Thanks to all for the kind comments on our restoration work at the museum of transportation in St. Louis. We just added a shot of the finshed GM&O observation car.



Museum of Transportation
rdgoldfede@aol.com

If someone has time to write them, I think a lot of our readers would be interested in some detailed, illustrated reports on the restoration of individual pieces at the Museum, with more detail than the reports found on the MofT website.<br>



ryarger1@nycap.rr.com

I agree. I know I would like to know more about a few of the projects and be able to see pictures larger than the ones found on the website. It would also be nice to know who to contact in regards to questions about future projects at the museum. I emailed someone over a month ago regarding what were the future plans for new/expanded buildings and were they leaning towards poll barns or climate controled year round display buildings and never received any response. I could be viewed that if people at the museum don't have the desire to respond to questions then prospective new vistors might decide that they don't have the desire to stop by the museum.<br>



davelecount@juno.com

There is also the possibility that the museum people are too busy actually working on getting things accomplished than on providing virtual tours of the museum for people who prefer not to visit in person but who want to know every little detail. <p>As with the museum itself, the web site gets better all the time, and will have more information and photos added as time goes by.<br>

mrwowak@yahoo.com

My original post isn't a slam on the museum, it's just my opinion that I think a little more work in the way of better pics and a little more info on the present and future on the museum would go a long way. Many museums (not just railroad ones) seem to put less effort in the web sites than they should. Look at the web site from a non-railfan point of view. All you see is a few low-res pics of a few pieces of equipment and a brief description of the museum. For someone 1000 miles away who is surfing the web getting ideas where to take the family next summer for vacation it doesn't tell them even 10% of what's at the museum. People who visit railfan boards regularly or know of sites like Wes Barris's that can tell you exactly what is in the collection know what's there at the museum, but to the average joe for all they know the museum has the same amount of equipment as a small local group with one engine and a few cars.<p>A few examples of sites that I have seen that tell alot about their facility are IRM's and RRMofPa's sites (I know that I probably left many sites out, sorry). Both give a history of the museum, list of current projects (sometimes with pics), and a complete roster of equipment.<p>The web is a very powerful tool today and people need to use it to it's fullest. Even volunteer created websites work. I've seen sites done by "professionals" that look like amateurs and sites done by volunteers that look like pros. Find a member who knows a little about making a site and let them at it.<br>



davelecount@juno.com

Thanks for all the supportive and very knowing remarks. Time and money are all too hard to come by, as you have said. There are so many things we would like to do yesterday, but that today's problems have overtaken that eventually some just don't get done. As to the question about buildings vs. pole barns it should be obvious that we would prefer fully enclosed buildings with heating/cooling to unheated ones, and unheated ones to open sided sheds. But it took 25 years for the first enclosed pole barn we put up under independent management to be insulated and have heating/cooling equipment installed. That was done under the county government that now runs the museum. The same county built the very large shed named after our founder, John Roberts. The smaller (three tracks wide vs. eight, but the same length) shed we have was a donation that was dismantled and rebuilt on concrete piers over #1522 during its first rebuild. The piers raised it high enough to do the job.<p>Some visitors ask why all the locos are not operational. We answer that if we could afford that we would have real buildings. Preserving the collection is more important than operating more of it. <p>And so it goes. In 2001 we will have both the NHRS and NMRA conventions in town, a CERA meet, and one for the GM&OHS as well. Will I have time to construct a full roster for the web site instead of preparing for these functions and the visitors they will bring. Perhaps. . . with some luck. Patience is a virtue, and often a necessity.<br>



rdgoldfede@aol.com

My hat's off the the guys in StLouis. I had the pleasure to visit the site back at the 90 NRHS convention. You could tell that they were trying, but much of the collection was in a sorry state to be kind. The afore mentioned GM&O Abraham Lincoln was back in the weeds encrusted with hornet nests. The cammelback was up on the hillside covered with vines & weeds, and inaccessable along with many pieces off in the back. The Norfolk & Western Y6 was out of viewing area, the Big Boy had huge holes rusted in the jacket, the C&NW Atlantic looked deplorable. My point is to look at it now. I can't wait to return and see all the fine progress. Kudos to you all who have worked so hard!!<br>Steve<br>



SACarlso@scj.com