Saw this discussion in another forum.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/ ... ?1,4694640

Does anyone here have any more insights on this issue? From my uninformed position, it does seem that this is taking forever. Anyone know why?

This is pure speculation on my part, but it appears that the alignment of the OERM track through the 7th street crossing as built by the contractor who built the Metrolink Line is not correct. I am something of a railroad museum track alignment freak and have been fascinated by this project for years, although I haven't been to Perris since well before the project began.

By using Google Earth, I can measure that the 4th Street crossing was built with 25- foot track centers between the Metrolink and OERM tracks. I think this is the minimum FRA would expect between a railroad track and, for example, a light rail track. OERM will be operating non-FRA-compliant equipment on their track, so a minimum of 25 feet would be reasonable.

However the alignment of the two tracks installed in the 7th Street Crossing require the tracks to come closer than 25 feet on the north side of the crossing. There conveniently is a older Google Map image taken when the temporary connection was in place for the inauguration ceremony, and the track centers measure less then 15 feet at one point north of the crossing.

If my speculation is correct, a substantial delay in completion of the project is understandable and I would expect that OERM would be silent on the whole issue until a resolution is agreed to by all parties.

Did anyone notice that OERM changed their name and didn't tell anyone?

Southern California Railway Museum (dba Orange Empire Railway Museum)

https://www.oerm.org/

The discussion pretty much explains the delay in the project, namely a lack of money, dealing with a government entity and a lack of urgency. That info comes from long time museum members who are in the know about the goings on out there.

As to the name change, I understand that was due to the perceived notion that visitors wouldn't know where the Orange Empire is or the significance of the name. And it certainly isn't the job of the museum to educate the public about such issues. The new name gives the specific location of the museum as being in Southern California. Of course, it doesn't say where in Southern California (Perris, Campo, Griffith Park, Pomona Fairgrounds, Lomita...?).

I have not been on the Board of Directors of the Museum for the last couple of years, However, I have a few insights for this discussion.

Orange Empire changed its corporate name name a good number of years ago to Southern California Railway Museum and continued to operate as Orange Empire Railway Museum. The name change was to insure that the regional name would never be used by others.

Then about three or four years ago a program to begin using the corporate and dba together was started; and that over a period of time which name was bigger would be shifted. A long-time problem had been that many of the residents of the region associated the name of Orange with the adjacent county and not with a former regional agricultural industry of growing Oranges. Also the museum wanted to enhance its regional identification.

For the extension to the depot and a pocket track, track panels and the Museum's switch from the extension to the connection have been fabricated. There are additional costs for which funds need to be raised.

The temporary connection for the MetroLink ceremony was made at the request of the former mayor of Perris -- a longtime friend of the Museum -- who was then on the Riverside County Transportation Commission and one of its two representatives from the RCTC to MetroLink's governing Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA). That year he was chairman or vice-chairman of the SCRRA. The mayor wanted the participation of the Museum's 2-6-2 at the ceremony.

Greetings:
When (month and year) was the corporate name changed to Southern California Railway Museum?
Thank you in advance for your help!
J.David

Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation filed April 16, 2004. Document was executed March 8, 2004.

PDF of the Document is found through the "Business Search" feature of the website of the California Secretary of State.

WTF? 2004? And after 15 years they still have not finished the name change? Most people are still referring to it as "Orange Empire."

If you are going to change the name, change the name. Don't fart around for 15 years.

The decision to change the public name/dba was not made until about four years ago. The website and printed items then began to carry both names to allow people to make the connection between the two names. And during the period of time to change which name had the larger display.

Prior to the change of the corporate name, there was discussion about trade marking or style marking the term "Southern California's railway museum." There was a consensus that we did not want anyone starting a railway equipment display and using that name. In response the attorney on the BOD suggested changing the corporate name and continue using Orange Empire Railway Museum as the name of our museum. Occasional he or someone else would suggest changing the operating name of our museum to match the corporate name.

A number of museums are owned and operated by an organization with a different name. Here are some that come to mind:
Seashore Trolley Museum -- New England Electric Railway Historical Society
Shore Line Trolley Museum -- Branford Electric Railway Association, Inc.
Colorado Railroad Museum -- Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation, Inc.
Western Railway Museum -- Bay Area Electric Railroad Association
Niles Canyon Railway -- Pacific Locomotive Association, Inc

Geez man, who whizzed in your Cheerios?

Having a different corporate name/DBA is not uncommon. Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is a subsidiary unit of Old Pueblo Trolley, Incorporated, but does business under their own name. The street railway unit does business as Old Pueblo Trolley. The motor bus unit does business under the parent organization name.

My home road-Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is the operation of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and does business as the Tyner Transfer Railroad.

As I understand it, the Orange Empire name will eventually be dropped and the museum will be known solely as SCRM?

How long did it take "Nissan" to phase out the "Datsun" trade name in the 1980's???

I didn't mean to derail this conversation. I only noticed OERM suddenly started using a new name to identify themselves with on their Facebook page, and no mention was made at all. A name change is a serious thing, I was surprised no mention was made of the changeover.

-otto-

Understood. I don't follow the Museum's social media; but, I will talk about this with the management team.