Here's my two cents :
1. Find a museum that preferably WANTS an F40.
There is A LOT of mechanical and cosmetic work that will be required on any locomotive. It needs paint. It needs oil. It will need brake shoes changed. It's got bearings to be oiled, gears to be greased.
If you don't find a museum that wants an F40, you'll be doing all of the work on it yourself, which is a HUGE amount, assuming you even know how to do ALL the work on it. Get a museum that might be willing to porovide support for the technical stuff you might not know how to do. Sometimes just a second pair of hands to help makes a HUGE difference. Find an environment where your F40 will be a "favorable guest." You might have trouble finding somewhere that wants an F40 to run - you might have to find somewhere to just store/display it first, while you fundraise and do other things.
2. Wait a while.
There are F40s out there, especially here on the MBTA. Saving one is a good idea; They may be common to us, but how many other past "common" locomotives don't exist anymore?
If you really want to preserve an F40, you need to do it right - you don't want it to become a piece of junk rusting away in a museum like a lot of things now sadly are. This is one reason people won't donate until you show you've got a credible plan - people want to give money to a locomotive that will be properly cared for and run, not that will rust away to junk. Theres only so much money and expertise to go around. Also,
3. Network
Find other people interested in preserving an F40. Find people with technical expertise, knowledge, and $$. (You're starting to do that now, which is good.)
4. Learn
While you network, fundraise, take photos, etc, volunteer with a museum where you can start to learn the technical skills and expertise needed to maintain an F40. Learn how to service a large locomotive engine, trucks, etc. Take the "free" time you have now, and learn as much as you can about how to care for the future F40 you hope to get. Its just like getting a new pet - you read up on its care, food needs, habbits, etc. BEFORE it comes home. Take the time to learn and work on someone elses locomotive - you might not be working on your own machine, but you're not paying for it either, and you're gettng "paid" in experience.
I like that you have an idea, and what seems like a lot of dedication towards saving an F40.
But slow down and plan a little bit more about what you want to do, and what you're able to do.
F40s still have time, and will be around for a while more.
1. Find a museum that preferably WANTS an F40.
There is A LOT of mechanical and cosmetic work that will be required on any locomotive. It needs paint. It needs oil. It will need brake shoes changed. It's got bearings to be oiled, gears to be greased.
If you don't find a museum that wants an F40, you'll be doing all of the work on it yourself, which is a HUGE amount, assuming you even know how to do ALL the work on it. Get a museum that might be willing to porovide support for the technical stuff you might not know how to do. Sometimes just a second pair of hands to help makes a HUGE difference. Find an environment where your F40 will be a "favorable guest." You might have trouble finding somewhere that wants an F40 to run - you might have to find somewhere to just store/display it first, while you fundraise and do other things.
2. Wait a while.
There are F40s out there, especially here on the MBTA. Saving one is a good idea; They may be common to us, but how many other past "common" locomotives don't exist anymore?
If you really want to preserve an F40, you need to do it right - you don't want it to become a piece of junk rusting away in a museum like a lot of things now sadly are. This is one reason people won't donate until you show you've got a credible plan - people want to give money to a locomotive that will be properly cared for and run, not that will rust away to junk. Theres only so much money and expertise to go around. Also,
3. Network
Find other people interested in preserving an F40. Find people with technical expertise, knowledge, and $$. (You're starting to do that now, which is good.)
4. Learn
While you network, fundraise, take photos, etc, volunteer with a museum where you can start to learn the technical skills and expertise needed to maintain an F40. Learn how to service a large locomotive engine, trucks, etc. Take the "free" time you have now, and learn as much as you can about how to care for the future F40 you hope to get. Its just like getting a new pet - you read up on its care, food needs, habbits, etc. BEFORE it comes home. Take the time to learn and work on someone elses locomotive - you might not be working on your own machine, but you're not paying for it either, and you're gettng "paid" in experience.
I like that you have an idea, and what seems like a lot of dedication towards saving an F40.
But slow down and plan a little bit more about what you want to do, and what you're able to do.
F40s still have time, and will be around for a while more.
