The "Flying Yankee" lives

[Anonymous]

I recently stumbled across a website all about the Ex-Boston & Maine's 1930's flagship Passenger trainset.
My question is: If it ain't for railfanning, what good is it to restore???

Please respond.

[PaulWWoodring]

I hope I'm the first of several somewhat outraged responses. Just because something doesn't run does not mean you can't learn from it. We have lost so much of our past history, not just railroad history either. While I realize that it is not possible to save everything, I wish more would be done to save those things and locations that have significance to our past. The Europeans seem to have a much better sense of history and preserving the past than our consume and move on way of thinking does. Every artifact in museums and static displays tells us something about the evolution of transportation and railroading and leads to a more complete understanding of the history that we all share; for it is understanding that leads to a better and hopefully more enlightened future.

[Anonymous]

That way of thicking is why there's not many steam locos left, once they were surplus or replaced they were scrapped and the same is now happening with the first generation diesels. Where are all those E's, F's, the first switchers, each major railroads first diesel, the first erie-built, fairbanks-morse, etc. We have learn't nothing from our predecessors mistakes. Just because something doesn't run or look flash doesn't mean future generations cannot learn from it. Like what it was like to live and travel in the 1860's or 1930's or how things were built or shifted. Everyone needs to find those relics, moving or not, and save them for our children or their children to see and learn from.
Darren

[jamesedwbradley]

What do you mean "for railfanning"? One second's reflection says that if it isn't preserved, even if non-operating, there's NO chance it can ever be photographed again, let alone brought up to operating shape and used for 'railfan' excursions or 'photo specials' sans passengers. Look at the steamers consigned to parks/museums which were later pulled out and restored - "what good was [fill in name] ?" Only the UP 844 and maybe a couple of the RDG Iron Horse Ramble 4--8-4s, and very few others, escaped such temporary storage. Many of our National Ry. Historical Society Chapters, and many complimentary groups, have dedicated their efforts to give us a taste of what once was; to give our children, and their children, a sense of living history! THAT'S what it's good for!
Jim Bradley Natl. Director Hawk Mtn. Chapter NRHS