As to the Smithsonian issue, I'm sure there's much more to the story than what the Post is leading everyone to believe. A 38 Million dollar "donation" would be really hard to turn down, by any museum.

There's "donations", and there's "donations..with strings attached". to turn down 38 Million, there must've been "strings" that went to far.

Smokebox

> As to the Smithsonian issue, I'm sure
> there's much more to the story than what the
> Post is leading everyone to believe. A 38
> Million dollar "donation" would be
> really hard to turn down, by any museum.

In defense of the Post, that was only one article out of many the published over a series of months, and that was the article most sympathetic to the donor. Two weeks prior, the Post's Sunday Magazine published a scathing critique of the whole mess called "Selling the Smithsonian," but the story is not avialable online so I couldn't link to it.

In my opinion, mine only, the Reynolds donation amounted to selling the national museum to a personal vanity project of no historical merit. It was as inappropriate as it would have been for me to give 28 million to the Smithsonian for a new transportation exhibit, but require that all the railroad stuff be taken out because I like cars, I think cars embody personal freedom, I think railroads are boring and socialist, and therefore only cars belong in the Ledbetter Memorial Transportation Hall.

Ooops--wait a minute, that has almost happened--except the donor is GM. No kidding. The new NMAH transportation exhibit will be the General Motors Transportation Hall (or whatever). I'm sure Bill Withun will keep things on the level, but when you go to the new exhibit in a few years brace yourself for SR 1401, brought to you by General Motors.

Wash Post article
eledbetter@rypn.org

The E-8's that replaced SR 4501 DID come from GM!


The Electric City Trolley Museum Association

In defense of GM: GM was the first of five, million dollar sponcers, of the American Freedom Train of 1975/76.

We'll have to see if GM will help finance the restoration of the ALCo PA!

Smokebox

> The E-8's that replaced SR 4501 DID come
> from GM!