From what I've read in other places, trying to work with current NJMT management seems like it would be a non-starter. This is the same group that decided on its own (with zero input from museum members) to bar large parts of NJMT's membership from voting in the annual elections that decided who was in the group's leadership, effectively cementing themselves in their positions. Not really relevant to NJMT's current predicament, but it should give some idea of the state of things.

Any chance a new group could form to replace the existing dysfunctional remnants and take it over with the backing of the state? You'd need the right people of good repute and some political relevance involved......

That is more of what I had in mind. Putting a group together that can cultivate a productive relationship with the state on this could be beneficial in getting political assistance in finally resolving the bigger NJ preservation picture. This includes the NJDEP, as most larger available parcels here in NJ are either farms or brown fields, and the farmland in developing areas is under more and more price pressure from tract house builders.

Is that legal?

Probably depends on the by-laws of the NJMT.

The by-laws can make or break such an organization.

I've been told of one noted museum that allegedly has a long-established but convoluted "share" ownership based on either donations and/or volunteer hours worked, with the alleged result that a small clique of (retired or rich, of course) members have repeatedly blocked, over the course of many years, a sizeable majority of members pursuing productive changes that could have vastly benefited the museum in question (think of leasing a loco or car, clearing out the backlot of stuff that will never get to the restoration shop before it collapses, adopting more public-friendly hours/facilities, etc.).

The things that send potential volunteers and "young guns" away to other pursuits are not limited to gruff and antagonistic behavior in person, mind you.

The NJMT by-laws of 1996 allow for changes to be approved either by a board vote or by a vote of the membership. The 1996 revision was approved by a vote of the membership. The 2011 change, which removed categories of membership and stripped the vote from a majority of the membership, was approved only by a vote of the trustees.

Maybe we should get this Rizzo guy cloned! Except he can't count for crap! I hear he was making the yellow sticks to hold the glass in but keeps coming up short. He'll never be selected to work on the shuttle this way!

Later!
Mr. Ed

See attached for the latest on NJMT. Looks like they have bought themselves some time, possibly to 31 December 2019.

Area of concern, if you read the emails, is the scrap process that has started.

The attached comes via the NJDEP OPRA request process.

J.R.

According to the email, they're only getting rid of excess scrap materials - not any equipment or anything of value - simply leftover items and random pieces of metal that they have no use for. At least that's how I read it.

As they say, one man’s scrap is someone else’s gold. The scrapping of the 55 pound rail a couple of years ago is a good example of something that perhaps the WW&F could have used as an example. A local group rescued a bunch of park sized rail that had been scrapped for a few pennies per pound that normally brings a couple of bucks per foot. Members worked hard to get this rail originally, only to see it scrapped. Luckily those members were able to buy it from the scrap yard who was nice enough to keep the group in the loop.

Sounds like the time is ripe to make phone calls to NJMT or stop out in person. Some items have indeed been scrapped with no regard to others who may have an interest. This is exactly what was predicted.

The above attachment has the phone numbers of key people. Email will be of no use. In person or on the phone.

Uh... What attachment?

Quincy Mining Co snow plow remains.....Granted it was in terrible shape, but there was a least one or two people interested in taking it on. But, the mind set seems to be if we can't have it, no one will. Sound familiar???

I wonder if the trucks were scrapped, too.

This is real people.

I wish I had more resources to attempt to save a few things but I'm stretched quite thin right now.