It has been 28 days since we launched the Extra 3639 North Project to acquire and preserve the ex EL 3639/Conrail 6670 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. In that time we have raised $10,000, made a deal to purchase the cab doors and windows that the locomotive is missing and starting today, Athearn Trains has announced pre-ordering for new HO scale models of the SDP45 in either EL 3639 or Conrail 6670, with a portion of their sales revenue going to YSH for the Extra 3639 North project!

So for those of you who model HO scale and would like to pre-order your own SDP45, you can do so here:
https://mainemodelworks.com/products/athearn-genesis-emd-sdp45-diesels-cr-6670-el-3639-preservation-fundraiser-pre-order

Personally I think it is great when model manufacturers team up with preservationists! Excellent way to cross over from one aspect of railroading to another.

As for the locomotive itself, we expect that it will be moved to VMT at some point in the near future and we will then be able to start working on it.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far!

http://www.extra3639north.org

Rick,

You -might- need to resize that picture. I couldn't even read your first line without a bunch of scrolling.

Sorry about that. I resized the pictures by half and 3/4 and still they are large but acceptable now.

I ordered mine. Who's next?

Well with news of Rick’s post on the Athearn facebook group, I must ask, what were the official details of this deal? I’m greatly disappointed in Athearn for backing out. Among other things, yet another reason why that company won’t get too much of my money in the near future. It’s a shame that the company backed out, shows how certain moves are made.

Rick, are you able to explain the situation?

Athearn did not provide me with any numbers as to what their contribution to us would be. The promotion was held when the models were available for pre-order but since Athearn would not be paid for the models until they were ready to ship, we would noe receive anything until after they shipped.

Since the project has been in a holding pattern while NS continues to not be cooperative regarding moving the locomotive and a coach belonging to the Roanoke Chapter off of the storage track, I kind of forgot about the Athearn fundraiser. Meanwhile our contact at Athearn left the company and I imagine that the details of this fundraiser left with him. I don't know who runs Athearn or who else to talk to. I just knew the one person there.

I guess some of this is my fault for not keeping closer tabs on this, but I assumed that Athearn would send us a check once their models sold and they tallied things up. I never had a contract with them, it was just a virtual handshake agreement.