I know when I was there with the HRA annual meeting group in fall 2017 it was a very impressive place to visit, and there were a lot of people there besides us. I certainly came away with a favorable impression. This is not a happy thing to read and before this posting, had no idea this had happened.

But I also thing that much like the steam operators have to be familiar with the entire Gettysburg incident, railroad museum operators should be equally familiar with the sequence of events surrounding the Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville; equally a rather creditable and successful operation that somehow managed to find near-total destruction of its mission and scattering of its extensive collection to the winds and to scrap dealers. In my opinion, it began in rather similar fashion to what is reputed to be happening here; an internal split within the organization at the board level that only expanded and festered. As an example to volunteer museums and board members, it should be an object lesson for letting cooler heads prevail whenever possible. No one wins at these, but you really can loose it.

Some fresh information, via Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/GN1244/photos/a.2177866565788997/3079583308950647

It's unbelievable that they want to give up on the Ranch car!!!

If that post is to be trusted, then MTM is potentially opening a legal can of worms, if they are planning to not return the funds that were donated for the restoration of the Ranch car, since they were restricted funds.

By the sounds of it, the Ranch car is a sore point and the latest public rant may provide some insight into what happened here. Its only a guess, but certainly sounds like some members really wanted the Ranch Car while others did not. Sounds like the worker level members wanted it, some portion of the board was not equally as excited. To help force it through, some members pooled some cash to help make it happen which sounds like a tipping point. Was this funding truly put into a restricted account of some sort? The 990 might provide a hint, but if the car is not on site, not settled from an ownership stand point, then making a cash donation can have some risk. I can think of any number of stalled or dead projects where donated funds have essentially been wasted, gone, with no real recourse to those who provided a cash donation.

J.R. May

I lost the plot again. What is the "Ranch car" and why is that an issue??

Former Great Northern dining car 1244 White Pines Lake, currently in Columbus, Ohio:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3766534 (includes extensive history and details)

https://www.facebook.com/GN1244/

The important detail is that is is essentially a "time capsule" with the original GN distinctive "Ranch" Western-themed decor and diner configuration inside, fifty years after even successor BN stopped using it. It is a lead contender for the most distinctive and unique rail dining car preserved or to be preserved, and not just in North America.

The efforts to relocate this car to Minnesota had been ongoing for nearly two years, with many donations of cash and offers of in-kind support made. As I read it, the previous owners had agreed to DONATE the car to the MTM, a huge savings in a case where this car would have much higher value than average as either a commercial enterprise or a commercial tourist RR car in the West. That donation may well be in question now, of course--especially, if, as stated, the current MTM BOD has rescinded acceptance of the car.

I'm not a GN fan; I'm not a dining car specialist; and even *I* was motivated to make a token donation to this special a project.

i find it hard to believe that this dispute is over custody of the ranch car? It seems to me that it would be perfect for MTM.
But whatever MTM is a fabulous museum and to see it mixed up in this struggle is sad.

Most states have laws on the books which prohibit the expenditure of donor-restricted funds for a non-restricted use.

The Minnesota AG's Office has a handy guide for non profits:
https://www.ag.state.mn.us/brochures/pu ... eslaws.pdf]

There apparently a statute laying out the procedure on it:

https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Han ... ws/CH7.asp

If I were a donor to the project and my money wasn't being returned, I would contact the AG's Office in Minnesota.

Let the scrapping begin.

There is a Soo Line Diner #1472 and Northern Pacific Heavyweight Coach 1370 that will soon be meeting the torch at MTM. The 1370 was the first coach into the MTM collection back in 1967. The Soo diner came from the MOW dept of Soo line in 1987. These cars are well past any point of return, and were derelict for years. Still, a piece of equipment that still exists can be saved. Once the wrecking ball comes out, it's the end of the line.

It is rumored there are more pieces of equipment to go "on sale" or be torched in the coming months.

Storage space is at a premium, but my guess is cash is becoming tight at the MTM.

Time will tell. So far the results of the January 6th coup at MTM have been less than stellar.

The last two cars on this page: https://transportationmuseum.org/collec ... equipment/

"We own that train? Stillwater weighs options for old Northern Pacific locomotive" (NP 328)
https://www.twincities.com/2022/12/27/w ... locomotive

Well, despite their other recent failings, at least MTM has the foresight to fully hammer out the terms of lease/ownership of a steam locomotive before embarking to restore it to operation.

If the MTM's Ranch car is going away; then I know of at least one other example.

It is the GN #1242 Ranch style Lounge car at the Pacific Locomotive Association AKA Niles Canyon Railway. They have been working on the car for over a year now. Happily the wine tasting people did not paint over the murals in the car.

Ted Miles

The GN Ranch cars were six Lunch Counter-Lounge cars built by ACF for the 1951 edition of GN's Flagship Empire Builder. GN 1240-1245. As built, each car had a 14-seat lunch counter, 4 dinette tables seating 12, and 16 lounge chairs which faced inward. Gradually, more tables replaced the lounge chairs for a 30-seat dinette. These were the low-priced food service cars for the coach passengers. Here's a diagram of the cars as revised in 1961:

http://www.gngoat.org/ranch16.jpg

Phil Mulligan