One of my favorite postman holiday-type activities is to roam various tourist railroads and museums and just pickup ideas for what works. Over the course of 35 years of doing this, you'd think I would have learned something? So, during a lull today, I sat down to jot down some notes on some of the things that have impressed me... there are a lot of things our places do right; here's my quick list: feel free to add to this.

(BTW, who else out there is trying to visit all the listings in the Steam Passenger Directory?) jim

TVRM’s overall layout—it’s the best big railroad washed in hot water and shrunk down into a neat package with a wye, turntable, tunnel, station, shop....shall I go on?
CSRMÂ’s opening dramatics/orientation gallery that opens into the snowshed scene; also its membership program and "rocking" sleeper.
B&O/RR Museum of Pa.Â’s Alpha to Omega rolling stock collections. Also PA's model exhibit on the "ones that got away" and their children's area.
GSMR's use of railroad retirees in WNC who add an authenticity to the Murphy Branch.
California WesternÂ’s trip through the redwoods. Stand in an open top car and look up at the trees... big ones!
Virginia's exhibit on the Claytors.
Altoona’s introductory “make me care” exhibit (everybody needs one of these) and many hands on exhibits.
Lake SuperiorÂ’s station and location among other attractions in the port area.
Conway ScenicÂ’s trestles on the Crawford Notch Line and depot.
CassÂ’ overlook destination; also its cabins withini walking distance of depot, shop, etc.
Three Rivers RamberÂ’s bridge over the Holston (a holy cow! bridge for the taking).
Age of Steam’s Whistle “blow yer own” exhibit. Very simple, but very useful.
ScrantonÂ’s exhibit on railroad people and the catwalks in the roundhouse.
Mount RainierÂ’s multi-layered operating steam roster.
C&TSÂ’ open gon and coal tower. Oh, and that 4 percent grade for miles.
Nevada NorthernÂ’s back shop. Walk into it and youÂ’ll think you were back in 1950.
D&S’ shop tour. A bargain in this day and age of “go away” signs.
StrasburgÂ’s gift shop, and narration... campy, but engaging to the tourists, a classic.
GeorgetownÂ’s Loop and Interstate highway location.
Grand CanyonÂ’s showmanship on board the train (or how to turn a ride through the desert into an entertainment venue.)
EBTÂ’s water crane/ash pit area; row after row of hoppers. Rust of ages.
Texas StateÂ’s track and ability to run a distance for many miles. I envy their reboiler program.



http://nctrans.org
Wrinnbo@aol.com

A couple of add ons to the TVRM listing-interstate passenger operations and interline passenger operations. The excursion trains cross the state line at Rossville and reach their destinations operating over the lines of the Tennessee Valley Railroad, East Chattanooga Belt Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway and the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway.

awalker2002@comcast.net

Some more for Wrinnbo's "best of" list:

Steamtown/WMSRy: Main line steam experience and fast-running;
EBT: Period shop complex, intact historic fabric, and unique melodious whistle blowing "style";
WK&S/W&W: "Comfortable" volunteer atmosphere with stalwart dedication to operating steam; best sense of stewardship;
CSRM: Museum quality restorations, dramatic orientation film in theatre, short steam train ride with good-looking period equipment; excellent reference room and archives;
Steamtown: Dramatic orientation film in theatre with surround sound on wide screen;
D&SRR/CSRR: Scenery;
SRC: Definitely the narrative (after giving it some 1,000+ times I can recite it in my sleep..."don't forget to pick up your feet as we cross the bridge.."); the peace of mind knowing that SRC's equipment is in tip-top shape and the safety record is excellent; the people, the shop and equipment mix;
RRMPA: The collection (stay tuned for $4.5 M world-class exhibit installation once the funding is released), education programs; world-class restoration shop; the library/archives (I'm biased, of course);
Spencer: Old Slobberface, 1925, Julian Roundhouse;
Altoona: Orientation film; exhibits;

...I'll stop while I'm ahead.

