Tulyar - the US Dining Train bears no relation to our Orient Express type operations, or a food service within a scheduled day on a preserved line.
It’s a “one - off” operation, usually on a secondary route, not necessarily with any commendable scenery and held, as far as I can ascertain, for the sole purpose of allowing it’s customers the experience of eating on a train.
There is not the nostalgia or luxury factor offered with the Orient Express et al, and they are often not offered as a facet of a broader preservation movement but as a solely commercial venture.
Hence my intrigue; they’re a sort of linear Brewers’ Fayre I think…
Beachy Head - Many of the steam locos cosmetically restored at, for instance, the B&O museum, the museum at Green Bay, the C of G museum in Savannah etc. appear to be largely complete in terms of components. I don’t think the condition, or the necessary machine work and fabrication, are factors.
I think the biggest drawback to any restoration project is to find an individual or orginization willing to sponsor the huge amount of money and time nessesary to complete such an endevor. Not just to complete the restoration but to continue to maintain said engine. Ask the men who currently posses restored mainline steam and the will tell you they own a large hole they poor money in only to see them sit most days of the year.There is a FEC 0-6-0 currently being restored by a group of people who are passionate about all things FEC. They have no sponsor with deep pockets and there project will take years. They do have a place to run it though not at main line speeds or for very far. You need to have both unwavering passion and plenty of resources to tackle a project like this in America. It is also important that any engine selected for restoration be evaluated on its merit for restoration not who just originaly operated it The engines that have been restored were the result of extensive research and investigation that made them viable canidates…The N& W loco’s are saddly where they probably belong. They had a history of squeesing every last mile from them before they went to the dead line.The real question is why they were not cut up long ago. Do not get me wrong. I would love to see them once again in steam but they stand the same chance as a snowball in that very warm place.
As I stated before the locomotives in Roanoke are barely salvageable. A new boiler can be had for $300,000.00 , possibly less if you are going to do more than one. I believe the 1385 is getting a new boiler or at least they found a builder and got some quotes.
I know of a scenic railroad that would operate a steam locomotive. I have a locomotive in mind , I don’t have a half a million dollars !! And THAT"S just to get the locomotive rebuilt . Like I said , get me 8-10 million dollars and we’ll make a go of it .
One other thought: Britain’s population is much denser than that of the U.S.: 246 people per square kilometer, versus 31 per square kilometer. Assuming a normal distribution of experts and skills, it’s a lot harder to bring the experts together, assuming you can find them - the whole of the UK is only a little bigger than the state of Virginia, area-wise.
Incidentally, there is an N&W 4-8-0 in operation - M class #475 is preserved on the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania.