We Need Your Help to Save a 4-6-0 from Being Scrapped Next Month

I donated what I could this morning.  While "we can't save them all" in the preservation arena, it would be wrong to see a steam locomotive in relatively good cosmetic (and apparently possibly mechanical) shape get scrapped almost 100 years after it was built.  I hope things go well for this engine and that we'll see it in a new home soon.

Are the people who decide to scrap everything without public input or notice even elected in a fair vote? 

Andrew

Just donated, hoping all ends well. 

I say scrap the politicians . . . 

Almost $15,000 raised so far!  We have a very good chance of actually pulling this off, but still need more help!  Please, if you haven't given yet, make a contribution to the effort.  And if you scroll down through the donor list you will find yourself in very good company! 

Donate to Save the 503

...and now up to $18,000.  Please help if you can!

Jason has been broadcasting live daily via his Facebook page and telling and showing a lot about the locomotive, answering many questions (https://www.facebook.com/That-...Guy-319972281379363/).  If it wasn't for recent heavy rain, Jason says the locomotive would have been scrapped LAST week.  Time is short.

Are there 100 people in Texas with $300 to $500 each to help with the cause? 

Anderw

Just did what I can do to help with a donation.

Side Rod

deadline is TODAY.  Please help.  $10,000 needed...

Just donated something toward it!  There is no reason she needs to be scrapped, and it's a great plus that the contractor doesn't seem interested in scrapping her, either!

I just donated as well. Scrapping a steam locomotive in 2018 should never happen. Where is the respect of history sometimes?

UPDATE 2/20: OUR GOAL HAS CHANGED AND DEADLINE EXTENDED! Inland Environment had inititally priced the scrap value for no. 503 at $20,000.

After performing their own appraisal, they now value the locomotive and tender at $35,000!

Broken down, our projects costs are now:

$35,000 to Inland Environment for the purchase

$10,000 to Over-the-Top Construction for trucking

$20,000 for cranes

Our deadline for raising funds is now February 28th! A purchase agreement for the locomotive will be signed on February 21st.

OUR IMMEDIATE GOAL:

We're raising $65,000 to purchase the locomotive from the city's contractor and move it to the Texas State Railroad for interim storage. The locomotive is currently slated for demolition and scrapping in the next few days! The locomotive and display site must be disposed of by March 6th, 2018.

OUR PLAN:

1) purchase the locomotive from the contractor hired to perform the demolition and fund the move of the locomotive out of Port Arthur

2) place the locomotive under the care of a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to its ongoing rehabilitation.

3) finalize arrangements for the use of a restoration facility and restore the locomotive operation via funding provided through donations and from The Royal Palm Railway Experience which is operated by the Orlando and Northwestern Railroad in Florida.

4) move the locomotive to Florida for long-term operation with the Orlando and Northwestern Railway.

This is a campaign to save a locomotive that does have a future! These funds will accomplish the purchase from the scrapper and the initial move from the park to the Texas State Railroad.

 I, Jason Sobczynski, will handle the disbursement of the funds raised to the owner of the locomotive for the purchase of the artifact, to the trucking company for the transportation of the artifact to the Texas state Railroad, and to the crane companies which will be utilized to load and unload the locomotive and tender. 

Following the creation of the trust which will care for this locomotive, ownership of the locomotive will be transferred  to the trust for $1.

 Any left over monies from this campaign will be given to the trust along with the locomotive.

If we are unable to fund the immediate purchase and movement of 503, all donations will be refunded or forwarded to a railroad preservation organization of the donor's choice.

Wow.

Way to move the goal posts. 

On the "Roundhouse Podcast", where I first heard of this effort, Jason Sobczynski told the host, Nick Ozorak that his "worst case" scrap value for the engine delivered as finished scrap at the yard would be approximately $17,700. This new figure is double that.

I've already made a small contribution. Unfortunately I cannot give any more at this juncture.

I wish them luck.

Scrapp  Is at a real low....   60.00 a ton.. So whats that engine weigh?

Don't believe that much in scrap value based on current market.

