Carbonear Mayor Frank Butt says he’s absolutely overwhelmed by the response after the town council voted to scrap a long-standing landmark due to safety concerns.

Since 1984 the #803 CNR locomotive engine has been sitting on the beach in Carbonear outside the local train station, but exposure to the salt air has not done the piece of Newfoundland history any favours.

Rehabilitation, which would include the removal of the engine’s old lead paint, would run in the range of $100,000 dollars, which is an expense the town can’t shoulder.

Mayor Butt says numerous attempts to access funding have come to naught, and council made the difficult decision to have the engine removed and scrapped.

That’s drawn such a huge response from train enthusiasts and historians that Butt says council is willing to hold off on its plans for the time being.

He says they’ve formed an ad hoc committee to make sure they don’t leave any stone unturned.

In the meantime, Darrell Steele of Carbonear has set up a petition to save the old locomotive and perhaps generate some funds.

Steele says he’s hoping that local businesses or others might be able to come on board to help with the cost of refurbishing the unique piece of Newfoundland railway history.