K.R. Bell

> One of my favorite postman holiday-type
> activities is to roam various tourist
> railroads and museums and just pickup ideas
> for what works. Over the course of 35 years
> of doing this, you'd think I would have
> learned something? So, during a lull today,
> I sat down to jot down some notes on some of
> the things that have impressed me... there
> are a lot of things our places do right;
> here's my quick list: feel free to add to
> this.

> (BTW, who else out there is trying to visit
> all the listings in the Steam Passenger
> Directory?) jim

> TVRM’s overall layout—it’s the best big
> railroad washed in hot water and shrunk down
> into a neat package with a wye, turntable,
> tunnel, station, shop....shall I go on?
> CSRMÂ’s opening dramatics/orientation gallery
> that opens into the snowshed scene; also its
> membership program and "rocking"
> sleeper.
> B&O/RR Museum of Pa.Â’s Alpha to Omega
> rolling stock collections. Also PA's model
> exhibit on the "ones that got
> away" and their children's area.
> GSMR's use of railroad retirees in WNC who
> add an authenticity to the Murphy Branch.
> California WesternÂ’s trip through the
> redwoods. Stand in an open top car and look
> up at the trees... big ones!
> Virginia's exhibit on the Claytors.
> Altoona’s introductory “make me care”
> exhibit (everybody needs one of these) and
> many hands on exhibits.
> Lake SuperiorÂ’s station and location among
> other attractions in the port area.
> Conway ScenicÂ’s trestles on the Crawford
> Notch Line and depot.
> CassÂ’ overlook destination; also its cabins
> withini walking distance of depot, shop,
> etc.
> Three Rivers RamberÂ’s bridge over the
> Holston (a holy cow! bridge for the taking).
> Age of Steam’s Whistle “blow yer own”
> exhibit. Very simple, but very useful.
> ScrantonÂ’s exhibit on railroad people and
> the catwalks in the roundhouse.
> Mount RainierÂ’s multi-layered operating
> steam roster.
> C&TSÂ’ open gon and coal tower. Oh, and
> that 4 percent grade for miles.
> Nevada NorthernÂ’s back shop. Walk into it
> and youÂ’ll think you were back in 1950.
> D&SÂ’ shop tour. A bargain in this day
> and age of “go away” signs.
> StrasburgÂ’s gift shop, and narration...
> campy, but engaging to the tourists, a
> classic.
> GeorgetownÂ’s Loop and Interstate highway
> location.
> Grand CanyonÂ’s showmanship on board the
> train (or how to turn a ride through the
> desert into an entertainment venue.)
> EBTÂ’s water crane/ash pit area; row after
> row of hoppers. Rust of ages.
> Texas StateÂ’s track and ability to run a
> distance for many miles. I envy their
> reboiler program.


http://rrmuseumpa.org

...Oh, yes, lest I forget:

MOT: Best historical cross-section of equipment.

(one for Molly, of course)

K.R. Bell

> Some more for Wrinnbo's "best of"
> list:

> Steamtown/WMSRy: Main line steam experience
> and fast-running;
> EBT: Period shop complex, intact historic
> fabric, and unique melodious whistle blowing
> "style";
> WK&S/W&W: "Comfortable"
> volunteer atmosphere with stalwart
> dedication to operating steam; best sense of
> stewardship;
> CSRM: Museum quality restorations, dramatic
> orientation film in theatre, short steam
> train ride with good-looking period
> equipment; excellent reference room and
> archives;
> Steamtown: Dramatic orientation film in
> theatre with surround sound on wide screen;
> D&SRR/CSRR: Scenery;
> SRC: Definitely the narrative (after giving
> it some 1,000+ times I can recite it in my
> sleep..."don't forget to pick up your
> feet as we cross the bridge.."); the
> peace of mind knowing that SRC's equipment
> is in tip-top shape and the safety record is
> excellent; the people, the shop and
> equipment mix;
> RRMPA: The collection (stay tuned for $4.5 M
> world-class exhibit installation once the
> funding is released), education programs;
> world-class restoration shop; the
> library/archives (I'm biased, of course);
> Spencer: Old Slobberface, 1925, Julian
> Roundhouse;
> Altoona: Orientation film; exhibits;

> ...I'll stop while I'm ahead.

