I got the e-mail below today, and thought it deserved a new thread because it is kind of a fresh start. Please don't foam or suggest unhelpful ideas.
This may be the last chance folks. If there is any group thats interested in 470 please let us all know here. There are a few of us who are looking to set up an informal meeting to discuss the future care of 470. We would not want to step on the toes or get in the way of an established group who may want to help 470. However, if there is nobody, then a group needs to be formed and a realistic goal needs to be established.

Brian Hebert


Hello Brian,
We received zero inquiries regarding the 470. Any chance you could let the (serious groups) know to contact me by the end of August with a proposal?


Matt Skehan
Director - Parks and Recreation
City of Waterville
(207)680-4744
mskehan@waterville-me.gov

OK, guys - put up or shut up. Who needs a very nice but rough light pacific, and has the ability to actually acquire it?

This is recognisably good news - providing we as an industry don't drop the ball.

dave

Let's be crystal clear about this.

They only need an outline of the proposal by the end of August--such as "The [fill in the blank] Railroad/Museum wishes to acquire this locomotive from the town of Waterville, Maine, for preservation and static display. Upon acceptance, fundraising will commence immediately."

Right?

They don't need it moved out by a set time, correct? Deadlines are what kill these projects. If they will accept a good-faith effort to save it, and hold off scrapping until money is raised, then somebody had better, as he says, "put up or shut up."

Sandy, I'd assume there would be some degree of qualifying potential candidates in terms of their ability to actually do what they say they can do.......at least I'd hope so. We don't need more imaginary railroaders coming up with grandiosely delusional ideas.

dave

I like Filmteknik's idea on the other thread about getting a bunch of volunteers together and slapping a coat of paint on it. Granted that it's not a permanent solution, but the locomotive will look nice for a couple of years while other options are explored. And it'll show the city that there is some local interest in the locomotive.

I think there were posts made here about working on her and someone said that the town has forbidden any work for fear of someone getting injured.

Here would be my strategy for a proposal to the city.

Form a not for profit corporation
Obtain liability insurance for said organization
Propose to the city to lease the triangular parcel of land upon which 470 sits for the creation of a "railroad park".
Pledge to cosmetically restore the 470 on the short term. Organization would also handle upkeep of parcel of land.
Long term goal erect shelter over locomotive. Possibly acquire additional equipment to display, or construct permanent building for a small museum or visitors center.

The fact that nobody has yet proposed this tells me that perhaps all the people who could do such a thing are already involved with other ventures (WW&F perhaps).

Maybe also ask the city to provide some seed money to this new organization to help them get started. Proposal should also have a few milestones to reach so the city fathers can judge if the organization is upholding their end of the deal.

(now I sit back and wait for know it all Mitchell to pick this apart and tell us all why this is a dumb idea that would never work)

I like it. It's a small achievable plan. The next thing your group should do is obtain a small parcel of land somewhere that is zoned light industrial and can be bought free and clear. The purpose of this land is to have a "plan b" option of a place to put the locomotive if everything goes bad. This object lesson brought to you by the township of Pemberton. Gee, whatever happened to those guys.

Just curious, is Guilford or Pan Am (or whoever the current successor is to the Maine Central) aware of the situation with the city and the locomotive? Perhaps they'd be willing to move it into their shops and do a cosmetic restoration as a public relations venture.

Robert, that was a hypothetical plan and not one that I am actually trying to carry out from eight hundred miles away. But I do like your idea about having a plan B. Another plan would be to get the city to donate that parcel of land assuming the museum project is successful.

Be aware, when the plan to restore and save the 470 was first brought forth in 2004, Guilford (at the time) was completely divorced for the locomotive and expressed no interest in spending a cent on preservation or donation in kind.
What seems like a capable, can do project is hampered in Maine by the very spare population (1,100,000 over the entire state), a poor industrial economy, a shrinking population of younger, higher educated people, and a not always cooperative political climate. I think people would like to see the locomotive brought back, but can't afford to expend money to do so. It's one of those public works things that everybody wants, but nobody can pay for. Furthermore, when they begin to understand that the locomotive's deterioration is terrible - really terrible - they begin to get shy.
I visited the "Lost Locomotives" long before they were found again, and they were in better shape than the 470 is today. Maine winters will do that.

Thanks for all the info. I guess this is a lost cause.

I didn't say anything......

Is it much worse now than the 2 year old photo in the other thread? Could someone post a current picture? I'm just not seeing why a little work by just a few volunteers and a quick coat of gloss black wouldn't make it a lot more presentable and make this all less urgent.

That doesn't change the liability issues and sharp edges but surely the city could afford to get a chain link fence around it. That still doesn't solve it but I'm sure it must do something legally since it would show that an effort was being made to keep people off and one would really have to go to a lot of trouble to get in there and hurt oneself.

If the city can't afford the fence than that and the paint would be what you'd raise funds for. I think it would be a modest enough goal to be achievable.

Steve

I have built my successful career on thinking outside the box. I wish that I personally had the wealth needed to take care of the 470...and a few others...myself. Since I don't...I will just throw this out there...

...How about checking with the owners of the Maine Eastern? They have a multi-stall roundhouse in Rockland, ME, the Downeaster is getting ready to begin running to Brunswick, their end of the line heading south, and the folks out towards the coast...would seem to be much more excited about preservation of historic Maine. The money and will to potentially pull off something positive exists on the coast...not the interior of Maine for sure.

I will be up in Rockland soon...maybe drive over to 470 one afternoon.