Thanks to an unexpected day off today I can finally update you all on the Lynchburg Kanawha restoration project in Riverside Park.

Many thanks to the project's sponsors, the Lynchburg Kiwanis, for taking on the challenging task, and to my father-in-law Warren Willis for keeping us up to date.

You can find two updates in the Briefs, one a text update from the Kiwanis:

http://www.rypn.org/RyPN/briefs/viewbriefs.asp?filename=050120095553.txt

And the other a long photo-diary of the restoration to date from Warren Willis:

http://www.rypn.org/RyPN/briefs/viewbriefs.asp?filename=050120110852.txt

Let heaven and nature sing.

Repeat the sounding joy.

I had given up hope on this loco several years ago. Now there IS hope.

My thanks to the intrepid volunteers!

Now the next candidates --- finding a home/ homes for the two ex-GTW
0-8-0's still left in Sterling.......

TJG

Since I first heard this project was underway, I was amazed at the undertaking. Having seen the photos of this rusted machine at steamlocomotive.com, I was nevertheless enthralled with it.

I recall writing a short story for a creative writing class, using some Twilight Zone inspiration, and in the story a photographer discovered that his photos of this C&O engine, as it sat in the park, miraculously depicted the engine to be in pristine condition. It was a whole silly plot about this camera that "saw" what "once was" (rundown buildings, beaten up old cars, etc). So, if you shot a Ford Model A sitting in a field somewheres, it'd develop and show the car like new...but after looking over the photos of the progress, I am indeed glad it's not a fairy tale after all!

-Kelly Lynch
"nathanfivechime"

A thousand thank you's to the Kiwanis of Lynchburg and to your Father-in-Law for keeping us updated. Having seen the locomotive prior to this restoration, I can only marvel at the efforts. If I can get Waterville to respond in kind, we'll try the same on the 470. Outstanding efforts all the way around.

TJ,

I was wondering if a certain museum in Port Huron couldn't use an 0-8-0 to part in front of the Edison combine.

KRG

thanks for the updates. really thoughtful of you.looks like they're doing a gret job.

Considering that only a year or two ago the various forums were speculating that this engine was "beyond hope" and would likely be scrapped, I'm entralled to see the tremendous progress that has been made! I'll admit to thinking that adding new jacketing over old jacketing is a little strange, but it seems to look ok for a cosmetic restoration. Hopefully they'll do some landscaping around it (including some tree removal) to make in a site more accessible and desireable to the public.

Kevin-

;- ) Let's Talk offsite; like a lot of others, our priorities are elsewhere currently, but maybe not for long. Probably not in front of the combine (no space) but some other possibilities exist.

TJ