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 Post subject: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:22 am 

Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2004 3:04 pm
Posts: 174
Location: San Jose, CA
While we wait for a return to the new normal, what are organizations planning at this point?

The re-opening process will likely be a slow easing of restrictions. I realize local reopening guidelines have yet to be determined, let alone announced. But by using the current norm of 6' social distancing as a start, what practices can we develop to keep our passengers and staff safe?

1. limit number of passengers per car and passenger movement during trips
2. staff cleaning of each passenger compartment after each run.
3. Masks/gloves for every employee.
4. Mark our passenger waiting areas in six foot increments.
5. ????

A public listing of new practices may ease visitor/passenger concerns.

For some of us, it may be impractical or financial viable to open under such conditions and may have to delay reopening even longer

IF new practices are ready to implement, we will be better prepared when that opportunity does arrive. And it will!

Thoughts?


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:12 am 

Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm
Posts: 1477
Allow contactless payment and allow tickets to be purchased online without having to check in at a ticket booth and get a physical ticket.

Allow contactless payment in gift shops / snack bars.

As you mentioned, ensure guests that trains are running under capacity and seat guests so that there are empty seats around them.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:23 am 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:28 pm
Posts: 444
Yes, dispense with the ritualistic punching of tickets-can't do social distancing that way. In fact, if train crew wears face masks, I'm not sure if wearing the traditional conductor garb makes sense or not.

More to the point-passenger train conductors need to be able to communicate with all passengers, via wireless microphone to PA system, for announcements. This becomes important if (1) your train stops to embark/disembark passengers, and (2) passengers practice social distancing by spreading out throughout multiple train cars.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:29 am 

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:37 pm
Posts: 238
Forget about it! Wait until such time as people can take a typical old time train ride like they expect. People are fed up with all this mask and distancing. Wait.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:30 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:51 pm
Posts: 2041
Location: Southern California
John D wrote:
Yes, dispense with the ritualistic punching of tickets-can't do social distancing that way. In fact, if train crew wears face masks, I'm not sure if wearing the traditional conductor garb makes sense or not.

More to the point-passenger train conductors need to be able to communicate with all passengers, via wireless microphone to PA system, for announcements. This becomes important if (1) your train stops to embark/disembark passengers, and (2) passengers practice social distancing by spreading out throughout multiple train cars.

R.L.Kennedy wrote:
Forget about it! Wait until such time as people can take a typical old time train ride like they expect. People are fed up with all this mask and distancing. Wait.

You can interpret living during the 1918 flue pandemic. :)
We've seen photos of many people wearing masks at that time. Even a whole group of policemen in one of the eastern cities.

We're going to have to be guided by the new normal that will exist in the future.

_________________
Brian Norden


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:57 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm
Posts: 1477
People will understand.. when everything is back to real normal you can have physical tickets to punch etc. - I agree it’s part of the experience that people want but for now, people would rather see the train and station be cleaned vs. have their ticket punched.

I agree with the original poster... make plans now. Get with your tech. Department to figure out how to do 100% online ticketing, they should be working on that now. Buying online and then having to wait in a line to pick up tickets will defeat the purpose.

Do you only have a small indoor waiting room? Make arrangements to have benches and seating in comfortable areas spread out.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:29 pm 

Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:40 am
Posts: 489
I don't think we are ever going to return to our old "normal" way of life. In my opinion, life is forever altered and will never be the same. If for no other reason than eyes have been opened. We are vulnerable, the world is vulnerable, and everyone knows it. It's no longer just a hypothetical scenario. Crowds, public gatherings, are incubators for disease. I think masks in public will be with us in much greater number, social distancing will be at the forethought, maybe not at the extremes we see now, but public awareness will keep it relevant. I think more will continue to order out, pull up at the curb and go vs always sitting down inside, even when it is permitted to do so. There will be an underlying concern when someone coughs, or sneezes. This isn't going away, especially if a person can become reinfected. Living with Covid-19 is the new reality.

I know some don't like NBC,CNN,FOX, Etc.

I just found this article an interesting read,

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-is-what-life-could-be-like-after-americans-flatten-the-curve/ar-BB12OZhS?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

Maybe the sun has set permanently on our operations? Maybe not. Whatever the case, the world is never going to be the same ever again.

People are definitely going to be a lot more cautious on the types of environments they are willing to put themselves and their families in.

This is our new reality, and it really sux!

Robert


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:04 pm 

Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:30 am
Posts: 290
Just as with the Spanish Flu, life will get back to normal. We're not going to perpetually keep ourselves shut in.

