these requests at MBTA]

We are the F40PH Preservation Society, a Massachusetts-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of this model of locomotive.
It has come to our attention that the MBTA is looking to retire some of their fleet of F40PHs and we are interested in possibly acquiring one of these locomotives for preservation after they leave the MBTA's roster.

Sincerely,
[Name of sender, etc.]

In my opinion, including the sentences that read Our purpose is to preserve a locomotive that has had a major hand in developing modern passenger service, and to educate future generations about America’s passenger rail service as it was, is, and is projected to be. We have been hard at work trying to get the organization off the ground, and now we are looking to start and expand a collection to preserve for future generations. might be better suited for a press release for the F40PH Preservation Society and that boiling the preamble down to We are the F40PH Preservation Society, a Massachusetts-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of this model of locomotive. would be much better in the name of sounding professional when contacting the MBTA.

Also, do you know whom to contact at the MBTA who handles such matters as sale and/ or donation of equipment? Knowing who to go to would be better than simply firing off a letter to the MBTA itself and opening with a cordial greeting. Again, too much risk of the letter getting discarded IMO because it sounded amatuerish.

Writing and editing is something I do as a profession, so if I can be of any further help to you and your group, please send me a PM.

One thing that you've demonstrated admirably is that you do not listen to anyone who offers you input, suggestions or criticism. It doesn't matter one iota if the Shelburne Falls board is "open to the idea". That and a couple of bucks will get you a cup of coffee. The simple fact is that you do not have a place to put it. The board could easily have chosen to give you an agreement, a letter of intent or some form of commitment. They had to have known that any organization capable of donating such an item is going to expect, a priori a commitment from someone that you can store the donated item on their property. You do not have it.

Your project seems to be long on wishful thinking and very short on planning. I wish you luck, but that's about all.

A rather humorous ode to the F40PH is posted here:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/f40ph