I was at the final day of the Freedom Train reunion in Portland this weekend, where I got to talk with Ross Rowland, Doyle McCormack and several other people who'd worked on the AFT. It was a truly awesome experience.
This afternoon, Ross announced to all there that there would be another Freedom Train, pulled by steam, on a 3-year tour of the US.
He didn't mention which locomotives, but said that there are several already capable of pulling the train ready for steam right now, and that when it came to the 30-day checkups, he wanted at least 3 locos total so that nobody misses the locomotive as it's somewhere else getting the blowdown, which happened a few times on the 75-76 train at a few display sites.
We'll see if this comes to pass.

That would be great if it did happen, especially for those of us not yet born during the first AFT. In todays world being able to see our heritage would be a great event followed as closely (and with much more enthusiasm) then the presidential election! Lol Think of all the school field trips to see the items and to expose our youngest generation to steam locomotion for the first time. That would help rekindle interest in our railroading history. Many benefits to a idea like this!

he was talking up here about a train representing the Men in service and other celebrations.

It would be lovely if C&O 614 could be included in that stable of locomotives made hot for participation.

Cleveland was one of the places that #2101 was at Collingwood shops for servicing when the train was on display for the AFT in '75.

But the question is when! Does Mr. Rowland have an estimate for when this might take place?

*sigh*

Here we go again. People generating buzz about YET ANOTHER Ross Rowland announcement, which has very little chance of ever becoming reality.

When will it happen? Right after the Yellow Ribbon Express and Greenbrier Express are done.

This topic should be in the railfan section, and not in the Interchange.

Well, this is really his yellow ribbon express, re-branded. He (correctly, I think) realized that yellow ribbon in a search engine turns up a BUNCH of other stuff, but American Freedom Train really doesn't. It's also a brand that the older folks recognize.
And for the nay-sayers, are you saying it's wrong to even post that the announcement was even made? I know that Ross has some detractors (and who wouldn't, for stuff like this), but for cyin' out loud...

I guess you never heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. How many times does Mr. Rowland have to keep announcing stuff (remember, he "announced" the YRE twice over a nearly decade-long period), and not deliver a final product, before folks finally learn to just ignore him?

It is my guess that he does this stuff to try and get attention. Spreading his announcements only feeds his ego. Nothing more, nothing less. It is purely hype, and you all keep falling for it. I think P.T. Barnum had a famous quote, regarding that sort of thing.

The bottom line, it's the same thing all over again. Mr. Rowland "announces" something to a bunch of gullible railfans, including how many locomotives he "needs" for the project. Railfans run to the internet, to spread the story. Speculation on the best "candidates" for this ghost train abound. Nothing ever comes of it. The only thing that happens, is a lot of mental masturbation. Wash, rinse, repeat.

The rest of us will actually pay attention, when something more tangible appears to be happening.

Invite local people to help with the boiler wash (not blowdown). That becomes even more of an experience than just watching.

The man voiced a proposal. Let's hope he can pull it off. Who has better credentials and any other proposal to offer? What do we have to lose?

Credibility. How many times do you guys have to keep saying this stuff, before you realize that it is never going to happen? It is always the same rationalization from you guys. Nothing ever comes of it. They say the definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.

Trying to get certain folks in preservation to see reality, in itself may well fit that description as well. :-)

He is obviously pitching it around to find backers. Corporate backers. Makes me wonder if it would really happen (for some other reason I won't mention) but lets hope it can.

I do not know any details of this proposal... However, there is a very obvious timeline that would seem to fit. 2026 will be the 250th Anniversary. I suspect we'll see red, white and blue everything. A 3rd edition of the Freedom Train would fit in perfectly, and if it's going to happen, the time to start planning for it is now.

Again, just a guess on my part.

Legitimate issue: By my calculations, Ross Rowland will be somewhere in his nineties by then.
Now, certainly, he could found and set up a non-profit foundation dedicated to the cause that would outlive him.

As for me, I shall completely ignore this latest rumor-floating until the first several major corporate sponsors/underwriters are identified. . . .

Well, there have been a few promises that went nowhere.
But it can't be denied he had his fair share of nay-sayers on the trains he did complete and get out onto the high iron. Can you imagine how many people who said that the 1975-76 Freedom Train would never happen?
Nobody else has the track record of successes he has in this regard. You can say that it'll never happen, but you can't really predict the future. Yes, that means I can't say it will happen, but the difference is I'm not saying that, just passing along what he said he wants to do.