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?