In a day and age when corporations are folding and/or merging, etc., the same malady is creeping into museums. Scott Becker shared a success story from his trolley museum in PA under the "Dying Museums" string. Any other similar positive stories out there to be relayed along with the recipes for their success? I'm sure that if museums are listening with the desire to improve, we all benefit.

I work at the Western railway Museum, Rio Vista, California. After a period of slow growth in the 1980s, the 1990s were a boom which is just ending(more or less). See below.
The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association rasised the money to purchase 23 miles of Sacramento Northern Interurban track and right of way. today over 4 miles of it is again under wire with more to come.

A new $1.4 million Visitor Center opened this past weekend. New expanded facilities as well as a much needed Library and Archives wing. It took three trys; but it is now working!

A jewel of the collection SN 1005 a steel and wood combine built to run over the rails that the museum owns in being restored under the capable leadership of Dave Johnston of the BAERA and Glen Gurriea, well known preservation craftsman.

And as I said the ball is still rolling, new track rehab is under way, a sub-station is being designed and new wire is going up to feed a newly constructed branch to the Visitor Center,

A new Car Barn is being planned and a three track lead for it and the new Visitor Center is being designed.

If you get to northern California come on by the Interurban museum. TM

ted_miles@NPS.gov

I think you will find there are different descriptions of success. I tend to base it on how well goals have been met and planned for, whether there is a master plan and if it is meaningful, etc rather than by what got done this week or who is angry about which goals were set.

I am learning to appreciate ability to evolve as well, and trying to figure out how to measure it.

I want to commend Spencer Shops for greatest change for the better over the past 15 years and the most successfl TEA21 / ISTEA use in the southeast.

Southeastern Railway Museum has moved to a great new facility and is reinventing itself somewhat and dealing with supporting a tourist railroad as well as building a fine collection of heavyweight Pullman cars.

San Diego is getting into potential excursion businesses and getting into the meat of collections management and barn construction.

I haven't been to see the Altoona museum but am thriled about the concept of focusing on the workers rather than the hardware. Real Kudos to the group of tourist lines and museums in PA who are actually cooperating as the Railroad Heritage Trail.

CSRM is building a great new set of facilities which will provide real interpretation and restoration capabilities, and is now working at the old Sierra Railway in Jamestown too.

B&O Museum has undergone a management change and renewed its focus, is now acting to produce a new Fair of the Iron Horse.

These aren't all, just some of my favorites. For everything I count as a success above, others will find a failure.

Dave

lathro19@idt.net

> A great quote for all successful museums to keep in mind:

"...a museum is not a business, yet it must be run in a business-like, efficient, and cost effective manner."
--Helmuth Naumer

"Evaluating the Museum Director"

Museum News, June 1987 p.61.

(Thanks to Bryant Tolles, University of DE)

> "...a museum is not a business, yet it
> must be run in a business-like, efficient,
> and cost effective manner."
> --Helmuth Naumer

> "Evaluating the Museum Director"

> Museum News, June 1987 p.61.

> (Thanks to Bryant Tolles, University of DE)

Thought it might make for interesting discussion to note that the most recent of issue of either Trains or RandR highlights a recent cosmetic restoration of ORM's N&W Pacific No.578. Now if a small but dedicated group of people can get together and spruce up a medium size steam engine, I'm sure they can accomplishe much much more. The article also mentioned a bit of a rebirth for ORM as well over the past couple of years. We probably haven't heard the last of this museum. Any currently active people from ORM out there? We'd love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Rob Gardner


train@nls.net

> I work at the Western railway Museum, Rio
> Vista, California.

> A new $1.4 million Visitor Center opened
> this past weekend. New expanded facilities
> as well as a much needed Library and
> Archives wing. It took three trys; but it is
> now working!

This "Visitor's Center" has been an ongoing project since 1972. If it truly cost $1.4 million, that is $1.1 million more than necessary. Some $300,000 was spent (some say frittered away) before pen was put to contract to design and build the present $270,000+ building.

Up until just recently the Museum functioned just fine without any Library or Archives.