In the Iowa Pacific thread, there has been discussion of the new boiler situation on the Texas State.

Now, the 300 had gotten a new boiler built in the 1980's, as it had been through an enginehouse fire at Pineland, Texas in the mid '50's and nobody really knew what kind of shape the metal was in.

Back around 1999 or so, we were visiting Blair LaVelle (cmo) at his office, and he told us they had gotten funding for three new boilers-for the 201, the 400, and the 500. Now all of those locomotives were in service, and two were in steam that day.

I asked him what he got, and he proudly said that they were getting around an 8million dollar grant for the boilers. When I asked him what was wrong with the old ones, he stated, and I am quoting as close as I can, "Nothing, really, they're just old, and if we quit asking for money they'll quit giving it." The interesting thing is for the 8million bucks, I think they were going to have to get another grant to install them!


The TSR was always able to sop up public money, in the early 80's they got all new concrete bridges that would be the envy of the BNSF, rated to handle the heaviest freight cars concieved. There's no telling what can happen with private management with the infrastructure in place.

I will say the Curtis Pruett, long-time Superintendent of the TSRR, got some amazing things done while he was there. He also got excellent co-operation from the Missouri Pacific, which provided the blueprints for all those bridges, plus "other" assistance along the way,plus a few opportunities to do some rather special things around the area.

As I recall the concrete bridges were the result of failing long-neglected wooden trestles, and at least 1 of the trestles had washed out in a storm.

CD

Would you rather have the grant money go to the TSRR, or some study on the mating habits of dung beetles?

If they can get the grant money, good for them. If they don't, someone else will.

Remember this, and I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, but there are a lot of strings attached to grants. One of which is that the funds must be used on specific projects as stated in the request. Failure to do so usually results in the loss of all funds and the return of whatever funds used.

Mark

About the dung beetles...
I have always resented basic science research being mocked the way the late Sen. Proxmire did with his Golden Fleece Awards. Some surely deserved mocking but much did not.

Steve

This thread made me look at the TSRR webpage. There I found this photo which reminds me that I grew up in an era of reading children's books featuring a different "blue engine". "I think I can":

What amazes me, is that folks will spend Mega $$ for new boilers, but balk at $ 1.25 per thousand gallons of feedwater to preserve a good boiler they have.