"We are the old grey mayors," Steve Butland was saying earlier this week, referring to himself and another longtime political carthorse, Joe Fratesi.
Fratesi served as Sault Ste. Marie's mayor from 1986 to 1996.
Butland held the position from 1996 to 2000.
"I'm a little bit older than Joe, by 10 years. That's kind of a decade, I guess," Butland joked.
For most of the past two years, the two former mayors have been spearheading a deadly serious campaign: to save the Sudbury-to-Sault Huron Central Railway.
It's been a steeper climb than either of them expected, fraught with unanticipated complications.
Fratesi has endured two major back surgeries over that time.
"This has indeed been a very frustrating exercise for both of us," he told City Council during a Huron Central presentation this week.
"A provincial election, a federal election, a change in ownership. All these things have interfered with progress that we're making," Fratesi said.
A third member of the Huron Central task force leadership, Alison Horbatuk, resigned as the company's general manager, leaving just the two former mayors to shoulder the load.
"We're affectionately called a task force," Butland said. "Usually you think there's 10 or 12 or 15 people. Well, the task force is just two people."
Butland and Fratesi have initiated hundreds of hours of conference calls and stakeholder engagements, including what Butland describes with only slight exaggeration as "harassment" of Sault MP Terry Sheehan and his provincial counterpart Ross Romano.
Genesee & Wyoming Canada (GWC), which operates Huron Central, served notice last fall that it would discontinue operations on March 31 unless it gets $40 million of government funding over five years for track and crossing upgrades.
Can two Old Grey Mayors haul this runaway freight train back into its Oakland Avenue station?
Although Fratesi and Butland reported little progress over the past two years, there's been significant movement over the past month.
Also attending this week's City Council presentation were Christian Richard, the Montreal-based vice president for business development and chief commercial officer at GWC, and Andrew Creighton, GWC's assistant vice president of operations for western Canada.
"We're frustrated... but in the last month, things have sort of come together and we're somewhat more optimistic," Butland said.
"In the last month or so, we've become very encouraged," added Fratesi.
A Feb. 6 meeting in Ottawa, set up by MP Sheehan, was attended by three senior members of Huron Central's staff, the deputy mayor of Espanola, as well as officials from the federal departments of transportation, industry and finance.
"We found it to be a very productive meeting and both levels of government are now looking at what we're asking for, not as a handout but as an investment into very basic infrastructure," Fratesi said.
"Much like the infrastructure of our highways, our airports, our ports and harbours, it's transportation infrastructure that keeps the north moving, that keeps the economy moving. We think we've changed the view that both levels of government are taking in respect of our approaches and seeing this as investment."
Fratesi argued that if HCR doesn't continue to operate, there will be another 40,000 transports needed on the highway between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.
That will mean 1,500 per cent more pollution going into the environment from the vehicles.
A similarly encouraging meeting took place on Feb. 20 in Toronto, set up by MPP Romano, Fratesi said.
That gathering included provincial Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, as well as representation from the ministries of economic development and northern development and mines.
"We believe that this meeting increased awareness at their level," Fratesi said.
In addition to 45 jobs in Sault Ste. Marie, Fratesi said 200 jobs in Nairn Centre and Eacom Timber Corp. rely on HCR, as well as 500 more in Espanola.
The federal government has recently invested considerably in Algoma Steel and Domtar in Espanola.
"It's been pointed out to them that if Huron Central did not continue to operate, their investments don't make as much sense," Fratesi said.
"Domtar has only one rail going into it. If this rail does not operate, Domtar most likely would shut down, because transport does not make sense. If Domtar shuts down, Espanola shuts down."
Representatives of Algoma Steel, Domtar and Eacom all attended the Feb. 20 session in Toronto.
The word 'sustainability' has been mentioned a lot.
"Both levels of government want to make sure that if they invest this time, there is some reason to believe that there won't be an ask down the road," Fratesi said.
"While nobody can guarantee that, there are discussions going on right now with at least two industries along the line that will commit as soon as they know there is a Huron Central operating into the long-term future."
Christian Richard from Genesee Wyoming acknowledged this week that good progress has occurred in recent weeks.
"In light of this notable progress, and after reviewing the situation with our board, we're going to recommend that we defer our decision about closing the operation on March 31 as long as there continues to be positive signals," Richard told Sault city councillors.