THE CONTINUING CHALLENGES OF RAILWAY PRESERVATION.

Twenty years ago, we noted a Trains preservation award being presented to a group restoring the Flying Yankee streamliner.  The money was to restore to operation one of the few Winton 201A diesel engines, the prime mover that offered proof of concept for the more successful two-stroke diesels General Motors subsequently created.  We have long been hopeful that the train will run again.  Alas, the gentleman who was the principal advocate of its restoration has crossed the final summit, and some combination of New Hampshire and ferroequinologist politics has kept that from happening.  Once, it seemed like the Yankee would be the third Budd articulated train of the Thirties either restored or operable.

That the train was, by 1957, a bit clapped out as well as subject to the limitations of a fixed consist might have had something to do with its being retired. That some railway preservation societies have more will than they have wallet is a reality. I can think of a few Burlington Zephyrs of that era that are still extant but real basket cases.

Since then, one of those basket cases, the Mark Twain Zephyr, has been undergoing restoration in Wisconsin, with a realistic rollout date soon to come.  The Nebraska Zephyr set is back in service at Illinois Railway Museum, now that more conventional seat cleaning methods are again in order.  I do not know the status of the other Twin Zephyr set or the Denver Zephyr set that went to Saudi Arabia.

The Yankee?  New Hampshire currently own it, and they're looking for a serious buyer.  It seems as if we're back to the late 20th century.

The state of New Hampshire is looking to sell the Flying Yankee, the 1935 articulated New England streamliner built by Budd Co. for the Boston & Maine Railroad that is virtually identical to Burlington’s Pioneer Zephyr.

The Concord Monitor reports the state has issued a Request for Proposals for sale of the three-car trainset, which has long been at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, N.H., and has been the subject of failed restoration attempts both private and state-funded. Proposals are for “the relocation and encouraged restoration” of the trainset, and will be rated under a number of criteria addressing how they plan to handle preservation of the equipment. The buyer will have to sign “permanent restrictive covenants” regarding preservation and maintenance of the train at the time of closing; a document addressing those restrictions, along with other documents related to the potential sale, are available at the “Cultural Resources” page of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation website. Prospective buyers can view the train on Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., with components available for inspection from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

That inspection will be Wednesday, and we might be turning full circle.

It was moved to New Hampshire in 1993 as part of a restoration effort, was acquired by the state three years later, and moved again in 1997. But the restoration effort ran aground with the death of project leader Robert Morrell, and the train has been stored in Lincoln since 2005.

A nonprofit group formed in 1996 to support the restoration effort, the Flying Yankee Association, said Friday that it will apply to gain ownership of the train.

“The Flying Yankee Association is in a unique position, with both a dedicated team and strong partnerships, to ensure this beloved treasure not only remains true to history, but to have it ride down the tracks under its own power once again,” Brian LaPlant, the association’s chairman, said in a press release.

For now, I will await news of a buyer with a restoration plan before suggesting contributions.  Bidding closes January 3.