After posting about the scrapping of the steamship, I decided to find out just how may of you out there are really involved with rail preservation and how many are just lurkers. Here goes:

Mr. Ed-Trustee, member, volunteer at Pemberton Township Historic Trust. My only gig but I've done it all from yard maintenance to stripping and painting rolling stock to cleaning out the museum basement, section house, NX23 to laying rail and digging out the ash pit. You name it, I've done it!

You?

Later!
Mr. Ed

I'll start.

Full time class-1 RRer here (conductor/brakeman/RCO). I hold membership to one museum, am letting another historical society's membership drop, and am not actively involved in anything preservation right now. It's not that I don't want to - there's nothing too terribly close, and with the on-call and night work (mostly 12 hour days,... er.. nights), my free time is short.

Have spent 18 years in the tourist railroad industry, including all train service positions, maintenance positions, and general manager of two railroads. Not currently employed nor active with any railroad or museum, but am semi-active in all things concerning the techical side of antique boiler restoration: Locomotives and Traction Engines.

The Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources... commonly the SPCRR. We are a small museum dedicated to preserving California narrow gauge equipment. We are unique in using horses as our primary motive power.

Professionally I run a Victorian House museum for the City of Fremont CA, which happens to be located in the same regional park as the railroad museum.

In the past I have also volunteered at Orange Empire and the Bay Area Electric Railway Museums, and I can occasionally be found working with the Pacific Locomotive Association in Niles Canyon.

Buzz Morisette
Member, Illinois Rail Museum
Northern IL
Woodworking, painting, and graphics/lettering for the IRM, one day a week for the last12 years.

I would now be termed one of the 'lurkers'. With the changes in my mode of practice as an optometrist in 2007, I no longer can dictate my time off--so no time for Heber Valley Railroad.

RyPN remains my homepage and I watch the discussions daily. That and keeping up on the industry with my son (RR_GraphixGuy) with Wasatch Railroad Contractors.

sc 'doc' lewis

31 years with the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario (before the museum was officially founded by the Smiths Falls Railway Museum Corporation), plus a number of years with the Bytown Railway Society and the Salem & Hillsborough Railway.

Steve Hunter
Cardinal, Ontario

Been a member of Seashore Trolley Museum since the mid-1960s. Member of the other two New England trolley museums since the 1970s. But because of circumstances, i.e., living in various places world-wide courtesy of the US Army, I was never active with these outfits.

Became active with my current Museum since 1995 shortly before retirement. I am now the Corporate Secretary, Chief of Operations, and Board member of the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. Formerly was the General Superintendent of the Museum whilst it was a part of the Minn. Trans. Museum.

Not currently involved with any historical organizations,but have served as General Superintendent and Operations Manager for two tourist lines,as well as DSLE and rules examiner. Also worked a an engineer for two steam powered excursion lines. Qualified to run both steam and diesel locomotives and was a partner in a short line. I would like to be involved,but there is not one close to me that I would consider working with at this time. Currently involved in looking for funding to get back into the short line railroad business with an excursion component. Once a railroader,always a railroader!

I've been a railroader for 10 years, I have run steam, diesel and doodlebugs. spent about 5 years in tourist operations and about 5 now in shortline freight, was DSLE for awhile, trained several engineers and conductors, done restoration, car and locomotive maintenance and repair,etc,etc. I have a rather intimate knowledge of a couple of operations that periodically show up on here........ and I have spent far too much time dealing with certain incompetent, petty, butt kissin' backstabbers at some of those places to be much interested in the discussions about them, so I prefer to be a "lurker" for now.......I'm more interested in learning from people who know what I don't and discussing things that truly interest me......
Ok, I'm off the soapbox, who's next?

Not a railroader or truly active in any organizations, but member of & donate $ to...

Friends of C&TS
Electric City Trolley Museum Assoc.
Welsh Highland Railway Historical Society
and will be joining Friends o/t Stewartstoen Railway.

-F40PH Preservation Society

-Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum
two? last time I checked the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum was also in New England.

-RMNE

RCD: You are, of course, correct. I forgot about the Shelburne Falls Museum. I had the pleasure of a visit to that nice operation back about 6-7 years ago and even got a chance to operate the car. A real treat!

Thanks!

Member:

1. Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana since 1991.

2. Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society.


Former member of a couple of different organization's. Primarily interested in rail preservation from the "late steam era/early diesel era".


Les Beckman
Crown Point, Indiana

To borrow a line from one of my non-rail interests, music, in this case, Blues, "Don't start me talkin'"---
For starters, member of Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA for over 45 years, at various times active in track salvage and construction, overhead lines construction, operations (mostly electric) and electric car repair and maintenance. Was part of the PE 717 project, involved in both mechanical and body refurbishment. Have also written articles for the Museum Gazette.
Electric Railway Historical Assn. of Southern Calif., member off and on since the 60's (ERHA's Equipment Committee of the 50's led to the founding of what started out as "Orange Empire Traction Co.")
Pacific Railroad Society (nee Railroad Boosters), member for past 10 or 15 years. This group saved LARy funeral car Descanso, which has been discussed recently.
I Will Ride.org, not involved in preservation, it's a public support group for the Gold Line Foothill Extension, a project which will bring an electric railway back to my home town of Monrovia CA, which lost Pacific Electric service in 1951. Seeing the PE line torn out of Monrovia when I was 11 years old caused the "mental trauma" that led me into helping preserve the remnants of PE at OERM. I have spoken at LA Metro board meetings, urging Metro to put this project on the "fast track".
Market Street Railway, support group for vintage streetcar operations in San Francisco, contribute to projects, helped at opening of Embarcadero Extension.
Bay Area Electric Railway Assn. member for past 15 years or so, visit occasionally, contribute to various projects.
Illinois Railway Museum, member for several years, contribute to projects.
Seashore Trolley Museum (I call it the "Mother Church of Electric Railway Preservation"), member for about ten years, visit when visiting New England, contribute to projects.
And when the hour grows late and railway preservation projects are put away for the the day, I support an "alternative rock" band to the extent that I've been dubbed an "Honorary Roadie".