If I had a couple million to burn, I would buy my own railcar that would take me places, like one from Ozark Mountain
Restore an engine, albeit an rare engine, that sits in you backyard and what have you really done?
No one is going to a a museum of one engine. You can't drive it down your own personal tracks. When old age and ill health set in, it rusts into the condition it is now to become an albatross for your children.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
One, anyone can have a private car but there's only one T-3a. Two, why couldn't I restore it to running condition? Three, could it possibly be converted into a private car?
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
cascadenorthernrr Two, why couldn't I restore it to running condition? Three, could it possibly be converted into a private car?
Given enough money anything is possible.
The engine only operated in one small area in the US, and it wasn't in Louisiana. There is no place to operate it if it was restored, unless you were going to invest another several million dollars a mile to build your own electrified railroad.
You could hollow it out and put seats in it, once again for more millions of bucks. but where would you operate it? Its not compliant as an Amtrak car so neither Amtrak nor any class 1 is going to want any part of hauling it around. Once again you could spend millions of dollars and buy a shortline or pay a shortline a bunch of money and they might roll it back and forth a couple miles. That's about it.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
So making it a cabin like GN 411 is the most feasible.
Ref. your post of two hours ago:
I know you have asked me not to respond to your posts because you were offended by something I said in an earlier thread. I have tried to comply, but this thread has developed to have an unnatural life of its own, and it's gone on long enough. It has become offensive to those of us who take railway historic preservation seriously.
1. Since there's only one T-3a, it seems that any preservation effort should ensure that this one survivor can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. What makes you so special that you think you should have it all to yourself?
2. I know nothing about you except that you are young and naive. Maybe you have the time, facilities, money, tools, experience, and expertise to do this restoration. Maybe not. If you can do all this, where will you run it?
3. Your last point illustrates that your goal never was preservation at all. Your goal is and always has been the selfish motive of sole ownership. Conversion to a private car is probably an impossibility. If it is possible, it would involve removal of the historical texture of the artifact. No serious preservationist would agree to participate in such a travesty as making it into a very expensive, historically destroyed cabin.
Tom
P.S. There still has been no input from the actual owner(s) of the items, and they just might have an opinion about what you should do with/to THEIR property.
Au contraire, presevation and recording the history would be my first goal I would remove the interior components and restore them. Then I want to point out that she has been sitting there rusting away, my opinion is the museums have had their chance to rescue her. I would not destroy it on the outside it would be the SAME locomotive the interior components would be donated to a museum or something. And anyway I would like to say this is America so if I buy it its my business what I do with it.
cascadenorthernrrThen I want to point out that she has been sitting there rusting away, my opinion is the museums have had their chance to rescue her.
It is now under new ownership. These things take time. It is not something that happens overnight. You have demonstrated the lack of understanding of the preservation community. They will fight you tooth and nail to prevent what you are trying to do.
cascadenorthernrrAnd anyway I would like to say this is America so if I buy it its my business what I do with it.
In your hypothetical dream world, yes. In reality, which is what Tom was trying to give you a solid dose of, these artifacts dont belong to you. You cannot walk up to someone and demand they sell things to you. This is America.
ACY3. Your last point illustrates that your goal never was preservation at all. Your goal is and always has been the selfish motive of sole ownership. Conversion to a private car is probably an impossibility. If it is possible. it would involve removal of the historical texture of the artifact. No serious preservationist would agree to participate in such a travesty as making it into a very expensive, historically destroyed cabin.
These are my thoughts exactly.
I understand that and in that case I will work to help the preservation of them.
cascadenorthernrr I understand that and in that case I will work to help the preservation of them.
Thank you, that is all that anyone can ask of you.
BigDaddyNo one is going to a a museum of one engine. You can't drive it down your own personal tracks. When old age and ill health set in, it rusts into the condition it is now to become an albatross for your children.
Lomita Railroad Museum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomita_Railroad_Museum
http://www.lomita-rr.org/
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
How would I go about constructing a sheet metal clone?
cascadenorthernrr How would I go about constructing a sheet metal clone? (And make it Amtrak compliant)
How would I go about constructing a sheet metal clone? (And make it Amtrak compliant)
No one would object to me buying a caboose and making it a cabin, would they?
Ok maybe not a Amtrak compliant one but a replica.
Amtrak compliance requires, among many many other things, an enclosed vestibule. There are Amtrak compliant PASSENGER CARS with open end platforms, but safety rules prohibit use of the open platform while the train is in motion, or passage from one car to another via the open platform. Cabooses do not have enclosed vestibules, HEP capability, and probably not the structural strength or stability for high speed passenger operation according to Amtrak requirements.
As suggested, several Amtrak compliant ex-Burlington passenger cars are currently for sale. I think the location is Texas, which is much closer to you. Quite a few cars were recently retired from Circus service in Florida, and will be available for sale soon. Again, much closer to you.
