Another recurrent theme in the various posts about Steamtown here in RYPN is that events should be/ haven't been well publicized.

Actually there's a reason for the lack of publicity. The National Park Service is PROHIBITED BY FEDERAL LAW from engaging in advertising.

Herein lies part of the problem. When Bill and Al's excellent adventure was in full swing a few years ago and they conjured up "reinventing government", they ostensibly set in place systems that would cause the NPS and other agencies to operate more like businesses.

In theory, this is a good idea. State and Local governments that engage in such quasi-business activities refer to them as "enterprise funds".

Of course, as with many politicians' grand schemes, they only got it part right, quit and declared victory. They never removed the prohibition against advertising.

So now the SNHS is being held to private enterprise disciplines in terms of measuring costs, but w/o the ability to engaging in marketing to bring in more riders and visitors to improve its bottom line.

As many of you already know, a railroad museum, especially one w/ 60+ acres and many large buildings heated/cooled year-round has high fixed costs. In such a case, reductions in visitation or ridership, as we have experienced in the last few years, tend to go directly to the bottom line.

Worse, it tends to be a vicious circle, less riders means running 1 engine, not 2 or 3 and visa versa. Given the prohibition on advertising, running steamers are our billboards on wheels.

So as it stands, in my personal opinion, the new boss will have to first attend to core responsibilitities-the interpretation of the steam locomotive and steam era railroading. As much as I agree that part of the story of steam is its end, its just not possible to bring in the diesels when the 26 and 2317 are down and the 3713 restoration isn't fully funded and seasonal furloughs have been extended.

I shall step down from my soapbox now.

Several years ago when I organized and ran the Buy-Miles private car excursion to Steamtown, Terry Gess spoke with some of us on the train about organizing a private foundation that would raise funds to support the museum especially in areas that federal regulations restricted purely government activity. Such foundations and partnerships exist throughout government at all levels and with great success. The Foundation was meant, not to be a hnorarium, but rather a working group to raise an awareness of the museum and provide supplimentry funding.

Surely there are sufficient stakeholders that would have an interest and a passion to build on what the taxpayers have wrought! All it needs is leadership unfettered by government intervention and pettiness.

There is terrific pressure for government money at all levels including local and state. However, look at the effort of the PHMC to permote railroad related tourist sites in the State of Pennsylvania, not only at Strasburg.

Someone once said that where there is the will there is the way. You have identified the need, I think Gees saw a solution. Why it did not happen I do not know.

v-scarpitti@worldnet.att.net

It sounds like Steamtown is saddled with a plethora of problems that always occur when the politicians and government get involved with anything. So why bother with them? There are many many organizations in the U.S. that don't have these silly restrictions, lets support these organizations and let Steamtown become what every other federal program becomes over time - failed and ineffective.

Why would anyone want to get involved with dealing with the federal government and their regulations and BS, when you could form a partnership with an existing non profit operation that would mean less headaches and more wisely spent resources. There are several out there with good shops and first class operations that are virtually ignored here while we all are mesmerized with discussing Steamtown ad infinitum.

I think there is a common misconception that somehow because Steamtown is run by the U.S. Government that it has some sort of magical powers. It does not, except for the magical way it has for generating miles of red tape.

Just look back over these posts and draw your own conclusions. No advertising permitted, visiting locomotives can't use Steamtown's tools (prohibition against federal subsidizing private ventures), having to write a long drawn out proposal to bring a locomotive or piece of equipment to the site. And I am sure that STEAMTOWN VOLUNTEER isn't telling us the whole story, that there are other money and time gobbling rules and regulations that we dont know about yet.

There is no pot of gold at Steamtown. Let it be and lets get to work making our own operations more effective and worthwhile.

Tod Engine Foundation
rickrailrd@aol.com

Every morning when we all get up the biggest problem we all face is dealing with the lunacy of government regulation and intervention. We have a choice: Thow up our hands in dispair and surrender to the evils of the know it alls in Washington and elsewhere (down to your local zoning board and the historical "taste police" that tell you how to paint your back porch} or face the day to say , "wait a minute here is a program that has invested millions in something that I enjoy and has meaning for me". How do I help make it better?

