Rich Hunn Wrote:
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> Well yah but all that stuff is going to be
> restored "soon". Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

No Rich, it's probably not. I will acknowledge though, that Fred & his mother went to a
great deal of personal expense and trouble to acquire what is there. However, the boom
years of tourist railroads and privately operating these machines are behind us, I fear.
Of that collection, the 4 little Prairies would make sense to a steam operator. If CA were
not in the financial trouble that it is, the Sierra 36 would be a great addition to Railtown.
The SMV 100 is another engine that could possibly be utilized by some operator.
That being said, the big GN 2-8-0 is a display engine at best. Look at the size tender
she needs to carry behind her! There's not enough water (figuratively speaking) in the
Pacific NW to feed her boiler. No Superheater along with big cylinders make for a very
inefficient, expensive to operate machine.
Pickering 8...her best years were after she was heavily rebuilt over the winter of 52-53.
She then had 6 years as the showcase engine for them, but where could she go today? Cass
maybe. Perhaps somewhere else looking for a big geared loco.
Sierra 38...she might have gained a measure of fame for her 3 years on the Sierra, but
she was a stopgap engine there. They were already looking at diesels. A few years
with Rayonier, Inc. on the Grays Harbor operation and a brass HO model was made of her.
Where in the US could you possibly justify operating her today? She is a big, slow drag
engine with 12 driving boxes, 4 crossheads/guides, ground joints to keep steam tight, etc.,
etc., etc. Unless somebody with deep pockets, and I mean really deep pockets comes along,
there is not much future for any of these great old machines and that's a shame.