B&SR 7

[Terry Harper]

Was the work being performed at cost plus? I am trying to understand why contractor costs would have gone way up other than the price of steel which is currently dropping.
I would of thought it would have been a straight lump sum with work considered out of scope performed at cost plus upon approval.

I looked on the website but I don't see any way to donate specificly to the the No. 7 restoration?  Is there a dedicated fund?

Thanks!

[James Patten]

I received a fundraising letter today from MNG which specifies that they are now turning their sights back on #7.  The letter claims they want to raise $100,000 for the engine's 100th birthday, then states they've already raised $75,000.  So are they trying to raise another $100K or just 25K?

[Brett Goertemoeller]

Ok, I'm confused......another $100,000.00?  How much was in the original restricted fund?  Where did the $75,000.00 go?  Is that a number that they had on hand?  That would have bought a brand new boiler and then some.  We're getting into "full size" price ranges here, and I'm starting to get very confused.  What if I don't want a donation to go to "general stuff" and the steam crew isn't around?  I guess I have to ask the same question as Terry.  Is there a "restricted" fund for #7?  And are we getting into these prices because she now has to be part #230 compliant and have a full form 4 and 1472? 

[Hans Brandes]

Answers: Yes, we have spent $75,000 to date. Yes, there is a restricted fund for #7. Yes, knowing what we now know, we should have had a new boiler built. Our contractor has been working on a time and materials basis and we have had significant scope growth could not be detected until it had been taken apart. So, $100,000 is as follows: $50,000 to finish the boiler and $50,000 to reassemble the the engine. We are working on ways to possibly reduce the cost, but we have to set a target at this point based on contractor input.

Hope that answers everyone's questions. As we all know, steam is not cheap.

[Ed Lecuyer]

Thanks Hans.

Please add me to the chorus of those who would like to donate to the #7 dedicated fund.

A PayPal link on the MNG web site is found at:
http://www.mainenarrowgauge.org/donate/
If one specifies #7 Fund in the notes of the donation, is that sufficient?

-Ed

[Hans Brandes]

Ed,

Yes, that is sufficient. We have a separate bank account for restricted funds. Within that account we keep categories (#7, car rebuilding, snow plow rebuilding, etc.). Everyone's donation is recorded on a spreadsheet that is used for deposits into that account. At all times we know who donated to what fund, when it occured and how much is in the account for the given project.

Thank you for your support. We have just completed our first weekend of Polar Express with great success (see this morning's Maine Sunday Telegram). #4 is doing a great job but it would be great to get #7 back on the point.

Happy Holidays,

Hans

[Steve Smith]

Here's the link to the item Hans mentioned.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/with-magic-_2012-11-25.html

[Brett Goertemoeller]

I wish you guys all the best raising the extra $100,000.00 for #7 and the estimated $3,000,000.00 for the move.  I hope that the costs for #7 can be rained in a little bit to help you out.  Congrats on the sucsess of the "polar express" trains, and the reported addition of all the new steam volunteers.  I honestly hope it all works out for the betterment of the collection. 

[Mike Fox]

Thanks Hansel. Please update us when you can.

[Colby Miles]

There in now a Facebook Page for Engine 7.

https://www.facebook.com/BridgtonSacoRiverEngine7Rebuild

[Mike Fox]

Test Hydro on #7??? I didn't think it was that far along. That's great.

[Mike Fox]

Ok. That makes more sense. Thanks

[Pete "Cosmo" Barrington]

So how close have you come to raising the $100K?

[John McNamara]

WANT TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR #7 AND DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE AT THE SAME TIME?
Then I highly recommend riding The Polar Express!
Here's a video I took today!:
http://youtu.be/OwVCAl4gmyg

Another great Downeast Rails video! I would love to go visit, but the MNG website seem to discourage walk-ups and directs people to PortTix, which wants you to specify which day and train you want. I guess that makes some sense, as https://tickets.porttix.com/public/ shows Sunday's trains as all sold out (2:15 is cancelled).
Sorry to miss it, but glad to see that things are going well.

-John

[Bill Piche]

WANT TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR #7 AND DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE AT THE SAME TIME?
Then I highly recommend riding The Polar Express!
Here's a video I took today!:
http://youtu.be/OwVCAl4gmyg

Another great Downeast Rails video! I would love to go visit, but the MNG website seem to discourage walk-ups and directs people to PortTix, which wants you to specify which day and train you want. I guess that makes some sense, as https://tickets.porttix.com/public/ shows Sunday's trains as all sold out (2:15 is cancelled).
Sorry to miss it, but glad to see that things are going well.

-John

We've actually had good results with the pre-selling of tickets. Ridership on a per train basis is the best that it's been since we started doing the whole "Polar Express" thing 5 years ago, with a lot of trains sold out.

This is a lot better than we were doing with the "Santafest" trains, which seemed to have petered out with the general populace by 2007. Those were filled on an "as sold" basis, with trains running either on a departure schedule or whenever it sold out.

I started there in 2006, and they told me the difference in the Santafest crowds was night and day when they took away the track between Hancock St and Franklin St after 2005. A little bit of track goes a long way towards visibility, it seems.

One thing that I miss from the Santafest days was the addition of an open air car right behind the locomotive. Quite the brave few there were on that car, but at least there was a heater coil under the seat!