I found the article that I was basing some of my previous (and incomplete) information on. It's copied below:

From "The Lake Country Reporter" at Hartland, Wisconsin

Owner of KM RR says Town harassed it

Jim Stevens, Staff writer

November 01, 2001

Town of Merton - Harassment by town is one of the reasons the Kettle Moraine Railway has closed down, according to its owner.

The steam train that ran from North Lake to the Village of Merton on weekends since 1972 made its last trip Sunday.

Steve Butler, president of Kettle Moraine Railway Ltd., in North Lake, levied the charges in a letter to Town Chairman Dick Morris.

The town has issued KM Railway two citations for violating the town's junk ordinance. A pre-trial hearing will be held later this month, according to Town Attorney Bill Chapman.

In response to an Oct. 1 letter from Town Clerk Jeanne Ann Frederickson, Butler wrote that was the fourth time in the last 1-1/2 years he has been harassed about "so-called junk."

"This harassment has been a major factor in our decision to suspend our operations in the Town of Merton," Butler wrote.

"It is a shame that the town of Merton has allowed a business like ours to slip through its fingers because once it is gone there will not be any hope of replacing it. Instead of using it as a focal point to help revitalize the remnants of a downtown district, it has harassed, fined, and issued citations to it. It is really a wonder that a new business moving to this area would be interested in setting up shop in a political environment such as the one that has been created here," he wrote.

Butler indicated he is in negotiations with a museum "located in a community that has enough foresight to understand that a steam train like ours is a valuable asset," he wrote.

Another reason the operation has been suspended is due to delays regarding a state grant for repairs to a steam engine. Butler said he still does not have a signed document from the town that had been submitted to the state Department of Transportation. Without that document, repair work cannot begin, he indicated.

The federal grant, administrated by the DOT, is for $160,0000. The owners of KM Railway would pay $40,000.

The $200,000 project is to bring a boiler on a steam engine in compliance with new steam locomotive regulations and to repair running gears on the KM Railway's Locomotive No. 9.

The community he is hoping to relocate the engines to is willing to help transfer the grant to that community.

In regard to the other equipment, Butler said some of it is leased until 2006.

"It has taken 30 years to acquire this collection and it will take time to find proper homes for our equipment," he said.

In the letter to Butler, there are no references to "junk" but that there are many items that will have to be removed and some areas cleaned up.

Town officials did not respond to Butler's letter due to the pending pre-trail hearing.

©Lake Country Reporter 2001



bowens@rypn.org

> Les, not speaking for anybody involved there
> but my understanding is that running a
> private machine shop doesn't require
> visitors, and in fact visitors can interrupt
> profitable work in progress. I wouldn't
> expect any operation other than testing of
> repair jobs, but who knows what might occur
> in the future.

> dave

Dave: Thanks for the clarification. What happened to the rest of the equipment that was there? Anybody know?

Les

midlandblb@cs.com

A partial list of KM equipment locations:
W&OV loco #1 and RI wood coach - Hoffman Construction Display, Black River Falls, WI
Loco #9 and Shay - to go to National RR Museum, Green Bay, WI
Wood combine - tourist RR in AZ
1 wood caboose - Milwaukee, WI for use as business office
CB&Q day coach - still at KM looking for a buyer
Disassembled loco (#16?) - still at KM
That's all the info I have right now.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Correction and more info-
#9 and the heisler (not shay as stated before) are at the National RR Museum already.
One more passenger car went to Black River Falls, just haven't confirmed which one.

Boyd

bowens@rypn.org

Great job! The problem however is that working things out and building a relationship with the local community is that it requires both parties to be reasonable. A rich clueless NIMBY can spoil years of good works. I'm rooting for the railroad on this one.

> I "love" seeing how many posts it
> takes for us to get off of the topic
> proposed by the original poster--this one
> seemed to be gone with the first response.

> THE TOPIC AS ORIGINALLY STATED BY MR DAVIS
> WAS...

