I don't know where Pundit gets their info, but there are incorrect on many fronts.

First, there has been no "bundle of cash" from a lawsuit settlement. In fact, the actions of the small faction from last year cost the organization over $18,000. That said, we ended the year in positive financial territory and had our best fundraising income in over 7 years in 2015.

From your "no realistic fundraising plan" phrasing, I can make a guess as to some folks you have been talking to. I can also tell you that is inaccurate. Considering I am a director and the corporate secretary and have been working with our new marketing firm and several volunteers on marketing and fundraising programs, I would venture my knowledge is more accurate than yours.

Also, I will point out something in the election numbers that few people know about: we were able to determine that several people were signed up as members in the months leading to the last election who were friends, family members and acquaintances of some of the dissent group. They were, in a word and in my opinion, "plants" and their votes skewed the results, which would have been a bigger margin against the dissidents without them.

That said, the Board and managers have never discounted the input of any member. Nor are we inclined to start. The issues last year were largely fueled by personal issues of a small number of people and conflated into a larger issue with dubious "proofs". Note they laid out no program for anything that was not already in progress and largely resorted to personal attacks and spurious claims which were disproven with facts. I know as I was the target of many of those claims.

As for the 1503, it was never considered for any form of sale. As stated that was a goal of the dissident group as was the sale of many other items. We do have some items that we are seeking to deaccess, but ALL have been vetted through a collections management program using Association of Railway Museums guidelines and all are "on the block" to other preservation entities as they do not fit our mission, not for any financial reasons. There are those who persist in claiming the organization is about to sell large amounts of the collection but that has never been even remotely the case. I invite a review of our meeting minutes if you don't believe me. I can provide copies.

And those items up for deaccession are one of the ex-SP / ONW AS-616s (which it appears the city of Hines, Oregon wants for preservation), an SP sugar beet gon (also being reviewed by a museum), and a built in Canada Baldwin DS-4-4-660 / 750 (also being eyed by a museum). The 4450, which much angst has been expressed over, was held onto for years in hopes some other museum would take it and we exceeded the requirements of the ARM guidelines in our deaccession process. We had two deals fall through, the second because of the alignment control couple rules a few years ago. We offered it free to several museums and all turned it down. It was a very decayed locomotive when we received it. Even then, it gave its parts to repair other locomotives in the collection, the value of which probably exceeded whatever funds were received for scrapping.

There are a great many hard-working volunteers who keep the FRRS moving forward and upward. We have cultivated a growing and strong relationship with the city of Portola and are poised for some major events in the coming years. WP 165's restoration continues and other equipment is receiving care and repair. Recently, Sacramento Northern caboose 1642 was placed onto our Santa Trains and performed admirably. Also we are holding a joint convention with the Pacific Coast Region of the NMRA this year in Modesto. Registration is now open for that.

If anyone has any questions about the FRRS, I am fairly easy to contact online. I hang out on Trainorders as "Zephyrus" and check Altamont regularly. I do also run a design and engineering business, so if it takes me a couple days, please understand.

Eugene Vicknair
Secretary - FRRS