[AT] OT, mostly: Restoring an Alco PA locomotive

[Dean Vinson]

I ran across this on the web and thought it might be of interest to some
other folks:  

http://www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org/Collection/RestorationProjects/Pr
ojectALCOPA.aspx

Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution and a private collector, this museum
in Texas has acquired and is restoring (hopefully to operation) an Alco PA-1
diesel-electric locomotive, one of only two in existence in the US and one
of a handful in the world, all the others having been cut up for scrap.   A
PA-1 is sort of the railroad equivalent of a Farmall Super MTA Diesel--an
absolute classic but never produced in huge quantities--and this particular
one began life in (and will be returned to) the red-and-silver Santa Fe
"warbonnet" paint scheme that I bet darn near all of us instantly recognize.

Although I'm mostly an old-tractor guy I like the old locomotives also, and
there are a lot of parallels:  The hard-working nature, the profound
contribution to American history, the streamlining, the iconic
symbol-of-the-industry status, the enchanting sight and sound of one under
load, the way so many of us played with toy versions when we were kids, etc.
The museum is raising funds for the restoration and I decided to contribute
(tax-deductible) via their "Donate" link, and it worked fine.   Just
received a nice thank-you card from them along with a receipt and the
museum's IRS organizational number for record-keeping purposes.  Thought
some other folks may want to consider it also, or at least enjoy reading
about the effort.

Old iron... :)

Dean Vinson
Saint Paris, Ohio