> The economy of Wasatch County was fading in
> the mid sixties. The sheep were long gone.
> Milk prices weren't good. Many residents
> were commuting down to (amoung other places)
> Geneva Steel in Utah County to find work. A
> group of railfans, including Mr. Ashton
> started the Private Tourist Railroad known
> in different re-incarnations as The Heber
> Creeper, Wasatch Mountain Railway, etc.
> Finally, in 1989, unable to pull off a third
> reorganizational bankruptcy, the line was
> declared broke and the assets (whether they
> were his or not) were sold off to satisfy
> creditors.

> The county was really hurting in the early
> 90's when a group from the city/county
> approached the state legislature requesting
> an economic development grant to get the
> railroad started again. The legislature said
> "here's 3/4 of the amount you've
> requested, it's all you're goin' to get...go
> away and don't come back!"

> For us the important fact has been the
> support of the city and county. They wanted
> the railroad. Most of our board of directors
> are involved from the community. Growth
> along the Wasatch Front (the Salt Lake City
> side of the mountain range) has pushed over
> the mountains through Park City and now over
> the ridges to Heber Valley. Real estate
> development is occuring along the ROW down
> to Soldier Hallow and the county has
> required every developer to state in their
> contracts that the buyer is aware of the
> proximity of the railroad to their lot and
> that we run stinky diesels and sooty steam
> engines.

> What do we do to help relations?

> Hopefully, give all of our patrons a
> memorable experience because if they enjoy
> their ride on the train, they might just
> decide to stick around and get dinner at an
> eatery in town or even spend the night at
> the Holiday Inn or other establishment in
> town. On the other hand if we run late, put
> 'out of order' signs on the train restrooms,
> have the coke machine breakdown, (you get
> the picture)--then they just want to get
> back to the parking lot, get the kids in the
> car and get back home or back on the road
> with no additional time (or dollars) in the
> community.

> We sponsor a couple of reduced fare or no
> fare trains a year for just the community.
> Some of these may be 'dress rehersal' trains
> for the Haunted Canyon or Polar Express. At
> Christmas there will be a special Santa
> Train for the needy in the community.

> We support local businesses. Our printing is
> done by the local newspaper. We buy tires
> for our vehicles at local tire stores. We
> patronize the local hardware stores instead
> of running to one of the 'big box' stores on
> the other side of the mountain every time.

> We participate in community
> functions--running our CMO's rubber-tired
> parking lot train in parades. We'll tie in
> with local celebrations and festivals giving
> their organizers something more to offer
> with their event (i.e. a cowboy poetry train
> when the cowboy poetry festival comes to
> town).

> We make every effort to be courteous to our
> immediate neighbors by taking the small lane
> crossings with extra caution after dark.
> "Muting" the horn after 9:00pm
> with no horn/bell in the yard (strictly
> hand/lantern or radio communication) after
> 9:00pm. Minimizing late night train
> movements--"just cutoff and get your
> engine over to the shop" is a typical
> direction from the dispatcher (after the
> potty dump).

> --just some of the things we try to do.

> 'doc'


acp19809@yahoo.com

> Great job! The problem however is that
> working things out and building a
> relationship with the local community is
> that it requires both parties to be
> reasonable. A rich clueless NIMBY can spoil
> years of good works. I'm rooting for the
> railroad on this one.

Building a relationship within a community means making your desires into a two-way street. It means making your desires into the community's desires. Along the way you need to support some of the community's desires.

I have observed and been told a number of concepts:

1) Have a presence in the community besides during the weekends. It helps if you have members or staff leaving in the community.

2) Join and participate in the service clubs, chamber of commerce, etc. Host chamber mixers at your site. Provide door-prize gifts for these groups. This will make members of the local business community aware of your presence.

3) Attend meetings of the town council at times other than when you want something. It shows you are interested in the local community.

4) Be willing to support other activities and events within the community.

Just a few ideas.

But, as said above, one NIMBY can ruin it all. Just ask the people at Northwest Ry Museum; they have a NIMBY opposing their expansion plans.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net