Would any of the contributors to the forum know of museums that are actively maintaining and encouraging participation in Oral History Programs relating to the railroad industry? I know that the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society (ELHS) has operated such a program for about twenty years now, recording interviews with veterans of the railroad and people who worked for suppliers, and a few NRHS chapters have also been active in collecting this type of information. However a recent internet search turned up very little relating to museums operating any Oral History Programs. If there is any active interest in preserving this kind of information it would seem like it should be more evident on the internet, or at least mentioned on the websites so people know the programs exist.

We have had a limted success with our oral history project at National Capital Trolley Museum. Two completed programs include oral history through the use of anecdotes. One is a professional video, "Streetcar Snapshots", and the other is an audio program about the history of Washington streetcars and the Museum that is available as part of our regular exhibits. We have some recorded interviews on file, but like so many well-intended projects, we have never gotten around to the proverbial next step.

Wesley

The Railroaders Memorial Museum has thousands of hours of oral history preserved in its collection. Hence the use of the word "RAILROADERS". These interviews are used extensively throughout the Museum in exhibit after exhibit. They are also used at great length in both of the films that are shown at the Museum and Horseshoe Curve each hour, "Altoona at Work - An Era of Steam" and "Working the Mountain - Workers of the Horseshoe Curve". We have plans to continue to edit our raw interviews and expand our exhibit offerings in this regard. We also plan to update our collection with current interviews. You never know when something that seems "run of the mill" today will be looked upon as a gem of preservation tomorrow.

Scott, thanks for your reply. I thought you had a program there but when I went to the website I could not find any mention of it. Prehaps I overlooked something or was looking in the wrong place. Google search also failed to turn up any links to the museum for Railroad Oral History programs.

You didn't miss it. It isn't really addressed on the site. It's a program that has met with limited "general public" interest. We continue to pursue it "privately" with local historians and retired railroaders that we contact about stories. The public face of the program is the use of the material in exhibits once we gather and edit the info.