Best Friend getting some sun in a couple months-http://bestfriendofcharleston.org/And according a posting on the Bachmann model trains website forum its going to NYC courtesy of NS in December for an anniversary. Should be neat to see it doubleheaded with an SD70! Seriously, when's the last time it operated?Joshua

That depends on what you mean by "operated." If you mean under steam, that would be some time in the middle 1980s. However, the Ford in the crate on the Berthen car gets used every time they pull her out of the barn.If it's really going to NYC, that would mean a substantial change from the city's position. They didn't really want to send it to Sacramento in 1999. BTW, before anybody gets excited about a flatcar move -- it's nowhere near live rail, so it'll probably go by truck.

FWIW Here's the posting from the Bachmann website:"The full size replica of the Best Friend of Charleston will be taken out of its barn and put on public display (weather permitting) Saturday Nov. 12th and Sunday Nov 13th, 2005. The barn is located at 31 Ann Street, downtown Charleston, SC near the Visitor's center. The display will be free. Members of the Charleston Chapter National Railway Historical Society (CCNRHS) will be there. At the same time, there is the Best Friend train show at the Danny Jones Armory, 5000 Lacawanna Blvd, North Charleston, SC. This is 8.2 miles from the Best Friend. I will have a portable "G" layout at the show, with Bachmann 4-6-0's, ET&WNC cars etc, and radio control. Come to beautiful Charleston and enjoy a "train" weekend, then see the other sights. The Best Friend locomotive is going to be taken by the Norfolk Southern RR to Wall St, New York, Dec 12th for an anniversary. Some one was commissioned to make some models of the Best Friend to give out at the anniversary. The CCNRHS worked with the model maker for him to get pictures and measurements. We don't know yet the scale of the models and if they are operating or not. We do know we will get one, and they are not production models. We have been trying for years to get somebody to produce working models of the Best Friend, (Bachmann-hear this), as we have had people to ask about it. Visit our website: http://bestfriendofcharleston.org ."Regards,Joshua