Ah, I didn't think about that. Makes sense now. Good price or not, it's going to be restored and that's all that matters.

Is the museum going to use any other locomotives besides the 50 and the SLRG equipment?

Thomas

That is the million doller question Thomas. They got the coaches out and stored them down south, but with just the short bit of track in place on the L&ER, a somewhat unfriendly G&W, which also now is the operator of the WSRY. Chances for operation are looking slim, making the DS50, a couple of cabooses and that rider flat thier primary train to run in Logansport once the L&ER track is rehabbed enough to permit short rides. I have a feeling the reboot of ITM is going to be on a much smaller scale operation wise for many years to come. The last list I saw, showed ownership of the two Geeps and the F units as USRail/MRO, who ever MRO is. With USRail now defunct, atleast locally, as to the future of the big road units to handle the Budd cars, that is anybodies guess outside of the inner circle of ITM. In my opinion it would play better in the media if ITM was much more transparent about their plans for the new location and museum. Might help with donations and support if they would be a bit more forthcoming other than the rent-a-train operations a few times a year. A "Hey, here is what we want to do and we need your help", followed by cordinated work on grants, crowdfunding and any other means to gain $$ and more active volunteers. Call it an "All hands on deck" situation. Maybe a much smaller reboot with a switcher, a couple of cabooses and the rider flat would allow them to concentrate on paying for the property, rehabbing the track and getting that switch reinstalled. Then concentrate on restoring those NKP cabooses back to being nice and shiny and move forward, slowly with a proper game plan, buildings to keep ALL restored items in, instead of letting them get weather beat ie 83A prior to repaint into NKP. I wish them the best and hope to be able to volunteer again once they get established in Logansport. Mike the Aspie

As info for anyone in contact with the owner or restoration team of Monon 50 - a SW-1 cab is now available in the greater Philadelphia area - http://www.rypn.org/forums/posting.php?mode=reply&f=1&t=42824

Here's a link to the post I put on classifieds:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45094&p=309598#p309598

There is something about climate change here in Kalifornia that makes people stupid'r if that is possible. For that reason many of the bridges are now having the underneath roadways excavated to make a dip down while passing under the bridge, there by giving a greater vehicle overhead clearance.

I make it a practice to NOT follow any semi truck rig with an open load. During recent freeway expansion construction a temporary bridge overpass was installed. With incorrect clearance signage numbers. IE it was lower than reported to the highway patrol and to the trucking outfits. More than one truck ran under at 60mph with spectacular affects resulting. I knew this and was following a double ie truck and trailer semi rig loaded high with alfalfa hay bales. Hay trucks are known for overloading not only in weight but height so I dove away from the truck as it approached the temporary bridge just to see it explode as the top layer of bales, several tons of hay turned into a green cloud and about a third of the trailer tumbled on the fwy at 60 mph. No one here recognizes speed limits anyway.

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Update with some railroad content: The infamous "11 foot 8 in." bridge was recently raised to 12'4" with the cooperation of NS. Still not at the federal highway standard of 13'6", but another 8 inches will probably make incidents rarer (and less entertaining).

Years ago, I was a driver for the motor carrier that had the contract for the Cumbres and Toltec shuttle. This was back when they were operating one train a day in one direction only. I was up at Antonito with the other driver, preparing to leave a coach there for the next day's morning run from Antonito to Chama. We were standing by the coaches, watching the traffic on the highway. Hay carrier came up-single trailer with bales strapped pretty poorly-no lengthwise tiedown. We were commenting on the poor load securing job when the truck made the turn onto the highway-and promptly lost the last two stacks due to the poor job of securing the load. Hay bales went all over the highway-fortunately, traffic was light and no accidents occurred.

Then there was the crazy Safeway driver who passed me on the mountain, probably doing 60 or better. I was going north at a safe speed and he blew by me. I figured we'd see him turned over on the other side of the mountain. He somehow made it down La Manga Pass-next time I saw him, he was on the shoulder with the Colorado Highway Patrol and the officer was under the trailer. He got a nice big fine and probably put out of service for his troubles.