I agree with Jim, museums who sell historic equipment for scrap rather than exhausting EVERY effort to find a more suitable home do not deserve further monetary support. This Iron Mountain crane is another example of equipment migrating far out of its area, having no great significance in its new area, and being summarily discarded or set aside when interest wanes. Its a difficult situation because almost all rail museums have too much equipment to properly maintain, too little funding and a diminishing base of volunteers. Mid-Continent does a lot of good, but they also sold off W&OV 1 to nothing more than static display, and D&R 9 languishes there in pieces even today, probably never to be restored.
Bill Pollard