Just in from the Louisiana Steam Train Association member's newsletter!

July 18, 2003.

The Louisiana Steam Train Association
727 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 897-2464
email: info@lasta.org
web: www.lasta.org

In November 2003, the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train will begin its 36-day tour around the state. The newly restored Southern Pacific #745, a 1921, New Orleans built steam engine, will pull a four car multisensory exhibit featuring various exciting aspects of the Louisiana Purchase. Designed to appeal to students of all ages, the presentation will be both educational and entertaining. Current plans include approximately twenty-five stops in a loop around the state, beginning in front of Jackson Square in New Orleans where the Louisiana territory was transferred to the United States in 1803.

In addition to the exhibit cars, the Bicentennial train will have a gift shop and a patisserie. Reflecting the rich cultural diversity present throughout Louisiana, local celebrations will be encouraged at each stop, featuring food and music representative of the area.

PROPOSED STOPS FOR THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE BICENTENNIAL TRAIN

Leave New Orleans at Jackson Square 11/16/03

Schreiver 11/16-17
Thibodaux
Houma
Morgan City 11/17-18
Baldwin 11/18-19
New Iberia 11/19-20
Crowley 11/20-21
Lake Charles 11/21-24
DeQuincy 11/24-25
DeRidder 11/25-26
Leesville 11/26-27
Many 11/27-28
Mansfield 11/28-29
Shreveport 11/29-12/3
Arcadia 12/3-4
Monroe 12/4-6
Tallulah 12/6-7
Delhi 12/7-8
Minden 12/9-10
Hodge 12/10-11
Winnfield 12/11-12
Pineville 12/12-14
Simmesport 12/14-15
Baton Rouge 12/15-17
Hammond 12/17-18
Jefferson 12/18-20
New Orleans 12/20-21

Message from the President,

We are getting close to our dream of firing up SP 745 and pulling the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train around the state this November!

So much is going on at all fronts. At the yard our wonderful volunteers are helping on Saturdays and even on weekends making ready the Bicentennial coaches. Wonderful chefs are cooking awesome meals for our work force. Greg Dodd and his crew continue to work on the firebox (the slowest part of the rebuild) while unseen refurbished parts in his North Carolina shop are being prepared for shipment to New Orleans. Very soon, all these parts will suddenly appear and be assembled on the engine!

Our scholars are working hard with our scriptwriter and cinematographer on producing the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial video. Children from each of the ethnic groups featured in our Louisiana Purchase exhibit are being cast for the final video. Display items of each of the ethnic groups are being assembled.

The participating railroads are meeting with LASTA Tuesday August 5th, 2003 to begin planning the proposed 36-day trip around the state (see above schedule). Each of the mayors of these proposed towns are beginning to prepare their "welcoming ceremony" for our arrival!

Despite all the progress, we are not out of the woods yet. Our needs are great and this letter is a cry for help! We need more volunteers to help with the physical labor. We still need a minimum of $80,000 to pay the required insurance. Last but not least we need your prayers to stay the course, stay sane and continue to enjoy our work together!

Also enclosed is our new brochure for approaching corporations and donors. If there is anyone you might know that will help us, please let us know and we'll approach them with our charm! If you need more of these brochures, let us know. Please also consider becoming a member of LASTA. Every dollar helps. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so NOW. Every dollar helps! If you have joined LASTA, and are current with your membership, please consider making a donation. Every dollar helps!

Thank all of you so much for your kind support (physical, emotional, financial and spiritual)! It all helps! This historic project will make each of us so proud for offering the public a unique fun and educational experience! See you Saturday!

Bruce A. Brown
President

From the new brochure.....

WHO WE ARE

The Louisiana Steam Train Association (LASTA) was founded in 1997 as a non-profit organization whose mission is restoration, operation and maintenance of historic steam locomotives for the education and entertainment of the general public.

The organization's primary focus has been the restoration of Southern Pacific steam locomotive SP #745. A major accomplishment was securing a Federal ISTEA grant of $760,000 and the required $40,000 match to restore SP #745.

