Southern California Division of the Electric Railroaders’ Association, Inc.
Vol 6 No 4, April, 1953: Supplement
BULLETIN Number One
1. Decision on Type F car 1160:
It is the considered opinion of the committee that SC-ERA shall purchase this car in accordance with previously arranged plans. Further progress as made will be announced at SC-ERA business meetings. The vote was 2 to 0; (Mr. Ramsay being absent up north on business, and thus unable to attend the meeting held on 4-25-53).
2. Announcement of Policy Concerning Removal of Purchased Birney Car:
Since the time when members of SC-ERA had first collectively purchased four of the five remaining Fort Collins Birneys; three have been re-sold to other railfan groups for a total of $115
profit for SC-ERA. The fourth and last Birney, which was slated to be shipped to Los Angeles for our own equipment preservation project, has not yet been moved due to difficulties in financing such a movement. This Birney project has been a trying bit of work for the committee; and with the deadline for moving the car so close, a last appeal for sufficient funds is not being made. Section (a) will deal with a bit of background concerning the committee’s decision in first bidding on the cars, and Section (b) will deal with the last appeal to be made in behalf of the Birney project.
(a). First of all, at the beginning, the committee was aware that even though SC-ERA could afford the cars themselves; SC-ERA at that time could not afford to move them. Hence a plan was devised whereby three of the cars would be sold, with the profits from them plus solicited donations from SC-ERA members could be used to pay the expenses of shipping the one Birney. However, the committee ered twice in making this decision. First, in assuming that the membership would come through for as much as we had anticipated; and secondly in our estimation on the shipping cost. But since the donations did not come anywhere near the committee’s estimated cost of shipping, much less the actual shipping cost, the membership and the committee are equally responsible for not being able to bring the Birney to California. The committee did succeed however, in its principle plan; which was to save the Birneys of Fort Collins.
(b). This is the last appeal which will be made in connection with saving the fourth Birney for SC-ERA. As such, it also constitutes the committee’s last and final decision on this car. The steps to be taken are arranged in the order preferred by the membership at the April monthly meeting.
1.----( to save the car for SC-ERA) The membership, in order for the committee to be able to pay the loading, shipping and unloading cost, must have raised by Friday night at the May meeting ( May 15) at least $1,000. This will be the deadline, and if the conservative figure of $1,000 is not reached on the 15th, step 2 will be taken.
2.----( donation of Birney to city of LA) Should step 1 prove unsuccessful, then on the following Monday morning, the committee, on behalf of SC-ERA, will donate the Birney to the City of Los Angeles for its Travel Town museum. If the city accepts, then at least the Birney will be in LA, even though not the property of SC-ERA. This will mean a loss of $150 to the investors of that Birney.
3.---- ( unloading car any price ) In the event that the City of LA refuses the donated car, then the committee will sell the car to anyone ( railfans preferred) for any price. This means junk dealers, scrap metal dealers or anyone who will buy it. The object here would be not to be caught with the car on deadline day, July 1. SC-ERA cannot afford to go to court if the city of Fort Collins decided it would take court action to make us move the car. Better to let someone else worry about moving it.
The committee hopes it will not be necessary to go past step 1, since we desire to see the Birney in LA as our property; but also SC-ERA cannot be caught on July 1 with that car still in Fort Collins. It’s up to you, the members. How bad do you want that Birney in Los Angeles for our car museum project?
Respectfully submitted,
Norman K. Johnson for the EQUIPMENT
COMMITTEE, SC-ERA, Inc.