This may be one of those "mile-long thread" messages, but I think I'll ask it anyway. This weekend, the Illinois Railway Museum is having its (now-) annual Civil War Day. Begun last year by a volunteer who serves as both a streetcar motorman and a Confederate general, this event has proven to be very popular with the general public. In addition, until Thomas the Tank Engine came along, IRM's most popular event was the Vintage Transport Extravaganza. This event has local owners of vintage cars display their autos at the museum, and I've heard it's the biggest car show in Illinois.

These two events have something in common: they blend railway history with other forms of historical preservation. While it's true that there's a big difference between a railway museum and a guy rebuilding a Model A in his garage, there are also a lot more similarities than some of us may want to admit. And although Civil War reenacting sports actors using replica weapons, it is still preservation in the sense that it preserves the memory of that war and that it preserves a way of conducting a war that has vanished.

My question is: have other museums had success with this type of cross-promotional historical events? I'm not talking about "ice cream day" or Mother's Day specials. I'm talking about blending railway preservation with other forms of historical preservation, reenactment and/or interpretation. Any thoughts?

The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum in Lenox Massachusetts had sponsored an antique fire engine show. They had lots of old trucks show up.Most were privatly owned, but some came from regional fire museums. Not sure if they still do it anymore.

Brian Hebert


Conway Scenic Railroad
btamper@hotmail.com

The B&O Railroad Museum has had Civil War and World War II reenactors in the past. Most recently they had a show on women's fashions in the 1860's, and what an 1860's woman would wear on a train trip. Even I enjoyed that one.

kevingillespie@usa.net

The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis had World War II reenactors set up camp by our WWII C-47 aircraft on a recent Memorial Day and that was quite successful. Some depicted British and others American airborne troops.

Museum of Transportation
rdgoldfede@aol.com

http://WWW.SPCRR.org
hees@ix.netcom.com