With how the government works, this engine will be gone for 6+ months before they even decide they do/don't want to help.

Go down the 503 path, start a go fund me account and start pounding the pavement!

PRECISELY. A crowd funded account, coupled with a successful media campaign - backed by a solid acquisition, transport and storage plan will yield results. Once the ball get rolling and it's visibility as a grass roots 'can-do' project gathers momentum, then it will become attractive to Corporate sponsorship and you are home free.

Step 1. Work with the owner and come up with a basic plan (the good old 5 Ws)
Step 2. Create a non-profit entity who's goal is to raise funds to purchase the locomotive, assume ownership, transport it and hold it in trust until it can be transferred to another organization. This is for donations/tax purposes, talk to an accountant.
Step 3. Announce your plan and start a crowd fund campaign.
Step 4. Get as much media coverage as you possibly can. Go outside the railfan community.
Step 5. Be transparent and keep everyone updated. Show progress.
Step 6. Re-access and refine your plan, make changes as necessary
Step 7. Take your results and approach Corporate sponsors. Promotions are tax deductable - don't target one big company, share the load between many small ones.
Step 8. Go back to the media and promote your success some more. Try to lure a big fish sponsor to push you past your goal.
Step 9. Complete the task and save the locomotive.

Everybody wins. Seller gets his money, locomotive gets saved, donors get the satisfaction that they contributed to a successful project and corporate sponsors get publicity in ways beyond their normal scope of advertising (think re-runs on the Discovery Channel heavy lift shows and pics in magazines).

Al Crisp here; I doubt if the government would do much more then nod their heads in agreement that something should be done in respect to saving the 5361. At best I would like to see them give a little nudge to those who can do the most; CPR. It was their baby and they gave it away now we just want them to take it back. Despite what HH did at CPR he did not kill steam, it was put in stasis, if you got the bucks the heritage fleet still rolls albeit behind the F troop. The present head is not anti steam just cautious about making a buck and they are doing well, so track down his email and start a write in campaign. I have found that CPR email addresses are in this form [lower case; first name_ last name@cpr.ca] The only way this will move ahead is with media attention to get steam back on the radar at CPR. Where is the news person someone was talking about??
I sent an email to those I could track down who are involved in the heritage stuff at CPR and I will follow up by phone. Al Crisp

I think ADMIV is spot-on here, it is difficult to muster any sympathy in this engineered crisis.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... lamp73.jpg

'Engineered Crisis'? Seriously?? Do you know the circumstances of the sale?

The owner is in declining health and making end of life plans so his sisters won't have to deal with the engine after his death. His health is failing and he is working against the clock. He does NOT want to scrap it, but over the last 30+ years he invested many hundreds of thousands of dollars (of his own money) in moving, painting, storing, ect the engine, so even if he gets his asking price - he's out money. He's asking 100k because he needs that amount of money immediately.

His legacy might be better served by donating the locomotive to a group with a desire to see it preserved.

I don't see a great rush of politicians coming to saved the locomotive, but I would like to point out, at the least, people are making some kind of an effort to do something. If they fail, at least they've tried.

Is the 503 money still waiting to find a home? This would be a cause worthy of the transfer of funds in my opinion.

Ok guys don't fight.

Mr BigBoy you seem very committed to this, could you spearhead a gofundme account? You seem like the man for the job! I think there are quite a few people ready to donate.

See if you can raise the asking price in order to save the engine, then look into how/where to move it. I'm sure the owner would help with storage if his asking price is met.



Oh boy, it looks like we lost Bigboy...

I think I missed something, if the funds are raised to purchase the locomotive, is there a deadline on when it must be moved? Is it possible that it can remain where it is until additional funding can be raised to cover the move? Who is the GO-TO person who is heading up this acquisition/fund raising/moving?

Al Crisp talks with the owner of the locomotive and with CPR trying to nudge CPR to save 5361.

Robert

Al Crisp here; I am a logistics person by nature not a finance person. The only way I can remember my pin numbers is I use loco numbers from my layout. For the time being I think it is best not to get any money ideas in place. I am not at liberty to say why but I would not want to get to point were money would need to be returned.

Al, I am assuming you mean the money would be returned to disappointed people, and not happy people whose money wasn't needed after all. Am I correct?

There is a thread on Ahead of the Torch now but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

[edit] I have reached out to several media outlets to see if we can get some publicity going. Fingers crossed.

I guess when all said and done we will see this seen in a less than a month.

http://www.steamlocomotive.com/places/jensen/gtw5629-beck1.jpg

From http://www.steamlocomotive.com/places/jensen/

31 years ago those events took place.

Robert

Bigboy, I apologize. I respect your passion for tying to preserve this unit, but I'm trying to keep things realistic here. I have working experience with Canadian politics and have been on both sides of the coin regarding lobbying the Federal Government on some major league debates beyond Heritage Canada issues and I have working knowledge of how the system works, who the players are and how to use it all to your advantage. I laud your efforts, but they are best directed in a manner that will yield results instead of optimistic futility.

Al Crisp - if you have been in touch with J. Morris or J. Tracy at CP and the results seem promising, keep at it. Good for you for taking the initiative. I have my doubts and a lot of tough questions, but stranger things have happened.

So far we have 17+ pages (and 31,000+ views) of people saying 'it's a shame, somebody should do something'.

Well then, let's do it.

Let's take stock -

This unit has been 'on the market' for a few years.

The seller has now imposed a deadline and we're working against the clock.

The 'money fairy' private buyer hasn't appeared.

A celebrity hasn't come out of the woodwork to save the day.

The non-railfan media hasn't run a story on this.

Politicians on both sides of the border are a dead end.

Canadian Pacific has yet to say anything definitive.

Where do we go from here?

Al, if you are talking to the owner, let him know that the railfan community is paying attention. Ask him what we can do. Ask him what his definitive dead line is. Ask him if, big IF, he sees progress, can the deadline be pushed back. Better yet, ask him if he's willing to speak to everyone directly so a lot of myths can be put to bed. From my perspective, this has stirred up a hornets nest and it may well be best for him in the long run if he just comes out and sets the record straight.

Two million dollar questions - who among us wants to champion this project and who is going to ultimately going to be it's new custodian?


Time for the tough questions to be answered.

Would tipping them off be a good idea?

I am just thinking this would bring more grief to the owner. Although I may not agree with his logic, I do feel pity for him. The man does have health issues and is just trying not to leave behind a 200 ton hunk of Canadian steel.

Although it would also help spread the word.