I dare say, Sandy, it's not that museums cannot talk amongst themselves, it's the egos of those involved that drive positive possibilities into the ditch.

The previous post brings up a question that probably deserves its own thread:

What is the best way to administrate a museum and its membership?

There are a variety of museum management models out there, from "benevolent dictatorship" to "appointed dictator" to "democratic membership" to "shares." Each has their pros and cons.

I have been present for several discussions where it has been alleged that a specific rail museum is "run" by "shareholders" who receive shares based on monies donated or hours worked. Allegedly, a clique of three senior members with a slim majority of these shares have kept the diversified rest of the museum membership--much larger in number--from taking steps to improve the place, by moving, rationalizing/"rightsizing" the collection, whatever. (Again, obscuring specifics because I can't confirm firsthand.) Some folks at other related museums have joked about the "big party" that will occur when the first of these three persons dies and "common sense" can finally prevail.

As we are seeing with the major turmoil erupting with both major U.S. political parties because of the results of "shenanigans" over just how they run their nomination processes, many groups may need to have a discussion about how to do what they do, both appropriately and fairly. What happens, say, when the majority of the membership wants to proceed with a main-line-suitable restoration of a steamer that the executive director or board can tell is going to be a waste of money? Or trail advocates try to buy their way to the top of a group and get them to disband and cede to their trail wishes?

I would respectfully request that the topic title be changed to “Why Can't Museums Talk WITHIN Themselves?” Talking amongst the various museums is really dependent on discussions within the various organizations. Such internal discussions are often hampered by management's "my way or the high way" attitude. There's a couple of very good examples here in NJ of where those internal discussions are hampered and the results have been, or are going to be, dire.

I come back to motives. What are the motives of an active volunteer? What are the motives of a good trustee? What are the motives behind a poor trustee? Why would a board shoot down an idea of working with another group? What would the motives be of each group? As I look at the organizations that I support in various ways today, that is what I look for. Motives. Put another way, why do people do the things they do? I support those with solid, positive, identifiable motives.

Yes, some people volunteer for the right reasons, perhaps simple preservation, a feel for history, has a skill he would like to use, etc. But that seems rare these days. Many times, the reasons are that the person simply wants to be heard, wants to feel like they are working on a real RR, wants to spice up their otherwise dull life. Again, what motivates a person to volunteer? How do you attract volunteers with the right motivation when you seem to be outnumbered by those with some odd motivation? As I have said many times, anyone with a brain seems to run the other way after spending a day or so at some volunteer based organizations. How does one fix this? There seems to be no good answer.

My apologies for the reality check here, but its something I have way too much experience with. Solve the motivation mystery behind individual volunteers and management, and you will see more cooperation between organizations.
J.R.

For a majority of museums, the Recommended Practices for Railway Museums is a joke. Yes, I am a believer, but there is no sense spending time talking about how to manage a museum and its volunteers if the volunteers do not want to be managed in some professional manner nor if the board does not want to function in some professional manner.

Not be overly critical, but in reading " The railway heritage preservation field is now in transition, from inward-oriented preservation organizations to outward-oriented educational and public service institutions that recognize a responsibility to hold their collections in the public trust " I almost broke out into laughter. Think Pemberton here. And numerous other small organizations.

Again, my apologies. I just have a strong sense of reality that is tied to a warped sense of humor at times. The cart is solidly in front of the horse here.

I believe one of the reasons the trolley museum folk seem to get along better and cooperate more closely is that an individual (whose name I cannot recall at the moment) has taken on the role of "facilitator" to arrange trades and sales of parts and equipment between the various groups.

We've recently had discussions with a tourist rr in another state for some parts for a loco. They have the parts on the shelf, (rusty and dusty, but probably usable) and no longer have the loco they fit. We've talked to one of their Board members, who wants to sell the parts, help us out, and also get some $$ they can use on projects they are doing....but the word is the sale is being opposed by other Board members because of :
1) What is the TRUE value of the part? (We might not be getting maximum value)
2) We might need it someday or get another loco that it MIGHT fit.

