http://www.irm.org/events/scrap-a-train.html

Great concept, IRM; glad it enhanced the museum experience to your visitors!

Sloan

great thinkin'

in my visits to numerous RR's and museums/sites I have noticed one consistant thing.
often you will see a family, one parent and a couple kids excited
the other,(and maybe a kid or two) standing around in the infamous "I really don't care, but because I love you, I'll put up with it" look on their faces
I think our survival as preservationists is tied directly to the entertainment appeal offered to the latter. We need to have sources of entertainment that appeal to everyone available. (especially some non foaming activities) The amount of disposable money the average family has is dwindling every day which makes our ability to draw consistant crowds tough at best. We need to think and implement every trick in the book to keep the experience fresh, new, and attractive to people other than railfans. I think groups could do better with things like occasional flea markets, car shows, street dances, and BBQ cook offs. The properties should include stuff like coin operated signals, a playground and picnic facilities, rail stuff just for climbing around on, ringing bells, tooting horns and making believe I'm the engineer. How about someone making a coin video game using one of the rail simulator programs? Many places I have been move deeply into the rail resto without first making sure the general public appeal and first impression impact is done first (and it must be outstanding). Just try to get your non-foam spouse back to the great little ???? site with the "yucky" restrooms. It won't happen! (and you can bet thats the only place you will get everybody to visit) We have to compete with 6 flags, mtv, xbox 360, the internet and the grocery stores, so our bang for the buck has to be nuclear. Don't forget we can't afford to have them come once, we have to leave the kids crying to come back (over and over)
With all the groups finishing up the season, we ought to get a good brainstorm exchange on non rail activities going so as to drive our organizations to the next level.

dr dodge

DR Dodge,
I agree wholeheartedly with you. Its those little extra activities that the little one and the moms enjoy. We are lucky to have a 2' gauge real steamer (propane fired) that came from the zoo. Moms and little ones really enjoy it even if they are not fans of the std gauge train ride. We also have a signal garden...no coins needed, jut turn on the switch & watch them lite up and move. We have a static display steam loco they can actually get up into. Their biggest thrill is ringing the bell. Its amazing how many of them return and also book birthday parties.

Modern sparkling restooms that are periodically checked and kept clean are a big plus.

Hopefully, we will have more to offer in the future. We're thinking about a play area with a caboose to climb on, etc.

Also, its amazing what a classic car club meet will do to bring people in. Those groups are always looking for a venue to "show their stuff."

We can't survive and spend big dollars on preservation unless we generate the revenue with train rides, etc.

My 2 cents worth.

Bill Houston
Heart of Dixie RRM
Calera, AL

Bill,

I was at your place last year. You were closed, but we walked around it the rain for an hour or so talking about HOD's collection and steam restoration. Ya'll do have a nice place out there. My wife can appreciate a lot of nostalgia, but not applied to the bathroom...lol

dr

dr,
Sorry you weren't able to catch us open & ride the train.
We do have a great location and 12 miles of ROW...only track on 6 miles...need $$$ for rails and bridges to get the other 6 miles done. It's in the plan...I guess we'll whittle away mile by mile until we get to Shelby.

Meanwhile, we also have to get creative in attracting visitors. That's why I like forums like this...sharing ideas! Every dollar or 2 in the donation box helps. Also, we just might snag a new member!!

Its amazing how many people I talk to in the greater Birmingham area that don't even know we're here! I keep brochures with me all the time to pass around.

Fortunately, we recieve a lot of support from the City of Calera and Shelby County.

Bill

Bill -

We have kind of the same problem. We get visitors all the time to North Judson (a small town of a couple thousand people) who, when they get to the museum, say that they asked where the railroad museum was and the townperson they talked to didn't have a clue. I think many of the residents think that the museum is still just the railroad in town and there's no good reason for them to go down by the tracks anyway!

Les

Les,
Fortunately we have a lot of community support in Calera and almost anyone "in town" knows where we are. We also have good signs on HWY 25 indicating where it is. However, many in surrounding communties don't even know we exist even though we do get publicity in local papers and TV for special events...particularly when our Li'l Blue Buddy comes to town.

One problem we have is that we have been trying for 2 years to get the state DOT to place a sign on I-65. There is one Northbound, but not one southbound. Wheels of state gov't grind very slowly around here.

Bill

it funny that you mention signs
I am very determined when I find a rail group (actual, museum, hobby, or model) to find them. It is amazing how many web sites lack a good map. I hate the linked type, because without "country directions" (left at the big blue indian, right at the 2nd light, etc) your chance of success degrades rapidly. then add in a the lack of signs I am truly lost. museums need both big, honkin' in your face locomotive billboards off the interstates & MORE importantly signs about 2' X 3' with a dark train silouette on a brown backgound with an arrow. (you know, kinda like "dis way to trains, dummy") as many as possible! (I am not very observant when talkin'...lol) TVRR uses these all around their place in. I would bet that in most locations, after a quick visit with the local road and hiway depts, the museum could get permission to make and deploy signs themselves. A local farmer with hiway frontage maybe will give you the private property access in trade for keeping the weeds wacked.
It took me almost 2 hours to find one place in MN, and no locals could give me directions that were worth a darn (one older gentleman either didn't know where I was talkin about, or just thought it was funny to give me some real bum directions, but who knows)

just some suggestions

dr dodge

You bring up a good point. Our museum HAS signs in town, but could probably use more, and perhaps better ones. Might be interesting if we could post some photos of signs here of what other museums are doing. Perhaps someone could start a separate thread on the subject.

Les

See "Directional Signs" just spun off from this thread.

We have tried several things including several scrapbooking meets. We have the Harvey Girls Historical Society that boasts about 40 members. They have raised $17,000 in the last 2 years. Their membership are predominantly wives of volunteers, but they are regionally recognized and just won a county-wide history award.

We have also conducted "trolley washes" on hot summer days complete with a 30' x 60' slip n slide. We are hosting more and more special interest groups such as car enthusiasts and the like -- still mostly male, but wives tag along for the day trip.

Boy Scouts and school charters make up the bulk of our non-railfan traffic.

I think everyone is looking for the magic bullet, but any success probably comes form a diverse selection of events. The IRM scrapbooking event idea did come from Orange Empire. There are lots of other activities available. We have been approached by a pipe organ group also.

One which has worked well for us is an annual meet or convention of a group of enthusiasts for Old Wood Working Machines. Our woodshop has 14 machines, many of which were one owner very old machines purchased by and used only by the Milwaukee Electric and us. That whets their appetite. Each year we put a special package of rates together for them, and open many shop areas for their demos and clinics. The last two years the 'meet project' has involved rebuilding and restoring a vintage machine which is donated to us upon completion. A win win for all involved.

This also gives some credibility to the oft stated 'educational mission' of our groups.

They are a national group and left coast and east coast OWWM members are discussing other get togethers more regional. If any of youse guys would be interested in hosting such a meet, PM me and I can furnish some contact info.

Bob Kutella