The 5057 climbing out of Tacoma in January 1980. Photo courtesy of Brian Ambrose.
Cascade Rail Foundation is working to acquire the MILW 5057 and bring it to the South Cle Elum Rail Yard Interpretive Center in South Cle Elum, WA. Below is the latest news on the 5057 Project.
Project Cost Estimate
We are developing a cost estimate for all the expenses necessary to purchase the 5057, prepare it for display, and move it to South Cle Elum. We will use this for our fundraising target and develop our campaign to meet it.
We are currently researching the cost of transportation and the cost of painting the locomotive. Washington State Parks requires railroad equipment brought to the South Cle Elum Rail Yard Interpretive Center be ‘display ready’ upon arrival, so the 5057 needs to be repainted.
Here is what we do know about the cost. The purchase price for the 5057 is $25,000. Feather River Rail Society (FRRS) has asked for the first $10,000 by March 2012 and the remainder of the purchase price by March 2013. This includes all of the parts and documentation FRRS has acquired for the locomotive as well as their labor to prepare the locomotive for transportation.
While we don’t need the parts since we have no plans to operate the 5057, we plan to acquire them in case unforeseen circumstances develop in the future.
Fundraising
While we don’t know the total amount we need to raise yet, we have started accepting financial contributions for this project. If you’d like to contribute to the Cascade Rail Foundation 5057 Fund before the end of this year, please contact me directly at kruegerp@nwlink.com.
Cascade Rail Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so your contribution could be tax deductible.
Other ways to contribute
In addition to financial contributions, we are also seeking in-kind contributions.
Currently, we’re looking for:
- graphic design assistance with fundraising materials, like a logo.
- photos of the 5057 to use in fundraising and interpretive materials, particularly photos taken of the 5057 in Washington. The 5057 was formerly 388 until 1968 and then was 5007 until 1974. A good clear photo of its last trip east would be especially appreciated.
If you can assist us with either of these requests, please contact me at the email address above.
Thank you!
Cascade Rail Foundation thanks those who have offered support for this project to date.
Also, we can’t say enough good things about the people at FRRS. They have also been bending over backwards to help us put together the plan to make this project happen.
We really appreciate all the support we’ve received and we’ll need more to be successful. Together we can bring the 5057 back to Washington where it can help people learn about the fascinating history of the Milwaukee Road.
Posted by Paul Krueger on December 27, 2011
