Names and details below aren't important. Only the concepts.

I received a call from a client asking for a photo of a particular excursion operation/museum for a periodical. They wanted a good, crisp publicity-quality photo, sunlight and "post-card quality". I knew the place in question well enough, and I figured it would be a piece of cake. As it turned out, another trip took me by there, albeit in not-great weather, and I stopped by to see if any of the angles I had in mind would still work, given current placement, equipment, landscaping, etc. There was also the possibility that I could contact them beforehand and ask if, for example, we could pose something in the morning before patrons showed up, autos were in the background, etc. And, of course, there would be the necessary permission, admission, etc. (or I could shoot a photo from outside their property, and they technically don't have any say in the matter, but I did want to work with them, as does the client).

Long story short, I spent over two hours combing the whole facility for an acceptable photo angle. I could not find one. I was vexed with an ugly mix of equipment in desperate need of paint parked in prime photo locations, things like fences and traffic cones in the way, shed poles, bad track in the foreground, a junker in the background, etc. I was finally able to find one potential angle, but it featured an oddball piece of equipment as the subject--kind of like having a Burro crane at the Strasburg Railroad, or the Amtrak car at the B&O Museum. There's still another possibility I've conjured, but it would involve the equivalent of me climbing atop a nearby car--something I don't want to do and they probably won't let me do anyway. Yet another possibility is completely rethinking the photo in question--going for a close-up of some artifact or people looking at something rather than the classic publicity photo angles.

Now, I'm willing to cut the place in question some slack; for reasons I won't go into, they would/will have a harder time than most making the pieces in prime positions presentable. But really, this shouldn't be an issue.

Day after day after day, amateur photographers capture family memories at places like the Grand Canyon RR, the Conway Scenic, NCTM Spencer, the CSRM, NRM Green Bay, Strasburg, and a multitude of smaller operations. Some just want the kid posing beside the steamer; others may be amateur historians. And who among us hasn't endeavored to get a roster shot of everything a place has?

We rail historians may be a forgiving lot. But the college photography students, the vacationing family, etc. won't be. Unfortunately, they've become accustomed to having scenic panoramas laid out for them. At a great many tourist attractions, taking a terrific photograph is as simple as shooting fish in a barrel. When I went to Disney World in 1982, I was literally insulted, but equally intrigued, by Disney's multitude of "Great Photo Spot" (or whatever) signs, located to call attention to a potential superlative photo angle/opportunity. (Methinks Kodak paid for the signs, but I digress.)

I'm not asking for "Photo Spot" signs at rail museums or excursion lines. But, for the sake of your own public relations, walk around the property with a camera and size up what your place has to offer. It's entirely possible, for example, that moving a locomotive ten feet will make all the difference between "close but no cigar" and "the best photo op in town". Painting a fence a different color can help it blend into the background instead of sticking out like anti-tank barriers at border checkpoints.

Move your stuff around, if possible. Static museums like the B&O Museum long ago figured out that rearranging equipment now and then not only keeps the bearings lubed and track functional, but produces new photo ops.

And for gawd's sake, if you have a locomotive that figuratively greets your visitors at the front gate or parking lot turn-off, paint the darned thing. Is it too much to ask that it not look like it last saw paint during Penn Central days--and the same lousy PC paint quality, to boot? It's your advertising, your greeter, your business card. Make it look good.

Proper positioning of equipment for photos was also a problem at open house events at EMD, particularly the 1972 "GM50" open house. In later years a couple people from the Service and Engineering Departments got together with the switching crew when they were spotting the equipment in the plant yard, and that helped to improve the display arrangement.

We have quit a few people from out of town that stop by to see our rolling stock and marvel at what we have accomplished with the resources we have and don't care what is in what position. They are tickled pink to get a shot of their kids in front of the diesel, or on the N5C platform or next to the NXZ23. And you know that none of them ever compplained about the primer next to the red or the cracked window in the diesel cab or the fact that the NX is in it's original, unrestored condition. They are happy that we allow them to see this historic equipment in it raw form and they also realize what it is we are trying to accomplish. And more often than not, they stop in the museum and put something in the can.

And then we have the locals that do not like us to begin with that always complain about the way the place/rolling stock looks. To those we say, put on your old clothes and come out to help or if you are physically unable to do that or drop some money in the can. Third option is to shut yer yap!

Never ceases to amaze me that there are people out there that will always look on the negatives and never consider the positives. Now although we do have one diesel engne running, the GE is not ready to roll and since the two tracks are not connected yet, moving things around to put good looking stuff up front is out of the question. If we had our druthers, we'd have the yard next door where we could restore our collection and have a shop where we can store the stuff that needs retoration and show the nice stuff. There's that resource situation again. And Wawa.

I'll bet the site you visited has similar problems. Did you talk with them and give them your suggestions? Did you offer to assist in restoring the equipment? Did you drop any money in the can? Do I need to tell you what option three is?

Later!
Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed,

I think those local complainers are typical NIMBYs sufferers. Just like those who complain about electric shortages (but don't want an electric generating plant within 500 miles of their front door), gas/oil prices (but don't want oil/gas exploration within 500 miles of the coast, or refineries or LPG offloading facilities within 500 miles of their home), complain about criminals being released early from prison (but don't want a prison anywhere near their neighborhood), etc., etc. -- Ray

NIMBYs = Not In My Back Yard syndrome.

Mr. Ed,

There is also a 2A response:

If you are physically unable to help out. How about volunteering to man the ticket counter, store, or even become a tour guide. By doing this, you will enable another volunteer that has the Physical, technical or mechanical ability to work on a project instead of sitting in the booth lifting nothing heavier then a sheet of paper.

At the Connecticut Eastern RR Museum, in Willimantic, Ct, when someone seems to be interested in helping out at the museum, but comments on lack of knowledge or physical stamina, we make sure to tell them the above. When you tell them that, more often then not, you can see the idea click in their head that bull workers and mechanics are not the only people needed to get stuff done at the museum. It seems to click even better, when they talk with a member, while they are taking a break from repairing/operating a piece of equipment or doing track work. For example, our current track work project is across the driveway from the Ticket Shanty, on days when our regular ticket booth person is taking a day off, or answering the call of nature, one of the track crew will set down their tool, enter the shanty, greet the customer and offer to give a tour.

More then half the time the visitor is surprised when one of the active workers offer to lead the tour, instead of there being someone waiting to give a tour. Similar responses are received on Sundays, which is our low staffing day, when the person in the shanty gives a radio call to someone working deeper in the museum to see if they are able to give a tour, and the visitor sees the person walking towards them cleaning their hands in route, or meets you at the machine while you are trying to finish something before you forget where the item was supposed to go.

Sorry for the OT swerve, back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Some museums have a similar problem, to the one that the CERRM is experiencing, too much equipment to cleanly display with the current track at hand. Where and when possible we try to create vinyets (full scale dioramas or views of typical arraignments of our better equipment), but we don't always have the room to do it properly. Usually this is due to a piece that needs to be in a location because of work progress, maintenance, wind/weather sheltering, etc... If you have the physical area and track quantity of something the size of Steamtown or B&O RR Museum, it is easier, but most don't have the physical space to do it for anything other then special events. I wouldn't be surprised that the large ones don't also have this problem from time to time.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards,

Rich Cizik
MoW Foreman, Mechanic, Engineer, Guide, Grunt & Bull
Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum
Willimantic, Ct 06226
http://www.cteastrrmuseum.org

Ray & Rich:

I couldn't have said it any better.

Later!
Mr. Ed