As I said we did have a discussion about this. While I agree that could very well be the best marketing solution for this project it's not an option available to us at this time. One of the biggest prohibitors is our current contract workload that will span most of the next two years.

For now we will stick with the plan that's been laid out and over the coming months/years we will see where we end up and if we are able to approach the marketing and restoration from a different angle. Until then we hope to continue to see the donations come in.

-Tim

Just a general FYI. RMLI reports over $3,000 raised during the short 03/09 funding event. This marks a significant shot in the arm for the LIRR G5s #39 restoration fund.
Now it's time to continue that press and get the boiler back into Strasburg's shop.
For those who will offer criticism, and no matter how well funding goes somebody always has criticism, imagine the cost to steam history if nothing is done.

I donated, I hope you did as well, and if not, please move on it today.

-Richard Glueck
Winterport, Maine

Is this another PRR 1361 situation, in the sense that after decades of nonsense is finally on the right track (pun unintended)?

Better to have a RMLI or Strasburg representative shoot from the hip. I am trusting both parties want to see this come to fruition, trusting enough to have sent in $40. RMLI needs to initiate further funding opportunities, and by that I mean knocking on doors, pressing the value of history, the catastrophe of history lost.

Apparently the J 611 was a huge shoot into the local Strasburg region economies. Imagine a PRR/LIRR locomotive under steam (scheduled steam) each week in the summers!

"If you build it, they will come." -Where have I heard that?

Are they facing the same design issue as the 1361? Hope not.

I agree, that would be a great engine at Strasburg.

As I person who has lived half my life of 75 years on long Island; I have a strong interest in the Long Island Rail Road.

But I am sad that both surviving LIRR/PRR locomotives have been in pieces for such a long time! I think they should have stayed as static displays in their respective museums.

Especially since their boilers no longer meet the new Forn Four standards. And it seems to me that even if restored they will not have an place to run.

I have visited both Riverhead and Oyster Bay museum sites

Ted Miles former LI RR ommuter amd resident

If the funds are raised, # 39 will definitely have a place to run. It'll be one of the regular Strasburg locomotives and run all the time.

John

Ted, just a small point but worthy of mention, in the 1970's, both locomotives were going to be evicted from where they stood since 1956. When the Carriage House Museum decided to expand its auto museum building, scrapping 39 was considered. And while I don't think anything replaced 35's location at Eisenhower Park, the county wasn't sorry to see it removed. Both required disassembly in order to move them.

I'll be first to say, I think they stood disassembled and in "limbo" for too long. Yes, there were huge mistakes made along the way, but in the larger picture, we have two LIRR G5s ten-wheeler steam locomotives available because they were rescued by disassembly.

Both locomotives are currently, presently, right now, facing their best possible futures.

The onus to finish the reassemblies now falls on RMLI and OBRM. My question is, how can we assist in meeting those goals?

I will say, to their credit, they seemed to have improved their social media presence. Until this past February, their last post on Facebook was in July 2023. Let’s hope it is sustained and they expand their presence at shows/festivals.

From their Facebook page:
The Railroad Museum of Long Island is very excited to announce that comedy legend and vehicle enthusiast JAY LENO, is officially supporting the Steam Up LIRR #39 restoration project!!!

As an EXCLUSIVE OFFER by Mr. Leno himself, FOUR LUCKY WINNERS of an upcoming raffle, will be given the OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME! They will have a personal tour of his BIG DOG GARAGE in LA, guided by Jay Leno himself! (Depending on Mr. Leno’s availability) Winners will also receive a complimentary two night stay in LA on us! (travel fare not included) Raffle goes live on Friday at MIDNIGHT August 22nd, and the 4 lucky tickets will be pulled December 14th, at 2pm at our museum location in Greenport!

Tickets cost a donation of $39.39 to the Steam Up LIRR 39 Fund (with multiple tickets being available for separate transactions of $39.39). All funds raised go DIRECTLY TOWARDS Long Island Rail Road #39’s operational restoration!
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

We would like to give Jay Leno a deepest and most sincere THANK YOU, for his support in our final push to get LIRR 39 rolling down the tracks again!!!

How many of our restoration groups look for an endorsement from a high profile celebrity and never quite make it? The LIRR 39 restoration project has new, aggressive blood and deserves it. Seeing a hot, perfectly restored PRR design locomotive in daily service is going to be a treat. Thank you, Jay Leno! Thank you "Steam Up 39" committee.

I have contributed several times and will again. Please join me in supporting this opportunity!