After months of e-mails back and forth with no movement...the tendency is to give up and look elsewhere......

I suspect you're on to something. If an organization is unable to justify its existence to a larger audience, it will probably wither and die. There are not a great deal on young volunteers at preservation organizations these days, and I'm sure that petty politics will run off those that try.

Great post JR, well said.

I've been watching this thread and wanted to chime in here with a little perspective.

If you are looking for assistance acquiring parts from another operation, keep in mind the nature of that operation and make an offer that is going to be most agreeable to them.

Our Operation is considerably large compared to others, with paid full time staff. I've had individuals contact me looking for locomotive parts that I possibly have and would be willing to part with. However, they are attached to a junk unit and I don't have time to either look for them, remove them, or prepare them for shipping. Nor do I have extra labor to divert to such a project, and if I did, they probably would not want to pay the $50 per hour contract labor fee that we would have to include. It's simply not worth it to us for a few hundred dollars worth of parts, considering how much it takes a large corporation like ours to simply process the paperwork. That's just not what we're set up to do.

On the other hand, we've traded steam locomotives, Alamite Grease Guns, and even a full dome car. In each instance, the amount of effort on our part was negligible compared to what we were getting in return. In some cases - just removing a large piece of equipment from the property that we would later have to pay to have disposed of is worth enough.

Eric Hadder

Brother Hadder is correct. "What's in it for us?" Or, as one other boss I knew was fond of saying to fantastical dreamers, "Show me the money!"

Any operation's "overlords," be it non-profit history, professional preservation or for-profit transport/entertainment that just happens to be on railroad wheels, has a responsibility to its corporation, be it fiduciary to its shareholders or as custodians of history and context, to protect its own assets, resources, and "bottom line" first. Now, "protecting" the "assets" could mean divesting it to a more appropriate or enthusiastic caretaker, in the case of a locomotive or rail car. But that's a case-by-case judgement call.

Now, the interesting dilemma is what happens when someone asks, again to make up an example, "We are willing to send a pro crew of our own choosing to come and remove the engine out of your junk locomotive, at our expense, and pay you for it. All you have to do is pull the loco up to the siding at the appointed and mutually agreeable time." The original example given at the start of this thread seems to fall into that sort of scenario.

And I won't rehash an oft-discussed private offer to repaint one of the nation's most famous steam locos--which still rusts awaiting its turn in the paint booth.

EDIT: Another valid point: a lot of volunteer/non-profit groups have the time or labor, but not the necessary expertise, to properly go disassemble a locomotive prime mover, repair a brake valve, inspect trucks, scout for traction motors, etc. A pro outfit like the Grand Canyon Ry. or Strasburg has the expertise, but doesn't have the time available to do it. (How long has CP 972 been languishing again?)

My "contacts" (it used to be my Rolodex) are full of "boomers", myself included, who get and answer esoteric calls for oddball stuff like "know anyone that can get us a working AB-D brake valve?" (still need one, by the way, if you have one.....) or "can you find me a certified car inspector to look at that car before we waste our time trying to get it?" to "got someone who can move a caboose for us fast?" to "does Jake still have that steam generator in the baggage car, and does it work?" The preservation scene owes a lot more to these kind of guys than many of us realize, because they're a LOT cheaper than the "$50 an hour" and up that places like Strasburg have to charge to employ these new guys, build the shop, etc. And RyPN's Interchange helps those of us who don't have our contact lists find those of us that do.

The trolley preservation field in the Eastern U.S. (with one or two noted exceptions) does, indeed, do an exceptionally good job of brokering parts, dividing up excess or closing inventory, horse-trading, etc., and it is all credited to one individual, as Brother Laepple says, who has somehow become "the Grand Poo-Bah" of the trolley trading field--exactly the "benevolent dictator" that we joke the heavy-rail preservation field needs. I think in one case it even ended up with a pallet load of random odd parts going to a museum that wasn't even expecting them, just because they were the only ones that could use said odd parts!