I can tell you last june, at Strasburg, we were riding behind the N&W 611. (Beautiful locomotive, by the way) and I ask the engineer about getting the 1218 going, All he said was, are you gonna write the check?? I think that it hasn't ran since the late 1980's. maybe 1992 at the latest,
I am a little concerned about the Pere Marquette 1223 in Gran Haven Mi. I live about 150 miles from it. The future for it doesn't sound to good, from what I have been reading.