Locomotives in parks...

[nachoman]

Unfortunately, many of the old locomotives in parks are in bad shape:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0204mesatrain0204.html

I remember climbing all over this one as a kid.

Kevin

 

[nkp174]

I have a hard time seeing how a cosmetic restoration for a 4-6-0 would cost $335,000!

You can perform a complete Class 1 overhaul on a 4-6-0 for that same amount! And class 1 doesn't just mean getting it running, it means getting the drivers turned etc....

I hope they bring in someone whom knows what they're doing, for it would save a dramatic amount of money for the city.

Is there a local group to step in and help?

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I suspect part of the cost is to dispose of the asbestose. There is also the possible extra costs invoved in dealing with whatever Mesa added to the locomotive like the concrete on top of it that may need to be removed to get access to the locomotive to do the repairs needed. Also how much of the cost has to do with replacing all of the parts that were removed by vandals? Finally, cities often don't have a clue what the actual restoration cost will be. Santa Fe Springs here in So Cal undertook to restor a complete train in their park a few years ago. The city intended to just do a cosmetic restoration, but they budgeted so much money for the project that the guy they chose to head up the project decided that they were paying enough for him to go ahead and do a complete operating retoration! I don't know if he succeeded in getting it operating, or if they city reigned him in before he got that far.

 

[MasonJar]

The key to the cost is in the very next words: "to mitigate the health hazards". It's big bucks to take on lead paint and asbestos.

I think the best thing would be to give it to the museum that has offered to restore it. Second would be to sell it to the tourist operators. That way, at least it gets used for what it was originally intended, and doesn't fall into this trap in another 20 years after becomeing an "art project"...

Andrew

 

[nachoman]

If mesa truly wants to keep the engine in the park, they should consider a covering and a vertical-bar fence to keep people away. Otherwise, the engine should be shipped off to a willing museum where adequate protection is available.

Kevin

 

[Dansco]

My little town of Vernonia Oregon, has a great looking little 2 truck geared locomotive behind a nice bar fence and under cover from the rain. (Its a tiny little park, called, well you guessed it "Shay Park"
Iv often thought it would be better without the fence, but I can see the point above.



Dansco