Leave these electrics for somebody with better resources and better long term prospects for success.
Just to clarify I was only interested in the T not the S. By the way, welcome back Tom.
dehusmanI think he's just jerking our collective chain.
"Light Dawns on Marble Head"
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7c7597cb-d392-49d8-9256-8d7494eef62c
maxman dehusman I think he's just jerking our collective chain. "Light Dawns on Marble Head" https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7c7597cb-d392-49d8-9256-8d7494eef62c
dehusman I think he's just jerking our collective chain.
Yep...
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
cascadenorthernrr No one would object to me buying a caboose and making it a cabin, would they?
It depends on the caboose. If you took the last known Big Four caboose (and there's only one left) and altered it to your own liking, I know quite a few NYC fans who would be pretty ticked off at you...
Browse here and find something that would suit your needs. These folks will assist you in setting up transportation, too.
http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/catalog.asp?catid=427&n=Cabooses
Good Luck, Ed
No one has mentioned it yet, but consider the other people involved. Unless you are genuinely interested in this project, I mean serious, and already have money in the amount of a couple MILLION dollars, you are just tire kicking. SO think about researching all this. If you contact a bunch of road commissions, highway patrol units, heavy moving companies, railway car facilities repair companies, and on and on, asking them all to report to you what amounts to a bid for work, you are wasting their time, taking them from their jobs. For that matter, do we even know if zoning in your area even allows such a thing? I could walk into the Lamborghini dealer and ask a lot of things about a half-million dollar car, but I'd never be actually buying it, I'd be taking the salesman's time away from real customers. As much as I dream of a Lambo in my driveway, I have too much respect for his job to do that to a salesman. Causing a bunch of clerical people all over the country to spend time looking up specifications and rules, is basically the same.
Of course that is just my opinion.
Enzoamps No one has mentioned it yet, but consider the other people involved. Unless you are genuinely interested in this project, I mean serious, and already have money in the amount of a couple MILLION dollars, you are just tire kicking.
No one has mentioned it yet, but consider the other people involved. Unless you are genuinely interested in this project, I mean serious, and already have money in the amount of a couple MILLION dollars, you are just tire kicking.
cascadenorthernrr Slow down there pal. I would have a layout already but my parents haven't been too accomodating to my hobby.
Slow down there pal. I would have a layout already but my parents haven't been too accomodating to my hobby.
Alton Junction
richhotrain Enzoamps No one has mentioned it yet, but consider the other people involved. Unless you are genuinely interested in this project, I mean serious, and already have money in the amount of a couple MILLION dollars, you are just tire kicking. And let's not forget, this is the same kid whose parents won't let him build a small layout. cascadenorthernrr Slow down there pal. I would have a layout already but my parents haven't been too accomodating to my hobby.
And let's not forget, this is the same kid whose parents won't let him build a small layout.
And let's not forget the many, many members of this forum who have a serious (but light-hearted) interest in promoting the art and science of model railroading in an effort to help others enjoy the World's Greatest Hobby. Upteen dozens of members have spent hundreds of hours and millions upon millions of megabytes of broadband selflessly explaining details and nuances (not to mention some very basic facts) they'd painstakingly learned over many years at the workbench to noobs who've yet to dip their brush in a single paint pot before running off and getting distracted by the next shiny object . . . Oh look, a squirrel!
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
On many forums if an individual in a few months started dozens of posts, covering a wide range of "how come, what if, why doesn't, why is there air", topics, some would call that poster a troll. Now I would never sling that accusation at our young friend. His thread topics have generated hundreds of comments. If I was a conspiracy theorist, I might think our forum hosts planted this guy to increase forum activity. Thanks young fellow for taking our minds off important things we can't control.
Guys, I think the old saying "If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all" applies to what has become of this thread.
The Ringling excess cars will be your best bet if you want an Amtrak compliant car with for a living space. They are already pretty much gutted inside, not good candidates for restoration to original configuration, and there is likely a finite amount of interest in preserving mulitple circus trains. Get two cars. You can put a train layout in the second one...
BMMECNYCThe Ringling excess cars will be your best bet if you want an Amtrak compliant car
If I'm not mistaken the Ringling cars use a different arrangement for the HEP wiring that is not interchangeable with Amtrak.
Regards, Ed
That's interesting to know, Ed, as I thought some of the equipment was bought from Amtrak, and that they passed FRA/ Amtrak inspections. I guess I'll have to check it out!
Thanks,
Mike.
My You Tube
I'd like to apologize to anyone who was offended, I realize that gutting #278 would be a crime, but I think instead of her being stuck in a museum she should be restored to operating condition! Now one may ask how would she be powered? The answer a diesel b-unit used as a generator car. (Just a thought)