The short of it: Gofundme L&A 503 funds to be reallocated to moving NKP 587 and C&O 2716 from the Indiana Transportation Museum. You can opt out and receive a refund.

Um, no. Funds to be used to purchase and relocate the AUXILIARY WATER TENDER and TOOL CAR used with the 587 in excursion service and two sets of Buckeye roller bearing cast tender trucks. The presumption is that they will become the property of the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation. KSHC is a 501c(3) non-profit working on an operational restoration of the C&O 2716. 2716 is being leased from the Kentucky Railroad Museum. 2716 is in New Haven, KY, but KSHC is purchasing land from CSX in Ravenna, KY and that is where the equipment is to be moved to (except the trucks which will go to New Haven and under the 2716 for its move to Ravenna).

This is apparently separate from the KSHC/ITM deal to relocate the 587 to KSHC's site but still be owned by ITM. 587 is also to go to the Ravena site. That deal also mentions KSHC buying the tool car, so there is some overlap there.

At lease that is how I understand it.

And I quotith from the page of 503:
"I propose that we use the money raised for the 503 and reallocate it to a project that we actually have control over: assist in moving the 587 out of harm’s way and help getting C&O 2716 ready to move via rail to Ravenna. Your contributions could help another engine from an uncertain fate - 587- AND help move C&O 2716 to finish her rebuild!"

Does Gofundme have a legal process whereby contributors can proactively give permission to reallocate their donation to a new purpose within a specified time period upon their receiving notification of the proposed new purpose?

Watch the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmk3rxwkCrs&feature=youtu.be

My point is that if you offer to return the donations to the donors who request a refund, the total raised funds pool is not available until this process of returns is completed. And yet, it sounds like time is short to commit the reallocated funding to the new purpose.

Therefore, I would think it would be necessary to directly contact all donors to the original purpose, and present them with the option to have their funds reallocated to the new purpose, or to receive a full refund of their donation. With this notice, also inform the donors that their option for a refund must be exercised by a certain date, after which the offer of the option will expire.

Once this process has run its course, the balance of the funds pool will be available to apply to the new purpose.

I don't understand this at all! I donated money to save the 503 and have it moved to a temporary location with plans to restore it to operation and give it to a tourist railroad in Florida. I did NOT donate money to have anything to do with the 587, the Kentucky Steam Heritage outfit or any of their other stuff. I thought that GoFundMe had strict guidelines that the money donated could only go for the purpose stated. Am I wrong about any of this???

Charlie,

From the GoFundMe update:
"If you wish your money to NOT be used for this amazing initiative, please email me and I will refund your contribution".
I don't have Jason's email but I'll bet someone here does.

So how do I go about sending a document or whatever he requires about the money I donated? It was my understanding that if the 503 effort failed, then the money would be automatically refunded and I wouldn't have to ask for a refund?

Why doesn't Jason start a separate fund for the 587 and the Kentucky Steam Heritage stuff?

I have looked at Gofundme rules and policies, and have been unable to find any clarification of this reallocation of funds detail. It is fine that Jason has offered to refund any donations from those who do not want to reallocate their donations to a new cause. But what if someone did not hear about his offer when he just made it a few days ago? What if that person hears about it in a couple months, and they asks for their money back? What if somebody makes a request for a refund three years from now? Will they be told it is too late and the money has already been reallocated?

That is why I believe this offer to refund has to have direct notification by post office mail, and then a time limit for exercising the refund option. Or better yet, refund everyone's donation and start a new fundraising effort for the new cause.

Okay, if I scribbled down the info right, Jason's email is nextgenrail@yahoo.com . He says to attach a screen grab of the donation. I have no idea how to do a screen grab nor how to send one. I assume that would mean scrolling through some 1200+ listings to find mine.

I do support the Kentucky Steam Heritage group and their endeavors, but I don't like being told that money I donated for another cause will go to them. It was my understanding, and I obviously don't have much of an understanding of things, that the donor could choose whatever organization to have his money go to. Instead, the two options seem to be to give it to the Kentucky group or beg for a refund.

And I'm confused as well about what the 503 money is buying. The video says just the water tender, tool car and two sets of trucks while the GoFundMe page says the 587 is included as well.

I have yet to find these strict Gofundme guidelines that I keep hearing about and I spent 10 minutes clicking links on their website trying to find them. They don't have teams of people scrutinizing every donation, instead this is largely kept in chceck by the honor system. There is a refund guarantee process if the donations are not used in a proper manner but since Jason stressed the option of a refund that mechanism is largely moot.

Most people who donated were giving as much to preserve a steam locomotive in the abstract as the 503 in particular. Most of us did not even know the 503 existed before all of this. So since the initial goal was reached of saving the 503 from being scrapped without spending the money, I feel that using it to purchase two endangered cars that can be used with another locomotive is staying within the spirit of the initial effort.

Think of it this way. 503 is saved and as a bonus two cars are saved that will materially assist in efforts to steam the 2716. That is a pretty good deal IMO.

If so desired donations can be returned by following a simple process, but most likely 98% of donors would have no problem with the new use of funds since the situation at ITM is just as dire as the one in Port Arthur and after all this fundraiser was created to address an 11th hour emergency.

Charlie,
Send Jason an email and explain your situation. I'm sure Jason is a reasonable guy and has your donation info available.

A photo taken by Kelly Thompson on July 5, a mere two days after Ron's post, showing NKP 587's boiler aboard a flatbed truck in Noblesville:
Railpictures #663290

I noticed in the one video that was posted of the boiler loading that it was pouring rain. Jason was in the middle of that, so I would not expect him to respond too quickly at this point. He is doing a Hell of a job down there. Let's cut him some slack here. I am one who asked for a refund so that I could apply it to the save of the Porter fireless. Heston has stepped up here as well and I am partial to the Rodney Dangerfield of locomotives.
J.R.