> K.R. Bell


http://rrmuseumpa.org

Here are some places or specific exhibits I like that you didn't list yet:

Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec, Northwestern Railway Museum, Historic Railroad Shops at Savannah--excellent self-guided site walking tour brochures.

Steamtown--the cutaway 0-6-0

Electric City Trolley Museum--the children's wood-block layout of the Wyoming Valley where kids build their own trolley empire with towns, mines, houses; also the cutaway Birney

Ft Collins Municipal Railway--total authenticity in a vest-pocket format.

Conway Scenic--that station!!!

Shoreline/Branford--the ride through the New England salt marsh

D&S--the roundhouse museum format--self-guided, but with a friendly door host equipped with a battery of reference books to answer questions if asked

RRM of PA--the superlatively equipped children's/school group education station facility

And from overseas:

Bluebell Railway in England and Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblick in Holland--fanatical devotion to restoring the entire plant--stations, signals, right of way, lineside infrastructure--to a specified period appearance and ambiance.

Talyllyn in Wales--lovely friendly narrow gauge railroading on the world's first preserved steam railway



eledbetter@rypn.org

Of one place I know a bit about,

IRM: Its libraries and librarians, relocated and restored 50th Avenue "L" station, trolleybus line, perhaps the broadest diversity in collections, many barns, a fairly long mainline in excellent condition, dedicated volunteers. And of course, longevity (50 years so far).

Jamestown California is the EBT of the west in a somewhat broader gage. Hard to believe it hasn't been mentioned yet. The only "big" museum I have vsisited that exceeds CSRM was National Railway Museum in York, England, although the tragically undervisited museum in Swindon is also exellent.

And thanks for the mention to Erik about the self guided tour - more improvements with better signage have been made since. The collection is growing and we should hopefully have the C of G office car ATLANTA join COLUMBUS and CRRB #2 early next week. Of course, I have always thought that the collection of early structures was the most impressive thing about the site, even though there is a huge backlog of deferred maintenence to be dealt with before they reflect their real original design.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Though a young group, the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna, Maine has just about everything going for it. Steadily growing membership, original equipment, and all those miles of original roadbed.


SJHussar@aol.com

Wilmington and Western has a ride is easily the best branchline ride in the east. How many other places can you ride a steam powered train on a line the jumps from one side of a creek to the other on wooden trestles. Throw in a couple of deep rock cuts, covered bridges, and century old factories and you have got the best example of eastern branchline railroading anywhere.

Tom Gears

> Age of Steam’s Whistle “blow yer own”
> exhibit. Very simple, but very useful.

Jim, the shed that houses the stationary boiler for the whistles may not have been open at the time of your visit. If it was, you missed another treat; a nice collection of guages and a pair of working Worthington duplex steam pumps.

These pumps were the oil pumps for the boiler in Dallas Union Terminal. This entire exhibit is a nice example of the equipment you might find in any railroad boilerhouse; yet it is highly under-represented in most museums.

In fact, they are the only steam pumps I have seen operating in person to date. (I am never around when they are testing the plant backup steam pumps.)

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Boiler Room Lizards
james1@pernet.net

Jim;

Two sections to this post.
---------------------------------------------
Two of my favourites:

1) Roaring Camp. Great people, great scenery, great locomotives. Did I mention great people?

2) Heber. Great people, great scenery, great locomotives. Did I mention great people?

Notive how "great people" keeps coming up. I have been to a few places (no names, ladies and gentlemen, no names) where there seemed to be an invisible wall placed around the employees/volunteers.

Give me a place where I don't feel like I'm being herded around like a sheep, where the people are friendly, over fantastic "railroady stuff" any day.

-----------------------------------------------
Second part.

There is one place in Pennsylvania which is a tourist draw. I have a hard time at this place, because they do run beautiful equipment, have a beautiful bookshop, and even a state museum across the road. Whenever I go, *all* I see is something that looks kind of like Disneyland; gloss and glitter, but no real people. I'm wierd, but I don't like Disneyland.

