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Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: No. 611 still won’t move to shop without more donations
Somebody really wants to see 611 running again. Can’t say I blame him (but there goes my dividend).
Well according to the Sotheby’s web site the selling price was $3,693,000 so even after the payment of various fees and the donation, NS should clear a fair amount.
Daniel, your dividend should not change since NS merely changed one asset into another. The painting was not contributing to the bottom line just hanging around. Now NS should have a tax write off from the donation which actually may help your dividend.
611 is as unique a public area visual art and historical artifact as there ever was, and mobile to boot.
This is all a great start. Hoever, Fire Up needs to go one more step. If they are to restore 611, they need to raise a bit more and restore 1218. Bring back BOTH of N&W steam stars. NS managed to lose a few 1218 parts on it’s move to Roanoke so they should kick in a little more to get this done right!
The world doesn’t need another 4-8-4. 1218 should be getting all the attention. That’s a true marvel. I’ll save my fundraising efforts for fire up 1218!
Why do they need a state of the are shop? The really up’s the ante. I’m sure there is enough room at Spencer to do the job. I have a feeling this project could be done for less if it wasn’t packed with museum suits.
The group stated from the beginning that they needed the $3.5m to have a sustainable future and business plan. Donate if you want to see it run. If you like looking at it sitting still in a museum then don’t. I am glad they are looking towards the future and not just a flash in the pan. VMT is being smart and patient.
Build a memorial lubritorium? Good Grief, if MANY other shortlines have rebuilt locomotives in a parking lot, why do you need to spend so much money on a building? Roanoke isn’t exactly a low cost area for real estate either. Sounds to me like the original plan got a flyover from the good idea fairy and a hefty dose of Boeing bombs (crap) dropped to splatter for good measure. 611 should go to Sugarcreek, OH tonight where the tools and expertise to complete the job exist. Let me ask a question, is the BC&G locomotive at Spencer operational?
Thank You NS!
Robert Teed
Railyard Productions
One might wonder why NS bought a Rothko in the first place; was it an exec. ego trip? One might also wonder about the NS ambivalence, compared with, for example, UP.
The kings of Public Relations have hit another home run. This is putting your money where your mouth is, or where the art used to be. I can not wait to hear 611’s whistle one more time and chasing it again. Thank you NS.
First good bit of news I’ve read all morning, kudos NS!
It is stretch to say that the “duck” syllogism (IF it…like a duck, if it…like a duck) is applied to the statement “the last passenger Alco’s built,” LIRR’s 200s become the penultimate domestic psgr Alcos, the and the G5s killers LIRR 1550s, the penultimate RS-3s likewise fit in.
Canada built the 251-engined, psgr. dedicated LRC units…additionally,…what were they designated?..FPA-4s… Napa Wine Train engines, probably thru the back door qualify.
Just had to pluck those nits.
Wouldn’t it be neat if the 611 and UP 4014 showed up in the same place at the same time? That would make a fine photo op wouldn’t it?
Congratulations to Fire Up 611 on the award. Hopefully, this will encourage more corporate and individual donors. It would be great if J-class 611 were to meet her western counterpart, Daylight 4449 perhaps in Memphis or Chicago.
Had Norfolk Southern’s predecessor, Southern Railway, preserved at least two of its six Alco PA-3’s, one can imagine the great addition they would have been to a railway museum like TVRM. The PA-3’s that were the last Alco passenger units built would have offered great excursions.
Are all who donated being lied to? We understood the money was there to start the 611 restoration. Now the museum ‘needs’ additional funds to make this happen? Who stands to profit here?
It seems to me that the VaRR mueseum is holding 611 hostage.
Some private RR’s rebuild a locomotive for about $500,000+ -
Even with overruns why does Va RR needs 10X that much?
What are they going to get for $5,000,000 it took more than that for the new roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Oh and that is a full service shop.
Sounds like Shades of the once proud PRR K-4 project, that another museum administration bungled and “STOLE” my donations as far as I’m concerned. I thought we had enough problems with the current politicians !!! Will someone with common sense please get involved before another piece of railroad history is left to rot.