Work is progressing under the able direction of Greg Dodd, one of the foremost steam locomotive contractors in the country. Simultaneously, volunteers are working on cleaning and preparing four rail cars that will be used along with SP #745 for the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train.

Visitors are welcome at the train yard at 1403 Jefferson Highway, JeffeRson, Louisiana each Saturday from 8 am until 4 pm. School and camp tours are available by appointment.

#745's HISTORY

The engine is part of the history of New Orleans in many ways. It was built here in the Algiers' Southern Pacific yards in 1921, retired to Audubon park for static display in 1954, and moved in 1983 to its present rail siding. In 2000 LASTA began the restoration, which remains in progress with both volunteers and professionals providing the muscle and know-how to get the work done. It won't be long before #745 is steaming proudly along the tracks, pulling the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train around the state and into the hearts of residents and visitors alike!

After the historic tour, LASTA's goal is to have the train become a major educational and tourist attraction for the greater New Orleans metropolitan area.

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE BICENTENNIAL TRAIN

By invitation of the Louisiana State Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, LASTA will steam its beautifully restored train around the state for its maiden voyage to help celebrate the 2003 Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial. The train will depart on Sunday, November 16, 2003 fro the French Quarter, and return to New Orleans Saturday, December 20, 2003 in time for the reenactment ceremony of the Louisiana Purchase.

During its tour, the Bicentennial Train proposes to visit 25 cities and towns throughout Louisiana. Each town will have an evening "welcoming ceremony" including music, dance , food and perhaps skits - all to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase. During the day, school field trips will be conducted, allowing students to experience a multimedia exhibit created by local scholars in collaboration with the Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Landmark Society and the Louisiana Children's Museum. The 45-minute walk-through exhibit will examine the everyday work, education and religion of the five major ethnic groups of the Louisiana Territory circa 1803. Light refreshments will be provided to the students in our business-hospitality car. A resource and art center along with a gift shop is also planned for the train.

While sufficient funds have been obtained to restore the locomotive and tender, the Bicentennial Train tour is expected to cost just over $400,000. We invite you to help take this historic train around the state. Methods of giving include gifts of cash, securities and gifts in kind. Major sponsors will be recognized publicly, and will be invited to enjoy with their guests a private scheduled use of the "Jefferson" business-hospitality coach.

Submitted by,

Skip Waters
Dallas, Texas
member LASTA



http://www.lasta.org
wgcrush@swbell.net

Greg Dodd?? One of the foremost steam contractors?? I've never heard of him before! Can someone tell us more about his previous work?

> Work is progressing under the able direction
> of Greg Dodd, one of the foremost steam
> locomotive contractors in the country.
> Simultaneously, volunteers are working on
> cleaning and preparing four rail cars that
> will be used along with SP #745 for the
> Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train.

> Visitors are welcome at the train yard at
> 1403 Jefferson Highway, JeffeRson, Louisiana
> each Saturday from 8 am until 4 pm. School
> and camp tours are available by appointment.

> #745's HISTORY

> The engine is part of the history of New
> Orleans in many ways. It was built here in
> the Algiers' Southern Pacific yards in 1921,
> retired to Audubon park for static display
> in 1954, and moved in 1983 to its present
> rail siding. In 2000 LASTA began the
> restoration, which remains in progress with
> both volunteers and professionals providing
> the muscle and know-how to get the work
> done. It won't be long before #745 is
> steaming proudly along the tracks, pulling
> the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Train
> around the state and into the hearts of
> residents and visitors alike!

> After the historic tour, LASTA's goal is to
> have the train become a major educational
> and tourist attraction for the greater New
> Orleans metropolitan area.

> THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE BICENTENNIAL TRAIN

> By invitation of the Louisiana State
> Department of Culture, Recreation and
> Tourism, LASTA will steam its beautifully
> restored train around the state for its
> maiden voyage to help celebrate the 2003
> Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial. The train
> will depart on Sunday, November 16, 2003 fro
> the French Quarter, and return to New
> Orleans Saturday, December 20, 2003 in time
> for the reenactment ceremony of the
> Louisiana Purchase.

> During its tour, the Bicentennial Train
> proposes to visit 25 cities and towns
> throughout Louisiana. Each town will have an
> evening "welcoming ceremony"
> including music, dance , food and perhaps
> skits - all to celebrate the Louisiana
> Purchase. During the day, school field trips
> will be conducted, allowing students to
> experience a multimedia exhibit created by
> local scholars in collaboration with the
> Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans
> Museum of Art, the Louisiana Landmark
> Society and the Louisiana Children's Museum.
> The 45-minute walk-through exhibit will
> examine the everyday work, education and
> religion of the five major ethnic groups of
> the Louisiana Territory circa 1803. Light
> refreshments will be provided to the
> students in our business-hospitality car. A
> resource and art center along with a gift
> shop is also planned for the train.

> While sufficient funds have been obtained to
> restore the locomotive and tender, the
> Bicentennial Train tour is expected to cost
> just over $400,000. We invite you to help
> take this historic train around the state.
> Methods of giving include gifts of cash,
> securities and gifts in kind. Major sponsors
> will be recognized publicly, and will be
> invited to enjoy with their guests a private
> scheduled use of the "Jefferson"
> business-hospitality coach.

> Submitted by,

> Skip Waters
> Dallas, Texas
> member LASTA

> Greg Dodd?? One of the foremost steam
> contractors?? I've never heard of him
> before! Can someone tell us more about his
> previous work?

Any relation to Kevin "Tex" Dodd, who was an engineer on the Valley RR in CT (circa 1986), later associated with Austin Steam Train in Texas?

> Greg Dodd?? One of the foremost steam
> contractors?? I've never heard of him
> before! Can someone tell us more about his
> previous work?

Greg Dodd went to work in the Southern Railway's steam shops under Bill Purdie in the 1970s. He left to go to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad some time in the late 1980s I think (can't remember the date). He left GSMR and went independent recently.

JAC

This is great and I wish you nothing but success. However, I personally would not be so bold as to publish a schedule of operation for a locomotive and train that aren't finished yet. There are just too many variables that can go wrong. Of all the steam projects that have put out such schedules, there have been very few to achieve them on time. When the project is delayed, the press will dig into their box of corny headlines for something like "Old 99 will be late chugging into town".

A similar Bicentennial Train project in Vermont in 1976 (which was a nice ride) ended up being killed after one short summer because of such bad press. Given the awful shape the economy is in today, it shouldn't take much for people to turn against anything that might be seen as an unnecessary frill.

What I want to know is who's railroad are they gonna run on?

lorija799@aol.com

Greg Dodd worked for SR and NS on the steam program (one of his first lucky jobs was renewing the boiler studs in C&O 2716) until 1992 when he left for GSMR's new steam program. He and Steve Webb went out on their own as contractors about 2 years ago. Their work includes running gear on BC&G 4, cosmetic on ACL 250 at Wilmington and GSMR's own 1702 as well as retrieval work for SR 722.
Greg is a good man and, according to Bill Purdie, is the best in the business today. That says a lot.

Wrinnbo@aol.com

The PURPOSED Schedule suggests, BNSF - New Orleans to Lake Charles, KCS the rest of the way around the state. Let's support this train, I think it is a good effort by some hard working people. I hope the operating railroads extend the required hospitality and support the state's 200 year celebration.

Note, there are no scheduled revenue passengers on this train, it is just an exhibit train on wheels, of course, with a operating steam engine. Cross your fingers and pray for support from the host railroads and success for the trip!

http://www.lasta.org
wgcrush@swbell.net

1) no one wants to piss off an entire state by being a "bad" tenant;

and 2) the organizers have the handiest line to feed to hesitant railroad officials, the same one the AFT had in 1975: "Hey, we're not gonna come back and ask for anything like this again for another hundred years!"

lner4472@bcpl.net

> 1) no one wants to piss off an entire state
> by being a "bad" tenant;

This assumes the "entire state" cares. Any proof that they do?

