Steam & Excursion > Eau Claire Reclaims SOO 2719

As reported on Trains Newswire, the city of Eau Claire has exercised their right to repurchase SOO 2719 from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth for $4.00.  A City check in that amount has been received.  A single member of the city council opposed the original sale, and is now the leader of the campaign to reclaim it.  He has convinced the other Council members that the locomotive can be returned to Eau Claire for $31,000 which is ludicrous.  The City has no specific plan for how to care for the locomotive and certainly their stewardship of it for 25 years was not particularly admirable.

As of today the museum in Duluth has no responsibility for the care of 2719 and has urged Eau Claire to quickly obtain insurance for the locomotive.  The museum has offered to provide storage at commercial rates or to deliver it to BNSF, should they be willing to take it, to move to another storage location.  It will not be possible to load it onto either a truck or rail car on museum property and the carriers that would be involved have made it clear the locomotive will not be moved on its own wheels.  It will be interesting to see what happens next.

This is all very unfortunate.  The museum had something like $100,000 invested in the locomotive during its first operating period and the intention was to perform the necessary overhaul over the next few years so that it could replace D&NE 28 when that locomotive’s ticket expires.  The probability of 2719 ever returning to service has to now be considerably lower.  A sad situation.

Gordon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/18 18:18 by gbmott.

Curious, what's a more realistic rough cost estimate for this move, should it actually occur? From just your info, this seems purely idiotic. I worked in WI for a year and they drink way too much beer there, which I enthusiastically joined in doing. Maybe that explains it. d

Perhaps someone with actual experience will comment, but I understand that rough estimates are well north of $100K by the time you consider switch charges, loading expense, equipment rental and transportation either by truck or rail, unloading at destination and placement in some yet to be determined location.  None of this comes cheap, but I don't have factual data.

Gordon

Things have a way of slowly draining into the dumper when any government entity gets involved.  There's no logical way to explain all of this.

Correct me if I'm wrong; the idiots at Eau Claire, Wisc. will take a functional SOO Pacific, that only requires the FRA mandated 15 year inspection, and place it in a park for display? Something is SERIOUSLY wrong behind the Cheddar Curtain.

HotWater Wrote:
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> Correct me if I'm wrong; the idiots at Eau Claire,
> Wisc. will take a functional SOO Pacific, that
> only requires the FRA mandated 15 year inspection,
> and place it in a park for display? Something is
> SERIOUSLY wrong behind the Cheddar Curtain.

You got that right, Jack!!!!

-John Stein aka Larry Doyle

gbmott Wrote:
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> Perhaps someone with actual experience will
> comment, but I understand that rough estimates are
> well north of $100K by the time you consider

I wouldn't be surprised if the cost of a shelter alone ran $100K.

Really a BIG waste of money.  Keep locomotive in Duluth where it could possibly run in the future.  Now its future will be the scrap yard.

Sounds like an ego couldn't let it go. My guess is they'll never get enough money to move it.

-Dave

borg Wrote:
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> Now its future will be the scrap yard.

That doesn't seem over dramatic at all.....

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Things have a way of slowly draining into the
> dumper when any government entity gets involved. 
> There's no logical way to explain all of this.

Ok. If you dislike Gov so much, why not buy your own island and move there? Like most businesses and corporations, some Gov is bad, some are good. You seem to have a different measuring stick for each. Guess you never worked for a fortune 500 corporation. 

Governments should stick to governing and leave managing and operating to people that know what the are doing and are financially accountable to somebody.

junctiontower Wrote:
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> Governments should stick to governing and leave
> managing and operating to people that know what
> the are doing and are financially accountable to
> somebody.

The St. Louis & Lake Counties Regional Rail Authority was created to preserve the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range lakefront line between Duluth and Two Harbors, MN.  Preserving this line has made it possible for the North Shore Scenic Railroad to regularly operate excursions using the Lake Superior Railroad Museum's fine collection of locomotives and passenger cars.

If you think the St. Louis and Lake County commissioners erred by getting involved in saving this line, I am curious to know who you think would have had the financial resources and authority to preserve the line.  Or would the best outcome have been abandonment of the line with no place for the Duluth museum to have regular and special excursions?

While I am not happy about the 2719 going to Eau Claire, this should not be an occasion for a comment implying that governments should never get involved in railroad preservation.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/18 22:35 by RuleG.

I suspect that when the city fathers of Eau Claire tumble to the fact that simply cutting a check for $4.00 is NOT going to get the 2719 back to Eau Claire they will execute a sale or lease with the Duluth museum.

Me thinks perhaps they already know that and this is nothing but a money grab for Eau Claire and (except maybe for the one looney on the city council) they really have no plan or desire to have the 2719 back and be responsible for its care. What they DO want, though, is to be the organization Duluth's check(s) will be made out to, not the Tower & Presevation group they originally sold the loco to.

There will almost certainly be some kind of clause in the lease or sale contract that they must bring the loco back to town for excursions that (unless UP is made a party to the lease agreement AND okays it) ) will be unenforceable.

My opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it.

NZ  

I will tell you the reason cities should not be in the railroad "preservation" game.  Look at  Port Arthur  Tx and how the KCS 4-6-0 has fared.  How about dallas and T&P 638, etc.  Look at almost any steam engine owned by the city and on display.  They are a disgrace and most a rusted hulk.  There are some exceptions but the rusted out ones are more common by a long shot.