NS 21st century steam program ending in 2016

[ZekTheKid]

*Train bumps into thread*
Remember how Erik mentioned sending 765 up to Washington? Why not convert 765 to an oil burner?

I'm just going to pretend you didn't say that (Jk). Because it's more money that needs to be spent and the guys at Fort wayne want to show off the locomotive as if it was still working for nickel plate.

True...

[Ericmopar]

Ahh I think UP seems to be one railroad interested in it's heritage enough to keep a bunch of old stuff running around. By the way if it was one percent of the profits I would bitch if I was a shareholder and not a railfan however it's far less than that. NS made two billion in net profit in 2014 so the steam program is a rounding error in the book keeping department,

Not only that, but I found out from the guys in the U.P. Steam Program it's a tax write off. Basically their operation is considered a type of rail museum.
I learned some interesting things from them when they laid over here in Vegas with 4014.
One of the things they were bemoaning about, was no heavy crane in the shop anymore, but that seems to have changed once management got a first hand look at how huge 4014 is.

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

*Train bumps into thread*
Remember how Erik mentioned sending 765 up to Washington? Why not convert 765 to an oil burner?

I'm just going to pretend you didn't say that (Jk). Because it's more money that needs to be spent and the guys at Fort wayne want to show off the locomotive as if it was still working for nickel plate.

True...

Convert to oil?

Sheeeeet boy, We gots us some old NP grade coal

[FourEightFour]

See restoring a steam locomotive to FRA standards is a 1.5 million dollar restoration, AT LEAST.

That depends greatly on the condition of the engine, and it's size has no reflection on the price tag to bring an up to a Part 230 standard.

So it takes a lot of money to get one of these things running, then there is the coal and water fee, grease, and the most expensive part.... the back braking labor of restoring the locomotive and keeping it going, back in the Steam days

And more expensive than just about all of that combined is insurance.