> and 2) the organizers have the handiest line
> to feed to hesitant railroad officials, the
> same one the AFT had in 1975: "Hey,
> we're not gonna come back and ask for
> anything like this again for another hundred
> years!"

Yeah, right. They were back the very next year. As these guys will be, assuming they get this thing ready to go. You can bet they didn't expend the energy and money for just a one-time tour. And the state's railroads probably know it.

Mr. Waters,

since you style yourself a "member" of LASTA and not an "officer," you may not be able to answer the following questions, but perhaps you could prevail upon an LASTA officer to post an answer here? Thanks in advance.

a. While the train can get to many places between New Orleans and Lake Charles using BNSF rights, it would be hard-pressed to get to Houma via rail without the cooperation of Union Pacific, as BNSF does not have trackage rights to Houma. Is LASTA negotiating with BNSF or UP, or both? Has LASTA received approval of the schedule posted by you above from either UP or BNSF?

b. Has LASTA received approval of the schedule posted by you above from KCSI?

c. Will no. 745 operate the train under its own power, or be towed by a host railroad's diesel locomotives from display to display?

d. Can you offer a couple of examples of the artifacts that will be on display in the cars?

e. I was surprised to see that Lafayette is not on the schedule, even though the train will pass right through it. Is there any particular reason the train will not stop in one of Louisiana's largest and most culturally significant towns?

f. I did not find any reference to the train on the Louisiana Purchase 2003 web site. Is this event an official Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial event?

Thanks for any answers you might provide.

JAC

John,

Your right, and your questions are great, but I am only a paying member and not directly in contact with the leadership. So, I am not in a position to answer your questions. I was only passing the information along as I recieved it from the current newsletter. It looks like the website has not kept up with the same information. I suggest you forward you questions to the President, Mr. Bruce A. Brown at the published email address: info@lasta.org.

It looks like they are still working out the details of the trip and route. So the proposed schedule I have shared may very well change once the final decisions are made. If I find out anything else, I will pass that along as well.

Skip Waters
Dallas, Texas


http://www.lasta.org
wgcrush@swbell.net

Maybe because Lafayette has scrapped the last two steam locomotives "preserved" there!

> e. I was surprised to see that Lafayette is
> not on the schedule, even though the train
> will pass right through it. Is there any
> particular reason the train will not stop in
> one of Louisiana's largest and most
> culturally significant towns?

I too am interested in just where they will run. Noting comments in the press release about a meeting soon to be had with interested railroads, one would think this should have happened quite a while back; like maybe a couple of years ago. One of the quickest ways to get various high railroad officials mad is to act like any deal has to be signed very soon as they really need time to think about things like this.
Another is to act like this thing is going to happen when it appears in print with a proposed schedule.

One Class 1 individual I recently spoke to felt that there might be some attempt to operate passenger excursions in conjunction with the steam engine and his feeling was that this was probably a sure way to get a "no way" response from railroads in the state.

jimhollis612@charter.net

While we're on the subject of "obscure" steam mechanics, does anyone know about the work of Jeff Miller? Until recently he was the head mechanic on the restoration of PRR K4s 1361 at Steamtown but I was told he was a veteran of numerous steam restorations previously.

> Greg Dodd worked for SR and NS on the steam
> program (one of his first lucky jobs was
> renewing the boiler studs in C&O 2716)
> until 1992 when he left for GSMR's new steam
> program. He and Steve Webb went out on their
> own as contractors about 2 years ago. Their
> work includes running gear on BC&G 4,
> cosmetic on ACL 250 at Wilmington and GSMR's
> own 1702 as well as retrieval work for SR
> 722.
> Greg is a good man and, according to Bill
> Purdie, is the best in the business today.
> That says a lot.