This is Richard Anderson, Executive Director of the NW Ry Museum. He is painting the center piece of the grounds next to the depot. The critter is a Whitcomb, rebuilt many times during its service life. It started as narrow gauge. SP made it standard guage for use in the Port of Oakland. The gasoline engine is not original or is the radiator. Yet it is mechanically intact and could run again. But it serves a more important role.

A week ago it had rotting stairs on this side for dozens of kids each week to climb up and play engineer. They love it. Well I took the stairs off to replace them. Oh! Now it is easier to paint, and it needs it. Well, that means some body work. And the roof needs repair. You all know how projects grow from a simple, few days one to one of doing it right. Anyhow we have disappointed lots of kids who dragged their mom's here so they could play on it in the last few days.

Having a great time in Snoqualmie! (-:

You mean you folks don't yell at the kids and sternly warn them about the dangers of playing trains? Of course I mean this light hearted.

I think the concept of having something kids can climb on is part of what this is all about. Not all little kids are in to history yet, but letting their imaginations have some room to grow is a good start, nothing beats the real thing. I like this and what your doing.

Being that "running this like a business" doesn't work all that well for most museums, maybe going back to common sense is worth a try?

Cheers, John.

Not mutually exclusive, John. Just the opposite.

Part of your business plan - in fact, the basis of it - is what you do to provide an experience to your visitors and tell them a story. That's all we do - everything else like restoration, preservation, exact paint colors, number of rivets, what cloth the flags are made of - is simply set dressing in support of the story / experience.

Certainly it is hard to get more visceral an experience than living it in real time in real life. Getting as close to that goal in practical programming terms as possible should slant towards hands-on stuff rather than away from it.

If the leaders of your group don't understand that, they need to be replaced with some who do.

dave

And this is how the Critter looked this evening.

You guys really changed around my thought. When I said "And it should be fun", I was thinking about Richard and me. Doing this is fun and knowing that the kids will play engineer and climb and play on it for another ten or more years makes this all the more the worthwhile.

You read my "And it should be fun" as pertaining to the kids. Yes, playing trains on the real thing when you're five is a 501c3 experience! And the critter is the right size.

Plus it now adds so much color to the Museum's back yard.

The Museum gets so much walk-in traffic being in the village's downtown. Yesterday an adult asked me if the critter was a steam engine built in the 1850s? I always take time to talk to visitors. This one took awhile.

Having a great time in Snoqualmie. (-:

Great job! As my daughter has moved south I take the grandson to the museum whenever possible. He loves to play on this particular car.

Robert
FVHRS
Home of BCER 1225 and 1304

Robert -
Bring your granddaughter, too, if you have one. Here's a little girl having a great time playing in the orange Critter.

Thanks Marty
You took our conversation and made something worthwhile out of it.
A job well done!
Dave

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is in the midst of reworking a 25 ton GE as our shop switcher, including a conversion to broad gauge.

While in the process, we are configuring the cab interior to make it possible for visitors to come aboard, sit down, and dream. This means applying locks to the electrical cabinet and battery box, so the loco when on such display is completely protected from any action that could make it move or could harm visitors.

Some of the heavy equipment my company uses is equipped with a batter cut out switch. This does two things. It prevents the battery from draining during long periods of inactivity, and it also helps reduce the chance of a vandal starting or operating the equipment.

They're easy to install and rated for the heavy amperage, though I think the switch is designed to be used when the equipment is off. You can find them at someplace like NAPA.

This might be an option to further isolate the electrical system.

PTM's 25 ton GE diesel already has such a battery disconnect switch. It is located in the electrical cabinet, to which we are applying a lock. Open the switch, close and lock the cabinet, and nothing can happen electrically. We might on such occasions pipe in some air, so kids can ring the bell and sound the Hancock 4700N whistle. Keeping the pressure low on such occasions might be an eardrum and nerves saver.....

Alcos have a battery knife switch in the electrical cabinet. It is thrown by a wood handle in the cab proper, linked by a 1.5" x 1/4" steel rod. The throw is a good 4-6 inches. Out is off. One museum drilled a hole at the proper place on this rod, making it possible to throw a lock on it.

I suspect quite a few of us have done this with our Alco/MLWs.

Here is CP 6591 at RMEO:

http://public.fotki.com/elliottd/sfrmeo/cpr-6591-cab-interior/imag0042.html

Steve Hunter