SantaFe158 posted:

UPDATE 2/20: OUR GOAL HAS CHANGED AND DEADLINE EXTENDED! Inland Environment had inititally priced the scrap value for no. 503 at $20,000.

After performing their own appraisal, they now value the locomotive and tender at $35,000!

That is a 75% increase in the estimated scrap value! Is that possibe or even reasonable ????

(Corrected percentage increase!) DOH!

?

How about that.....Inland Environment is gonna make a killing on this Loco and they won't even have to turn a key.

Maybe they'll push the "value" to $50,000 before the end of the extension.

aterry11 posted:

Scrapp  Is at a real low....   60.00 a ton.. So whats that engine weigh?

Reportedly about 190,000 in its present condition.

Don't believe that much in scrap value based on current market.

Exactly, especially since it is NOT "processed scrap", i.e. SOMEONE needs to expend LOTS of money to "cut it up"!

Sounds like Inland Environment got wind of the news that money was being raised so they decided to milk the "enthusiasts".

Time to call their bluff and tell them, "The money's been raised but this loco is too expensive.  You can have this loco and we'll go buy another."  THEN see what the real price is.

Something smells.  How much was the contract between Port Arthur and Inland Environments, an asbestos abatement company? 

Hot Water posted:

aterry11 posted:

Scrapp  Is at a real low....   60.00 a ton.. So whats that engine weigh?

Reportedly about 190,000 in its present condition.

Don't believe that much in scrap value based on current market.

Exactly, especially since it is NOT "processed scrap", i.e. SOMEONE needs to expend LOTS of money to "cut it up"!

 

The initial "guestimate" of $17,700 is 3+ times the $60/ton price, based on a weight of 190,000 lbs.

Also, Jason said in the podcast episode that the tender is leaking crude oil. Presumably, Inland Environmetal gets to walk away from that problem as well.

This new "scrap value" of $35,000 sounds like the contractor has decided to gouge the preservationists, BIG TIME.

The problem boils down to this.  The scrapper agreed to sell the locomotive at "scrap value".  We assumed approx. $150 a ton which is the retail scrap price that you and I would get if we took scrap steel to a scrap yard.  However, scrap yards sell that scrap to mills and get much higher prices than what we would get. This guy isn't selling to another scrap yard, he is selling the the mills so what he can get is much higher. 

You have to remember, last week when the initial contact was made with the scrapper we had no money to work with and all we had was a verbal commitment to sell at "scrap value".  We assumed the wrong value aqnd due to the three day weekend couldn't get confirmation with the scrapper until now.  

The locomotive and tender weighs 254,000 lbs. by our best estimate.   

Farmer_Bill posted:

Something smells.  How much was the contract between Port Arthur and Inland Environments, an asbestos abatement company? 

One article stated that the contract let by the city was under $25,000, meaning it could be handled administratively and did not have to go through the City Council and public hearings.

Rick Rowlands posted:

The locomotive and tender weighs 254,000 lbs. by our best estimate.   

Thanks for the explanation, Rick. 

That makes more sense.

Nice to see the OGF has this topic posted.I sent in some money to help too.

Donation sent. Feels good to help.

Everyone who has donated, THANK YOU! We are going to make this work one way or another! 

I just made a small donation. I hope you guys can save her. Good luck Rick.

Donation made! It's great to see the hobby come together like this.

Even with the GoFundMe amount being changed from $50,000 to $65,000, the money keeps rolling in.  As of Wednesday at 11:30 AM, the amount is over $60,000 raised.  I hope any extra funds, if there are any, go into stabilization once no. 503 gets to her next address. 

BTW, I also made a contribution.  

Haven't seen anything like this before. Makes you think what other steam locos could be saved if threatened with scrap. 

Small donation made.

Can't let this opportunity to be part of something bigger get away.

Wow, it's really nice to see that there's only $2890.00 left to be raised before they hit there mark, great job to all who have donated including myself! 

Looks like it just might happen.  I threw some dollars on the pile.

Kent in SD

I put in. Fingers crossed.

missing $562 at this point. Hope they get more to help restore it. 

Goal met...and then some.