If you follow RT's list - I've been there and done them all. Volunteered literally thousands of hours, funded and accomplished operational restorations.
Small tourist RR out near me here in the midwest in the last 7 years has received multiple state matching and ISTEA grants, rebuilt their 12 mile RR to run 30mph + from nothing. Same story as always - small group of dedicated individuals making it all happen, inclusive of the normal politics.
You guys are surrounded by money and people on LI - there's got to be a better way to raise the dollars so you can contract things out and get stuff done. Let me give you one idea. Check out the following website:
http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/communit ... elines.asp
If you guys were to approach Alcoa in the proper manner, I make you a bet you could get some serious dollars to actually restore the 200 - not just repaint it (again). Given the history of the car as the first all aluminum bodied railcar (built in cooperation between Alcoa and PRR Juniata), and given the history of aluminum railcar construction in the US, I bet about anything that, if approached correctly, they would consider a grant to fully restore the car. Has this ever been tried?
There's more $$$ in the NYC and LI area than most - and just about all those companies have or had a connection to the LIRR in one way or another. Would love to see you all stretch for something big. It's disappointing to me that in all these years, things have not been accomplished like getting the 1556 on the road, or saving any of the few remaining first generation locos. Will be interesting to see just how far the Istea money goes on the 39 as well.
All I'm saying is that I am hopeful that someday somebody back there will figure out a way to tap all the money that's floating around your neck of the woods. There's too much potential not to see an operating museum succeed on the east end.
Fred.
Small tourist RR out near me here in the midwest in the last 7 years has received multiple state matching and ISTEA grants, rebuilt their 12 mile RR to run 30mph + from nothing. Same story as always - small group of dedicated individuals making it all happen, inclusive of the normal politics.
You guys are surrounded by money and people on LI - there's got to be a better way to raise the dollars so you can contract things out and get stuff done. Let me give you one idea. Check out the following website:
http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/communit ... elines.asp
If you guys were to approach Alcoa in the proper manner, I make you a bet you could get some serious dollars to actually restore the 200 - not just repaint it (again). Given the history of the car as the first all aluminum bodied railcar (built in cooperation between Alcoa and PRR Juniata), and given the history of aluminum railcar construction in the US, I bet about anything that, if approached correctly, they would consider a grant to fully restore the car. Has this ever been tried?
There's more $$$ in the NYC and LI area than most - and just about all those companies have or had a connection to the LIRR in one way or another. Would love to see you all stretch for something big. It's disappointing to me that in all these years, things have not been accomplished like getting the 1556 on the road, or saving any of the few remaining first generation locos. Will be interesting to see just how far the Istea money goes on the 39 as well.
All I'm saying is that I am hopeful that someday somebody back there will figure out a way to tap all the money that's floating around your neck of the woods. There's too much potential not to see an operating museum succeed on the east end.
Fred.