In my opinion, Kermit Geary Jr. said it better!
Plenty of other steam locomotives out there to keep my interest alive. VMT can do what they want, I’ll spend my money elsewhere.
I have sent an e-mail to the VMT asking whether or not this will affect my online video postings on YouTube, since I monetize my content. Although I haven’t got a response yet, I believe that the trademark issue is not as big of a deal as first claimed.
You can still take pictures of the locomotive and share them with your friends online, but if you want to sell them for a profit, you’ll have to contact the Virginia Museum of Transportation. They would be more than happy to work with you on obtaining a licensing agreement to sell prints, t-shirts, etc. containing your image.
That being said, this is the first instance I’ve heard of an actual steam locomotive being trademarked, but it may work out for VMT in the long run. I’m willing to keep an open mind - better to have her running than just sitting still.