Steam & Excursion > Eviction Lawsuit Filed Against American Steam Railroad

Filed yesterday in the Municipal Court of Cleveland, Ohio. Looks like American Steam Railroad ("ASR"), the lessees of Reading 2100 are being evicted from the roundhouse in Cleveland by its current lessee, Midwest Railway Preservation Society, Inc.

The case number is 2017 CVG 003164

Docket can be found at the Cleveland Municipal Court website:
https://eservices.cmcoh.org/eservices/home.page.7

Looks like ASR is due in Court on March 23, 2017.

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My, my, my. Wonder what Mr. Harvey and Mr. Gardner will have to say/spin about this?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/17 11:21 by HotWater.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My, my, my. Wonder what Mr. Harvey and Mr. Gordon
> will have to say/spin about this?

I'd be even interested in hearing from "Dave Nelson" or "blueflag" on this....

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My, my, my. Wonder what Mr. Harvey and Mr. Gordon
> will have to say/spin about this?

In the most recent ASR newsletter, it said that they were in lease negotiations with Midwest for roundhouse space, guess they didn't produce a positive result, shame for this poor engine.

Tehachapi-TJ Over & Out.  

It's very sad what's happened to this poor engine under poor leadership over the years. Maybe if asr would have asked for help, not acted like they knew everything about steam locomotive restoration, and been upfront with issues this never would have happened.

Posted from iPhone

WM1400 Wrote:
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> It's very sad what's happened to this poor engine
> under poor leadership over the years. Maybe if
> asr would have asked for help, not acted like they
> knew everything about steam locomotive
> restoration, and been upfront with issues this
> never would have happened.
>
> Posted from iPhone

What's happening at ASR isn't new or unique. For a long time I've been telling people that there's a reckoning coming in railway preservation in this country. Poorly run ground are going to find a much more difficult time surviving. With the shrinking base of volunteers and people interested in this stuff, poor managment practices and toxic personalities will kill a lot of groups. It's the same thing we are seeing with the Indiana Transportation Museum.

The number one question: Who actually owns the 2100? 

Bound to happen.  Too many "restorations", too little cooperation, large egos, skyrocketing costs, It's going on all over the country.  The U.S. has reached an all time high in the numbers of people that want things their way, and their way ONLY.  Even the most dedicated railfans don't necessarily make good businessmen.  Look around.  This country is failing at LOTS of things, steam restoration included.  It has happened here in the Northwest with several operations.  Almost NOTHING can operate on any mainline anymore, almost NOBODY can afford insurance.  And only a few can afford the price of a trip.  If you want to introduce new railfans to the hobby that can support a restoration, costs have to be lowered.  I know my budget doesn't allow for many excursions any more.  I can (and will) only chase.

Ed

Ed,

The "introducing new railfans into the hobby" is currently the most difficult part. The "younger generation" generally prefer social media inter-action, and thus are not all that interested in associating face-to-face with others, nor joining any restoration activities.

HotWater Wrote:
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> Ed,
>
> The "introducing new railfans into the hobby" is
> currently the most difficult part. The "younger
> generation" generally prefer social media
> inter-action, and thus are not all that interested
> in associating face-to-face with others, nor
> joining any restoration activities.

Having met some of the nutcases and primadonnas in the hobby, can you blame people for being turned off to the human element in railway preservation? We are often our own worst enemies.

wilkinsdm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ed,
> >
> > The "introducing new railfans into the hobby"
> is
> > currently the most difficult part. The "younger
> > generation" generally prefer social media
> > inter-action, and thus are not all that
> interested
> > in associating face-to-face with others, nor
> > joining any restoration activities.
>
> Having met some of the nutcases and primadonnas in
> the hobby, can you blame people for being turned
> off to the human element in railway preservation?
> We are often our own worst enemies.

Boy, tell me about it!!!!