If this sticks around unlike the Spanish Flu, hopefully we'll have a viable vaccine ready to go sooner rather than later. Unprecedented research, money, and cutting through red tape is happening right now. Experts are talking about when it will be ready, not if.

Life will go on. There will be changes just as there always are when a group of people survives a crisis. I think a lot more people for instance will use hand sanitizer when leaving stores for an example (Something I've been doing for several years now). But we're all not going to hunker down in our bunkers until mankind dies out.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:04 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:47 pm
Posts: 1398
Location: Philadelphia, PA
The 1918 H1N1 influenza had multiple waves, depending on location. They were July-August 1918, Summer to Autumn 1918 and Autumn to Winter 1918-1919. (US CDC).

The origin is unknown. The common name, "Spanish Flu 1918" resulted from most of Europe being at war in 1918 and reports of any epidemic being censored. Spain was not at war and Spanish epidemic reports were published.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3180813/

Phil Mulligan


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:12 pm 

Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 12:30 am
Posts: 290
Yeah, but after 1919 we've never seen flu like it ever again. Even before the development and widespread acceptance of flu vaccines, it never again happened.

And society quickly moved on and for the vast majority of us, despite flu being very deadly, we don't let it control us despite history in our distant living record of it being far more deadly even than COVID-19.

God willing we'll have two things in our favor that will let us move on. A vaccine for this or better yet, the disappearance of this deadly strain of Coronavirus, hopefully never to be seen from again.

I believe the world will win this fight. We're not going to spend the rest of humanity as hermits scared of any human contact.


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:02 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:25 pm
Posts: 2329
Location: The Atlantic Coast Line
My full time paid job is exec director of a regional theatre in coastal Delaware. Thankfully we have (had?) a solid base of attendance and financial support from the local community in addition to summer tourist ticket sales.

I am already starting to hear concerns from our audience about social distancing once the bar is raised to allow gatherings of 50 people. If our theatre and the arts in general must deal with that new reality I am unsure how the museum and heritage railway will do the same.

Perhaps it is time for the Heritage Rail Alliance to begin work on a new set of recommended practices focused on operations in this new reality?

Just a thought.

Wesley


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:24 pm 

Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:29 am
Posts: 86
Location: Michigan
Perhaps the "Mods" should consider LOCKING this thread as well considering it has nothing to do with the nuts-and-bolts of Preservation.

Plan, plan some more... Plan all you want. "Hey, let's make a plan!"

Throw some nuts and bolts in with this plan too.

If, as Peter F. Drucker implied... that the whole business is as seen from the customer's point of view... than this customer suggests you do the best you can at convincing me it is safe to re-enter your museum.

Work on that message.

Here's to wishing, (praying), hoping you have a productive result with forming that plan, your message, and that your museum mission will one day again be a pleasant experience to visit.

John


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:38 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 5:52 pm
Posts: 559
Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota
Whoa, there, Mr. Atkinson. This thread has EVERYTHING to do with historic preservation. Remember that all tourist and museum railroads, trolley museums, depot museums, etc., rely totally on people riding the train/streetcars or visiting the depot museum. Bottom line, no passengers/visitors, no revenue and we close up probably for good.

We in the business need to communicate with each other to define the problem and establish some basic procedures that we museum folks can then tailor to our operations. Communications here and now on this forum is absolutely a great way to start the dialog and share ideas. I also think that HeritageRail Alliance should also come up with some guidelines for all tourist lines and railway museums so they can start thinking about reopening, which will eventually happen as has been pointed out above using the 1918 flu pandemic as a historical example.

So I say, lets share ideas and keep the dialog open.

_________________
Jim Vaitkunas
Minnesota Streetcar Museum
www.trolleyride.org


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:45 pm 

Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2015 10:29 am
Posts: 86
Location: Michigan
It's been a long time since someone has called me Mr. Atkinson. Thank you.

I agree. The forum is a place for exchanging ideas.

Evidently "opinions" are banned... but ideas are okay.

Again.... I'm the customer.

Convince me it is safe to visit your museum.

John


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 Post subject: Re: Now is the time to prepare for re-opening...
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 2:54 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:19 pm
Posts: 2557
Location: Sackets Harbor, NY
It's painfully obvious that this virus crisis is directly impacting the very survival of the institutions we celebrate on this forum.

I've decided to end my participation for now as Moderator Hees has a hair trigger on his locking gun and until that changes,.....meaningful, full discussion on this subject will not be possible.

Too bad as currently there is no more important issue.

IMHO-Ross Rowland


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