I would like to first preface this post by acknowledging the Ferdinand Magellan's existence is in the capable hands of the Gold Coast Railroad Museum's membership. Furthermore, I acknowledge the fact the car had been turned down by the Smithsonian. However, what I realized while walking around Hyde Park the past few days is the car's permanent home should truly be at the FDR library, along with the Roald Amundsen. The Magellan is an integral part of his presidential story (after all, he did travel some 50,000 miles aboard it) and in many ways marks the "final chapter" of his life. Just as the Mona Lisa does not belong at a local historical society, the Magellan belongs in a place where it's significance can be best understood and appreciated. Again, my hat is off to the GCRM for taking excellent care of such a priceless piece of rolling stock but it's time it came home. Thoughts?

I too have thought that the Magellan belongs in a different place than Florida. I think Hyde Park would be one appropriate place for it. However, my thought was that in honor of it's best know role, the 1948 whistle stop campaign of Harry Truman, that Independence, MO, might be a better place for her. Probably the best known photo ever taken with the Magellan in it is the photo of Truman standing on the open platform mockingly holding up the incorrect newspaper headline from the day after the '48 election, "Dewey Defeats Truman". I think commemorating that event with that car in Independence would be more than fitting.

The Magellan, like B&LE 643 and other topics discussed here is not ours to move at will. And there is not much to gain from use of bandwidth in perpetuating these discussion.

Wesley
Honorary NNN

Since the Gold Coast museum owns the car in question it is entirely up to them about where it is located, not us. And the famous photo of Truman holding up the Chicago Tribune when he beat Dewey in 1948 was taken at St Louis Union Station, not in Independence, MO.

Concur with Wes - not only is it presumptious and a bit arrogant, Gold Coast has done an admirable job of preserving it with their resources for about 50 years now. There's a lot of stuff out there that needs better care - focus on solving problems that do exist, not in starting useless discussions about well preserved things with responsible owners who have not invited your input.

dave

The discussion is speculation on a possibly more appropriate display location for a particular railroad artifact, not a demand for the current owner to surrender it, not anywhere near that. Also, I never said the event took place in Independence, just that the car might be more appropriately displayed in President Truman's hometown, and the location of his library/museum.

I have to agree. I've seen this car in Florida and they've done a great job in preservation. All these, "This engine/car/station/lantern/whatever belongs someone more appropriate" discussions are bordering on the stuff that foamers thrive on.
The car was used by the President of the US. Shouldn't it then be in Washington DC instead? Oh wait, the US is a large country and the car has seen a great deal of it, doesn't that mean that it can be anywhere in the US and still be in a 'correct' place? If it was in a totally different country, then I'd see a point in this thread.
Every time I see a thread like this, I immediately think of what the people who care for said equipment must be thinking when they read this. It's an insult to the fine people at the GC museum to read that people feel the car doesn't "belong" there when they've done such a good job with it.

Thoughts? Sure...

Some on this forum are pretty good of telling other museums/organizations how to manage, maintain, operate, maintain and dispose their artifacts and equipment.

As for the Rold Amundsen, the group in Scottsdale has taken impeccable care of it for nearly forty years. To suggest it should be taken to Hyde Park is a slap in their face as well.

The car was disposed of through government surplus. At that time, the FDR and Truman libraries were already established. They had their chance, and the car is well care for. End of discussion.

D. M. Wilkins
President, NNN

I think the original poster was writing about the greater historical role of the Presidential Car, not knocking the condition or caretakers. In a broader scope of who used it either as transportation or as a campaigning vehicle, the point was well taken , at least by me. Why Gold Coast should be bothered with relocating it either on FDR's property or Truman's home town was not in his statement, nor was it a slap as the organization.
In a perfect world, GG1 4876 would be in Washington Union Station, but it isn't and there are those who think it never will be.
The gentleman was raising a point about context, not criticizing the current owners.

Some years ago, Lynn Modenger was the key note speaker at the Nevada State Railroad Symposium... He spoke of a dream of a benevolent railroad preservation dictator, Who could make decisions about what equipment should be preserved where... of course the dictator was even handed, and benevolent... and all would be good.

As your moderator, discussions like this one are acceptable, as long as civil, and understood that the owning museum is in no why bound by them...

Personally, I have always thought "wouldn't it be nice...." if the Travel Town Collection (LA city parks) were merged with the collection at the Los Angeles County Fair grounds....

The fair ground collection is dominated by big locomotives, including a Big Boy, while Travel Town has small and medium locos... Along the way, the three Hawaiian cars (2 passenger cars and a caboose) could be sent home... Travel Town has passenger and freight cars... Combined it would be the basis of a world class museum...

The trolley museums have been doing quite a bit of repatriation recently, with two BC electric cars going home, one from Orange Empire, the second from Brooks Oregon. Orange Empire also sent a San Francisco Muni car back to the Market Street Railway...

It is fun to think about the possibilities... and sometimes it works out.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice......" My mental jukebox just clicked into the Beach Boys song. It certainly fits a lot of thoughts that show up on rail-related websites.

I guess my beef with the original post is that this car is really an American car, not so much tied to any one specific location. There are lots of places that this car has an attachment to. Then, you could easily argue that since the car is known as a Presidential car used by many Presidents, then anywhere in the US is just as good as any other place.
We're not talking about something like a GG-1 which only ran on a limited network of RR lines or some short-line engine that never left a small town somewhere. This car went all over the place. There's really no one "correct" spot to display it.

but a lot of incorrect places/ conditions including outside in the northern part of the country with no protection from the weather ...

of course it could be moved to Grand Central and the track that FDR used -- but then how many people would get to see it?

Bob H

How about my all-time favorite - a Big Boy in Green Bay, Wisconsin???
And, a GG-1?????

Talk about not belonging!