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ed,
>
> The "introducing new railfans into the hobby" is
> currently the most difficult part. The "younger
> generation" generally prefer social media
> inter-action, and thus are not all that interested
> in associating face-to-face with others, nor
> joining any restoration activities.

Not true when you look at things like Makerspace or any number of other creative fandoms and interest groups.  Many young people do want to "do" and interact, you just don't see them because you don't see their interests.  I would daresay that the typical demographic currently involved in most historical societies is not attractive to the younger crowd.  How many young folks really want to spend their time around old men telling stories about the way it used to be how things just aren't as good as they used to be and lazy millenials blah blah blah...  There is nearly nothing relatable; rarely do I see people in their 50s, 60s, and more make any attempt to understand today's young person's world.  Our own worst enemy, indeed.
 

This is nothing new. I am 81 and recall my first jobs listening to the same sort of blather from some of the old guys,
most of them losers who had no one but themselves to blame for being in entry-level jobs.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Quoting Jack about another operation it seems as if they crapped in one too many lunch buckets.

Like everything else in life, you live or die from decisions.  Apparently, bad decisions on people and other things, ego puffing, delusions of grandeur and not knowing what the hell you're doing kind of stacks the deck against you.
Years ago Doyle told me more groups fail because of people or politics than mechanical issues.  Wise words from the master.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Like everything else in life, you live or die from
> decisions.  Apparently, bad decisions on people
> and other things, ego puffing, delusions of
> grandeur and not knowing what the hell you're
> doing kind of stacks the deck against you.
> Years ago Doyle told me more groups fail because
> of people or politics than mechanical issues. 
> Wise words from the master.

Bad decisions also compound on one another, which I think is the case here.

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bound to happen.  Too many "restorations", too
> little cooperation, large egos, skyrocketing
> costs, It's going on all over the country.  The
> U.S. has reached an all time high in the numbers
> of people that want things their way, and their
> way ONLY.  Even the most dedicated railfans don't
> necessarily make good businessmen.  Look around.
>  This country is failing at LOTS of things, steam
> restoration included.  It has happened here in
> the Northwest with several operations.  Almost
> NOTHING can operate on any mainline anymore,
> almost NOBODY can afford insurance.  And only a
> few can afford the price of a trip.  If you want
> to introduce new railfans to the hobby that can
> support a restoration, costs have to be lowered.
>  I know my budget doesn't allow for many
> excursions any more.  I can (and will) only
> chase.
>
> Ed
Its all crap now
The sky is falling!

Again, since no one bothered to answer my question, Who actually owns the 2100?
​Now about the young people, I can only say this:  The world we live in is different in that here in the Baltimore area we no longer have any main line excursions period.  The young people no longer see the railroads the way many of us did years ago in that people have moved away from the immediate metro areas of the country and in many cases they no longer see trains on a daily basis as most of us did.  Most young fellows today are interested in sports and one cannot blame them.  If a young man has the skills to play sports such as baseball, football, basketball, etc. he has a chance to become a professional and make a ton of money.  Parents push many young men to try to achieve this goal of being the best in sports for those reasons of becoming wealthy.  I have witnessed this first hand.  These young guys truly are not interested in a railroad career nor in the hobby.  And finally, if you actually look to see where the majority of young rail fans are, it is usually where there is an active rail line, regional or shortline that operates passenger trains and especially steam powered trains.  Again, not like it is here in the Baltimore area where we have no trips of any kind along with a railroad museum that is not operated properly.
​John

I'm afraid Mr Hotwater's nailed it down. I'll be working on my grandson this summer, trying to get the "gadgets" out of his hands, and and a grease gun and the Snap Ons in. Wish me luck. d

No one answered your question, because no one knows for sure who owns the 2100.....or the people in the know can't talk about it. It was made very clear by Harvey and Clan on line in their multiple boughts of verbal diharea that the "owner (s)" wished to remain anonymous. Can you blame them? After witnessing the actions of Harvey and Rob Gardener in particular online I wouldnt want my HO model assiciated with those two let alone an actual engine.

Posted from Android