> Eric, I find it interesting that you point
> to us as examples of this.

> All we at the WW&F are doing is building
> track with our work sessions. Nothing
> spectacular there, when compared to what
> everyone else is doing.

What FOCTS and FEBT are doing is indeed terrific, but I wanted a to pick the most straightforward example of that type of volunteering. Yours is the easiest model for others to wrap their hands around and emulate ... FOCTS and FEBT have some more complex problems in terms of site access, cooperating with other organizations, etc. Makes what they achieve all the more admirable, but also a little less obvious as a model for replication.


eledbetter@rypn.org

> Eric, I find it interesting that you point
> to us as examples of this.

> I am hugely impressed by the Friends of the
> C&T work sessions, and this is the model
> we used for our own work sessions. In my
> mind, they are the standard by which all
> others should follow. Somehow they bring in
> a hundred-plus people for a week at a time
> and keep them busy and fed for that whole
> week. That said, I realize that there's a
> lot for those hundred people to busy doing.
> Still, the management of that must be a
> phenominal task. I still would like to get
> out there and observe first-hand how they do
> that.

James, the work is mostly done by the time folks check into hotels or set up their RVs. The management of the projects is something to behold, especially since a project has to be approved by the Friends, the Commission, and two SHPOs; funded; supplied; and staffed.

Suggestions:

1. put a lot of human resources into the front end. Many hands not only make light work, they provide depth, keep an individual from burning out, and lead to built-in succession planning.

2. continuity - a multi-year commitment to a multi-person team - is important.

3. start early. Projects to start get chosen the previous fall, from those already in the mill.

Don't sell yourselves short - WW&F is doing good things, and Erik was right to hold the group up as an example.

JAC

TJ,

Shame on you for not coming to St. Louis this year! Just kidding. :)

ARM 2004 will be hosted by the Ogden Union Station Museums in Ogden, UT, from October 12 through 17, 2004.


Museum of Transportation
mbutterworth@stlouisco.com

Good to see your name on the list again Molly.

TJ, you gotta go to Ogden. The banquet there at TRAIN a couple years ago was incredible! Steaks hung over the sides of the plate......and the entertainment put on my Heber Valley and Golden Spike was wonderful!

Anybody have a photo of the usual suspects posing with Jupiter and 119 to post?

dave

> ARM 2004 will be hosted by the Ogden Union
> Station Museums in Ogden, UT, from October
> 12 through 17, 2004.


irondave@bellsouth.net

Dave,

I thought the major attraction in Ogden was Roosters, the microbrew between the hotel and station.

Now if you go to KC next year for train, I found a place with some incredible Q right by the tracks in and 1880s depot... doesn't get any better than that! Jim

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

> Ditto - how about this topic as the focus of
> next year's ARM convention?

Good idea. But I'm not sure if this can be added to the 2004 conference. It all depends on where the host organization and we are with the planning for the conference and the availability of the presenter(s). I'm told (by the ARM president) that we are pretty well programmed in for next year's conference.

It is always hard to plan for the sessions at these conferences. A difficulty is trying to strike a balance between planning in advance and responding to current needs. The further in advance that you work the planning the better it is for the host, organizers, and the presenters. The downside of this is that you have to lock in a program early to put together the planning and promotion. And then things happen and have to substitute or change.

However, we are in a better position to work this into the 2005 conference. Please be in contact with us.

As Molly Butterworth says we are going to be in Ogden in 2004.

After Ogden? At this time it looks like ARM will be hosted by Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 2005 and California State RR Museum in 2006. More as we get closer to these events.

Brian Norden

Association of Railway Museums

Roosters was great - hordes of hungry rails descending on them in mass didn't phase them too much. Hope to be in KC as well - too far ahead for me to see right now how the end of next year will play out.

Does the KC Q joint have Guiness on tap? I was pleased to find it in Huntington.

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

James:

Congrats on your success!

2 things you should do:

1. Tell people what "WW&F" stands for. That also should be right under the banner on your web page, and not just in the text below.

2. Tell people what state the WW&F is in. Not even your nice web page states that.

> All we at the WW&F are doing is building
> track with our work sessions. Nothing
> spectacular there, when compared to what
> everyone else is doing.

Ahhh....but you picked one thing you could realistically accomplish, and are doing that, and doint it well, from what others have said. Goals must be realistic, and the WW&F's are. That leads to success.