I do know that they do great work in their workshops, where real people (some of the best around) do their work. Maybe I've missed something, but incredibly little of this gets pushed to the general public.

Will I go back to this place? I've been twice; I'll be in the area this August, but I doubt I'll drop in.

Anyway, thoughts for a rainy Friday in May.

John Stewart
Ottawa, Canada.



Ottawa CMST Shay
freewrl-1@rogers.com

> There is one place in Pennsylvania which is
> a tourist draw. I have a hard time at this
> place, because they do run beautiful
> equipment, have a beautiful bookshop, and
> even a state museum across the road.

Gee, John I wonder what railroad you're talking about... lol!

Actually give Linn, Kelly, and the rest of the Strasburg folks another shot this summer. First thing sign up for Noon shop tour. It'll be the best ten bucks and 60-90 minutes you will have spent in a while! Whoever gives the tour (Carl P. did the honors on my last visit--and a fine job at that) will take the time to really get into the nuts and bolts of steam railroading. There will be plenty of chance for Q&A concerning their operation and present day steam railroading in general. You will get up "close and personal" with whatever repair/overhaul work is going on at the time (both theirs and any outside work). I've taken their tour 3 times since they started offering it last year and really enjoyed each visit.

Second after you ride the train, go trackside to get away from the tourist crowds at the station area, the Red Caboose Motel area, and (while it's operating) the "Amazing Maze" area at the Cherry Hill Road crossing. There are a number of spots for great photos, videos, or just watching elsewhere along the line. Away from the tourists, there are opportunities to photograph or just "soak up" classic scenes of 1910-1920 era steam railroading. Please be respectful of the neighboring Amish's planted fields and use care and common sense if on the railroad's property.

Keeping with the theme that great people=great tourist railroads/museums, another Northeast operation to add to the list is the NJ Museum of Transportation / Pine Creek RR at Allaire, NJ. A professionally run operation, while retaining a "we are family" feeling among its members / volunteers.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

How about that B&O Museum?

They're closed for now, but they've got the linear collection from 1832 to what CSX retired last week.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

I've had some great times at that place in PA. Since I'm a bit over an hour away, I go up a couple of time a year, show up WAY before the tourists, and it's always a great time. My advice is to get there before Memorial Day or after Labor day and not on the weekend. I haven't taken the shop tour yet, but will this fall or next spring some time.

Just remember all those tourists pay for all the good things they do ...

> Jim;

> Two sections to this post.
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> Two of my favourites:

> 1) Roaring Camp. Great people, great
> scenery, great locomotives. Did I mention
> great people?

> 2) Heber. Great people, great scenery, great
> locomotives. Did I mention great people?

> Notive how "great people" keeps
> coming up. I have been to a few places (no
> names, ladies and gentlemen, no names) where
> there seemed to be an invisible wall placed
> around the employees/volunteers.

> Give me a place where I don't feel like I'm
> being herded around like a sheep, where the
> people are friendly, over fantastic
> "railroady stuff" any day.

>
> -----------------------------------------------
> Second part.

> There is one place in Pennsylvania which is
> a tourist draw. I have a hard time at this
> place, because they do run beautiful
> equipment, have a beautiful bookshop, and
> even a state museum across the road.
> Whenever I go, *all* I see is something that
> looks kind of like Disneyland; gloss and
> glitter, but no real people. I'm wierd, but
> I don't like Disneyland.

> I do know that they do great work in their
> workshops, where real people (some of the
> best around) do their work. Maybe I've
> missed something, but incredibly little of
> this gets pushed to the general public.

> Will I go back to this place? I've been
> twice; I'll be in the area this August, but
> I doubt I'll drop in.

> Anyway, thoughts for a rainy Friday in May.

> John Stewart
> Ottawa, Canada.


acp19809@yahoo.com

> Whenever I go, *all* I see is something that
> looks kind of like Disneyland; gloss and
> glitter, but no real people. I'm wierd, but
> I don't like Disneyland.

To each his own, I guess. But this living recreation of a 1910-era flyer is about as close as I've ever come to a time machine--not what I think of when I think of Dinsey.


eledbetter@rypn.org