I don't know the full history of the situation as I moved to the area after the project started. However; I did hear that they got a grant to cover the funds for their first attempt. Is this correct? If that is the case, people have every right to question the mismanagement of the project.
I would love to see this locomotive restored. Who cares if it's not 100% historically accurate!
In regards to the museum, I recently purchased a year pass to Horseshoe Curve and the museum. I love HC. It's a great place to watch trains. It was worth every penny. Unfortunately, the attractions outside of the museum seem to be in disarray. I visited two weeks ago with my son. The grass looked like it hadn't been cut in 2 months. There were weeds everywhere. A lot of the freight and locomotives were in bad shape. It seems like they purchased a bunch of old locos and cars and just sat them there. Maybe they should have focused on just a few cars and restored them before bringing in new cars? I went into the roundhouse and there was stuff (parts, tools, junk, etc.) laying around everywhere. The inside of the actual museum was really nice and in great shape.
