Just read the whole thread.

Thankfully the stoker was kept. Alot of Dick Kughn's money was spent restoring that tender in the late 80's (remember it's 2101's tender, damaged in the 1979 fire. SLCA swapped them at Hagerstown, and 2100's tender is at the B&O Museum).

Yes, those of us here in READING country would like to get her back here where she belongs (and have been trying for almost 20 years). We would like to again repair the atrocities
( . . . and she looked so good leaving the Hagerstown shop !)
done to another T-1 !!
All these years of moving headlights around, adding high number-boards or bug-eye class lights, those other-worldly lettering- or paint-jobs.

How would the U.P. fans have reacted if it had been 844 instead of 2102 to be lettered D&H and get elephant-ear smoke deflectors? (oops, 844 has 'em!) What would the folks in Roanoke have thought of 611 as American Freedom Train #1 (not alot different !?!) or Chessie Steam Special !?! God Forbid if the precious K-4 ever gets anything but PENNSYLVANIA lettered on her tender behind !!!
One of these days you guys won't have a Reading T-1 (or 4 of them) to kick around any more, cause we're gonna bring 'em all home !!! To paraphrase a Beatles song: "all we need is cash".

But seriously folks,
Yes, Andy Muller (my boss) would like the 2100. He was a bidder in the auction which Tom Payne won. But having been in the business for awhile, Andy knows the economic "realities" mentioned elsewhere here. The current asking price would be really tough to recover. Same story with 614. We have the railroad where they could romp, along with the '02 and 425. The question is: How could we get enough train-loads of riders to buy enough tickets to re-coup even half the cost?? We're in the coal regions here, not the silicon valley !!

Any ideas ??

Steve Gilbert
Director of Passenger Service
Reading & Northern Railroad
Port Clinton, PA
RBMNRR.com

> The
> question is: How could we get enough
> train-loads of riders to buy enough tickets
> to re-coup even half the cost?? We're in the
> coal regions here, not the silicon valley !!

> Any ideas ??

Between layoffs, stock options drying up, gallon of gas price of over $2.00 (for self serve!), outrageous housing costs and looming electricity black outs, residents are trying to stay above water! Descrestionary spending is quickly becoming nill.

Unfortunately, the "got rich" silicon valley exceptions are typically recent transplants hoping to cash out their claims before returning home wherever that may be. Because of our high percentage of new residents (less than 10 years), local historic preservation is a tough sell.

There is no coorelation between a region's average income level and its support of historic preservation efforts. We have the same difficulties as other organizations across the country in developing a product that the general public will support.

Sorry for the soapbox!
Ken Middlebrook
California Trolley and Railroad Corporation

ken.middlebrook@nsc.com