Lee, I appreciate the humor, but this gentleman has worked on or supervised the rebuilding of over 30 steam locomotive in his years. You comment about the lottery ticket brings me full circle to why our states or Feds have a system, like a lottery, that generates capital for disbursement to worthy applicants for preservation of structures and infra-structure of historic merit. For a nation built on industrial design, preservation of cultural fragments would seem a worthy pursuit. For whatever reason, people seem to balk at spending a dime to help get wood replacement in a boxcar or renovate a locomotive that was vital to their community. The same will eagerly toss hundreds away on lottery tickets or playing the slots at some local casino, knowing their chances of winning are miniscule. Time to tap that spigot of lucre?

I wonder if the people at a cretin well known steam railroad in PA have tried to get the Reno restoring that would be the crown jewel of any collection.

For starters -

1. What is the mission statement of the organization seeking funding?
2. How does the project (locomotive, rolling stock etc.) fulfill the mission of the organization?
3. How does the proposal fit the goals and objectives of the organization offering the funding?

From successful experience the above items are not multiple choice.

By substituting "owner" for "organization offering the funding", the same list is also applicable in submitting a proposal to the owners of RDG 2100, BLE 643, anything stored in that E&LS warehouse, or your coveted rolling stock of choice. See also: many successful trades arranged by Bill Wall and others.

It is a matter of connecting the right dots.

Wesley

Yeah, but he can't see into the futre, that was my point. Think of what any of us would have 'known for sure' would be going on with steam, say, in 1990 and then what's really happened since then. It's like reading Ron Ziel's book on what he thought the future of fan steam was going to be like later, many of the 'soon to be running' locomotive projects never went anywhere. In 1990, Who'd have thought:
-That the NS program would end, almost overnight, then come back many years later in a totally different form?
-That there would EVER be a Big Boy bought back by the UP for restoration to operation?
-A Brit group would build a brand new Pacific?
-More 4-4-0s would be built for tourist and historical operations?

The list -good or bad- can go on for a long time.
Nobody would have seen any of them years ahead.
neither can your friend. Nobody has a crystal ball. Sure, it's a good idea to think ahead of the possibilities, but I tire of people on forums like this who think one guy they know (oddly, they're never named) 'knows' the future...

Again 643 has been worked on and test steamed, they have moved the engine on compressed air. Panel track you can move it wherever you gotta, the engine is not crippled. There is a group helping the engine and possibly run it on the B&LE trackage where it is capable of running. It is not impossible to get it onto mainline track if that time comes, but I would presume mainline connections were removed, the connections were not daily active, you may as well not have a potential accident with an unused switch or possibly tampered with.

I'd hardly call them cretins.......I think their success and quality leaves no doubt as to their competence.

dave

Great advice, Wes....and all the nuts-and-bolts part of the basics of grantsmanship. But it relies on your mission statemnent itself being sexy and aspirational, not to mention inspirational. I think this is an area in which many of us have problems..........can you provide examples from your own sucesses?

dave

Our mission is "to preserve and interpret the history of street railways in the Nations Capital." Building on this, the impact of streetcars on the development of communities and corridors is the focus in our exhibits and school program. Recent grant requests for cosmetic restoration of Capital Traction 522 (American Car 1898) link the history of the car and its use on the streets of DC with the development of the street railway network and the growth of the city.

Going back a bit further there is the example of the trade with Shore Line Trolley Museum to acquire Washington Railway and Electric Co. 650 (Brill 1912). We made a written request for the car based on our mission and supported the request with an explanation of the car's role in the expansion of transit services in the city. The leadership at Shore Line accepted our request and noted that the car served as a an example of a center door car in their collection. We then waited patiently for 10 years until the opportunity for a Bill Wall deal came along before the trade finally happened.

Wesley

Thank you.....I think maybe we need another thread about basic grantsmanship, but since the subject of this one can't happen without it, it's worth including.

Dave

I'm not sure exactly how to proceed here, but I think steams ultimate survival, and its best chance, are to partner with the Class Ones and the American Short Line Railroad Association. Why, you ask?

1. The railroads already have well funded lobbyists which if they sign on, could make our case for a national historical lottery;

2. We need places to demonstrate and operate our equipment, and since THEY have it, it makes sense to partner with them in some manner.

3. All the railroads are working to make themselves more visible to the public, and nothing is more public than a steam locomotive with suitable equipment.

Perhaps I'm too optimistic about such an outcome, but attitudes can be changed..we just need the right champion who can speak to our desires as well as Class One sensibilities. Same with short lines. None of this will be easy, or cheap. Once we have a way forward, a cohesive one, then we have an opportunity to go beyond saving a piece and end up preserving them.

Txhighballer, I think you are exactly on the "right track" (How many times does that get over-used?) with your suggestion. If we can show a modern American railroad, take NS as an example, that the heritage program they have begun has purchased them all manner of good exposure, they might lend a hand if nothing more. If funding to underwrite heritage programs is made available, as change of attitude might break in at the the board meeting level. BNSF is certainly not anti-steam, nor is UP. CSX needs to be coaxed, as does CNR and CPR.

How to proceed? An organization of proven producers in railroad heritage needs to meet, form a strategy, bring in some positive political voices, get some time with the CEO's and just talk.

An "American Heritage" check off on income tax forms, be they Federal or state, would be a good starting point. I think a state by state lottery would be a better product.

I've been too busy in the past few days to spend time pondering Dave's vital question, but I wanted to mention a site that can offer excellent insights on convincing others that history (and by extension, railway history) is important, interesting, and relevant in today's society:

http://historicalthinking.ca/

While the site is intended for Canadian history educators, I believe we all can benefit from the insights presented. After all, we are all involved in historical education, whether or not we realize it.

To ensure the survival of our history, we need to make people realize they should care.

Steve Hunter