airforcerail wrote: like we say in the military vehicle hobby, it is there equipment, they can do what they want whether we like it or not.
No, they can't, even if you spell it right. The B&O Museum follows the accepted museum practice of maintaining their collection of historic artifacts for the benefit of the public responsibly and professionally. They have an entire bureaucracy dedicated to preventing shortsighted and stupid irreversible alterations, as should all of us who consider ourselves as legitimate museums. Tourist railroads are a different industry, producing theatrical events for paid visitors and run by different rules, and private owners doing things for their own enjoyment on their own dime are only bound by whatever regulations control the interaction of their activities with the general public, like motor vehicle laws. I'd recommend the B&O Museum as a very reputable and professionally managed organization unworthy of the insult.
Producing events to raise public awareness and support for your programming is becoming more and more the bread and butter and less the icing on the cake. Nationally marketed brands like Thomas provide a constituency of rabid fans whose toddler tyranny of their parents will encourage them to flock to your door, and spend a lot of money. The professional marketing expertise that comes with the booking of such an event package allows the least capable and businesslike group to do well - of course, you pay for all this, but unless a catastrophic interruption occurs, you are pretty well guaranteed to succeed to some extent. You can also, if you have the capability, home grow your own events and promote them. Having the discipline to draw and enforce a line drawn between your core mission and collections and ancillary event operation prevents problems that can compromise good museum management.
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