How about that Powerball?

N&W 2-6-6-4 No. 1218 sits under the VMT canopy in Roanoke, Va. during a Nov. 2010 photo event.

Let’s put all of life’s daily responsibilities aside for just a moment and say you have just claimed the winning ticket to this weekend’s Powerball. You’re looking at a total jackpot of around $700 million with a cash value of $428.4 million. And you have it all to yourself. Not too bad, right? But, there is a catch. Let’s pretend mortgages, credit card debt, and other financial obligations don’t exist. After all, this is just a game. You are forced (what a burden) to spend your entire winnings on railroad projects or investments of your choice. How would you prioritize your interests?

Within the blink of an eye, you’ve become a pretty big contender in the game of railroading. Whether its preservation, short line management, or even Class I railroading, you could pick and choose a number of projects that bridge all of the above. So, what are you going to do? The sky is the limit; you could do just about everything (except purchase Norfolk Southern). 

For me? My first stop would be Roanoke, Virginia and the Virginia Museum of Transportation. I’d initiate back-to-back restoration projects on N&W 2-6-6-4 No. 1218 and N&W Y6a No. 2156. I’d reach out to some of the best steam experts in the industry and immediately work to facilitate all of the necessary resources to return both locomotives to operation.

On my way back to Charleston, I’d swing into Clifton Forge, Va. and give Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614 a little love. It’s only fair that I equally recognize two of the prominent Class I railroads that built West Virginia’s rail system.

From there, I would march into West Virginia’s State Capitol with a proposal to rebuild some of the state’s most unique railroads. I would invest money into the completion of the Cass to Durbin connection, as well as the rest of the state’s proposed loop project, connecting former C&O, Western Maryland, and B&O routes in the high mountains.

Let’s face. At this point, I’m pretty busy. There’s going to be a lot of logistics to resolve, plenty of checks to write, and I’m due a vacation. Traveling by car isn’t going to cut it, though. I’m going to begin approaching private railroad car owners and work to build a private passenger car collection. Perhaps a New York Central round ends observation car or a California Zephyr dome? Hell, why not both?

I’m going to take a few weeks and experience some of the country’s most beautiful routes by rail. The Great Northern is high on the list, the Denver & Rio Grande Western cannot be forgotten, and even the original Union Pacific mainline of Wyoming is special. Following my cross-country adventures by rail, I’m going to return to Appalachia with two proposals. First, I’m going to purchase the Clinchfield between Elkhorn City, Ky. and Spartanburg, S.C., and then I’m going to submit a similar proposal to Norfolk Southern for its Virginian Princeton-Deepwater District.

After all, I’m going to need a sufficient place to let C&O No. 614, N&W No. 1218, and N&W No. 2156 stretch their legs a bit. Between those two routes, there should be plenty of opportunities.

Of course, I’d make significant contributions to all of our hard working museums and non-profit groups to help kickstart other projects. I’d restore railcars, depots, locomotives, and roundhouses.. We’d have enough for everyone to where Streamliners at Spencer would be “just another weekend”. 

I could go on and on, but in writing this blog, I’ve talked myself into going to the convenient store… Stranger things have happened, after all.

What about you?