Help us Return the #1129 to operation!

Hi, my name is Brooks.

I'm a Federally licensed Class 6/8 Railroad conductor for the UP, I also formed the Rough Riders Rail Rehab Organization after I learned of the deep rooted history and ties Las Vegas, New Mexico had to the Santa Fe Railroad. After seeing no.1129, I knew I had to take action. Currently, there is not a single 1050 class that has been fully restored. We want to change that, and for good reason. The city of Las Vegas might be a small town, but it's far from average, and we know this locomotive would bring more life to a community that truly cares about protecting it's history. The 1129 is a 2-6-2 Prairie Locomotive built in 1902 by Baldwin Locomotive Works.

It, like most of the 1050 class, were the workhorses of the SantaFe until the mid 50's. 1129 worked most it's years between Las Vegas, Albuquerque, occasionally on the Pecos Division, as well as Missouri. It was also given it's refit and simplification at the Albuquerque shops. Eventually, it would be donated in 1956 to the town and placed in an unusual spot. This has left the locomotive vulnerable to vandalism as well as squatting. Just like other organizations here in town, that we protect/save another important part of the towns history. We are a well connected team, and are affiliated with the Texas Railway Preservation Association, the The 2926 heritage society (NMSL&RHS), Durango & Silverton and the Redwood Empire group. You can also see our website here at: www.lasvegas4ro.com

Where are we in the process?

Right now we are doing a basic fundraiser to get things off the ground. We have a few financial specific costs we'd like to overcome.

This includes:

1. State of New Mexico filing fees for 501c3's including specific legal language.

2. Licensing Fees with the use of Filmora, and the removal of their watermarks for content creation. This will allow us on Youtube to document the non-profit and project every step of the way so you don't miss a single thing.

3. Assists with public outreach and offers a buffer when hosting events to further drive charitable donations.

4. Fees associated with Domain, Webpage maintenance, Social Media presence, and SEO work to ensure we grow the name and get more people onboard with this exciting adventure.

5. PPE (personal protective equipment) for when the need arises to visit sites associated with potential dangers and to ensure we are acting with safety in mind being near rail equipment and hazards. This means following standards outlined by the FRA in GCOR and Safety books

This won't be the first fundraiser, but this will get the conversation moving as we continue talking with the city, and working with local businesses to get forward movement on this project.

Thank you for your help, anything you donate is truly a blessing and if you have more questions just ask!