Re: the Flimsies piece below on Steamtown's Railcamp:

I know the Midland RR in Kansas has done something like this, but has anyone else? The story is right. If we somehow don't find a way to get more of the younger generation to carry on behind us, the scrappers will make quick work of the junk left behind by a group of tottering old fools in nursing homes.

http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/freshtracks/railcamp.asp
ryarger@rypn.org

There are plenty of ways that we could get young people more involved in railroad preservation. However, to be most effective we have to look outside our little box and see what other groups with similiar missions are doing that makes their efforts so successful. The best examples that we could learn from are the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the former Confederate Air Force (CAF).

The EAA is heavily involved in recruitment and mentoring of young adults who are interested in aviation as part of the organization's educational mission. Many of their units have fly-in breakfasts and alternate hosting duties for the Saturday morning events which are open to EAA members and visitors. The EAA and CAF both own vintage warbirds which tour the country to promote General Aviation and educate guests young and old about the history of aviation through talks given by airmen assigned to the planes and tours of the aircraft. The fact that these aircraft can often generate larger crowds during a one day stopover with very little publicity than many railroad museums receive in an entire weekend tells me that somehow we've missed the boat. The key is that these groups face many of the same challenges that we do and that we can improve our situation by examining their outreach programs and adapting the key elements to fit our needs.

awalker2002@comcast.net