Any locomotive designed and or built in Altoona will have an Altoona designed boiler. So yes the likely hood of LIRR 39 needing a new firebox are very,very good.

Jennie K, I believe a new wrapper sheet for the Belpaire has been designed for 39 and may already be stored with the boiler at Strasburg. Yes, those same issues with the Altoona constructed boilers will have to be remedied. The issue now remains with funding the rebuild and the 39 program has grown considerably in 2025 alone. It's up to LIRR/PRR steam lovers to push the project over the top, work with the momentum generated as of today, and let Strasburg do what it does so wonderfully well.

Oh the joys of the internet! I've been struggling to get the RYPN website to work properly for me this week to make a post about this, but here we are.

RMLI definitely has built up some strong momentum since the spring time and I do believe there is more to come in the future. A bit of a PRR fan myself I can't help but think of the fun that could be had if 39 and 1361 were under steam together at some time. I'm sure the two respective museums have pondered that as well.

As always, I hope everyone who can support 39 takes a moment to do so. Attached is the media being used for the announcement if you haven't had the pleasure of viewing it. Official posts from us here in Strasburg are coming this evening.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!
-Tim

Dear Gentle Readers,

I stopped by to see the health of the RyPN "Steam Up LIRR 39" thread this afternoon. I thank everyone for their thoughtful comments and good wishes. We continue to fund raise to bring the locomotive to Strasburg for restoration. And being the eternal optimists that we are, look forward to seeing the engine operational for Strasburg's 200th Anniversary in 2032.

From your comments and queries, let me provide some up to date observations.

The 2025 Agreement Extension between the RMLI and Strasburg, as well as all other #39 documents pertaining to the project may be found at:

https://www.rmli.org/about-us/trustees-and-documents/

To save you the time in searching for what RMLI needs to raise to restart #39 restoration work, here you go:

in 2026: $1,697,084
in 2027: $1,781,938
in 2028: $1,858,744
in 2029: $1,951,681
in 2023: $2,049,265

Since renewing our fund raising efforts with the Strasburg Rail Road Company in March 2025, the Fund has grown $22,234 in six months.

Today, September 7, 2025, the Fund rests at $297,519.

Of that, $201,574 are "Board Directed Funds." $95,945 are donations received from 414 individuals, non-profit organizations and companies.

"Board Directed Funds" are monies the Board of Trustees have DIRECTED from the RMLI to the Restoration Fund. These include bequests from estates to the Museum's General Fund, revenue from the sale of Engine 39 specific merchandise, revenue from managed investment portfolios, proceeds from raffles and ancillary revenue from the sale of scrap metal and donation jars.

Two million dollars is a big nut to turn, and by your comments, each of you understand that. With the support of each of you and the Strasburg Rail Road's media presence, we are going to work hard to raise two million dollars in four years and six months. Every dollar is appreciated, thank you.

A personal observation, I see what I feel is an inordinate amount of commentary here, on Facebook and other Forums about the amount of money that has to be raised for the restoration.

This ten-wheeler design is like no other ten-wheeler that came before it. William Keissel, Jr. took a huge E6 Class boiler and put it on a modified frame with what was considered an odd drive wheel alignment - the last drivers set back to distribute the weight of the boiler without need for a trailing truck. He specified 68" diameter drive wheels to create a squat, high traction, dig into the rails locomotive that jumped from a station, ran quickly to the next commuter station and stopped on a dime - all to move hundreds of thousands of working commuters in and out of the cities and suburbs of the PRR Empire. The locomotive performed so well in places like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore and Chicago it was tapped to be the first brand-new PRR engine to be delivered to its subsidiary, the Long Island Rail Road. THIS locomotive class was SO successful in what it was designed to do the PRR built ninety locomotives for themselves and another thirty-one for the LIRR.

This locomotive - Pennsy Class G5s, LIRR #39 - is one of only three of one hundred twenty-one machines left. It is the ONLY Pennsy Class G5s that has a PLAN to operate for generations to come. The other two are "stuffed and mounted." This Pennsy Class G5s is not only an important historic artifact of the PRR Master Mechanic's Building, Juniata Erecting Shops, and the Long Island Rail Road - it is a historic AMERICAN industrial artifact that can run again and show Americans what we could and can do when we set our minds to solving a challenge.

This engine deserves to be a beacon for the preservation of unique American engineering and design. But sadly we niggle about the amount of money it's going to take to "git the job done." We need to focus our discussions more on the reasons this particular locomotive needs to be restored and run for Americans again.

Thank you for your interest in this project,
Don Fisher, President

Railroad Museum of Long Island