Surely the vast investment that has been made is most likely in the grand scheme of things the closest any of us will see as a thing of value for our hard earned money that has been confisticated to pay for $600 hammers, years of welfare, and $2000 toilet seats and windbag politicians who are really only interested to prolong their reign. Therefore if Steamtown needs some organized outside support, I say that it is worthy of a try.
Take the institution back from total control of those in DC. Let them fund the day to day operation and the capital requirements from the people's purse. We need only to fill in the missing pieces. Not only do we need to fill in the pieces we need to build a recognizable consituancy to ensure the ongoing viabilty of the effort.

I can assure you that when I met with the officials at Streamtown to plan the special private train visit, there was no red tape. It was as easy as sitting across the table from Terry Gees and his staff.

Uncle has given,why should we not partake?



v-scarpitti@worldnet.att.net

Speaking of government red tape, you should see the paperwork generated to remove the 5288 from the Tobyhanna Army Depot. Some of you may think that this "donation" was a small matter and simple to make happen. I can assure it was just the opposite. I was required to submit a plan that outlined all chemicals to be brought on site (including the MSDS sheets), certificates of liability insurance, hold harmless agreements, environmental and safety plans, plus a general outline of the work to be performed. 55 pages worth! Anyone else that is after something from Toby had better be ready to generate some paper!

I have gotten to know many of the Steamtown folks very well in the past months. Believe me, they are just as frustrated as we are with all the bureaucratic nonsense. Not all of them were NPS employees before SNHS and they do feel the frustrations.

aw90h@cs.com

Let me see if I can address a few points.

First, my anonymity allows me to speak my mind freely-I'm not consciously holding anything back. I have been involved for several years and I see both the good and bad. The reason I'm spending time here is to try to bring balance to what has basically been a whirlwind of hyperbolic criticism.

Second, many organizations have problems. I saw one RR organization basically putting its dirty laundry on its website lately. It doesn't matter whether its government or not. The central lesson of life is that humans and their institutions are fraught with frailty and we have to accept that even as we strive to make them better.

Why do I stay involved?

1.) The physical plant has tremendous possibilities, if given the chance.

2.) I've met some of the most dedicated, decent people in my time there. I respect and trust them, even when I disagree. I include the vast majority of the paid staff in that assessment. I don't lightly put my life in other people's hands or break bread w/ those I don't like.

3.) Whatever the current situation, the fact that it is bad means it can be better. Too do as you suggest, essentially say screw is to quit and descend into nihilism and despair

4.) The sometimes stupid rules come in many cases from Congress. In the case of Steamtown, remember what a vendetta Bruce Vento had? Typical politician. If you can't win on the merits, gum it up with petty procedure. If I was in his district, I'd have called him up and told him to brush up on geography-Scranton is in PA, not Minnesota-you are paid to deal w/ this district not to cockfight McDade

Having said that WE VOTE FOR THESE PEOPLE, so don't lay all the blame at the feet of the administrators who get handed the rules made up by our ELECTED representatives.

Finally, in response to why should we "bother" with Steamtown I ask have you? Have you contributed time, talent or treasure? Instead of just saying what a bunch of screw-ups, can you offer something, even if its encouragement to a kindred spirit?

I'm not in competition with anybody or wishing to pick them apart. I've been to Wanamakers-they do a fine job and to Stasburg-both sides of the street. God willing, I'll get to NCTM, IRM and a few other neat places to appreciate what they do all the time.

I know people on the board have been part of the solution. Bennett for example, what I'm peeved with are people who choose to complain BITTERLY, wait for "them" to do it.

Unboundless paperwork is the price we pay to live in our litigous society. Who make the rules; the lawyers! Who interpert the rules; the lawyers, and who twist the rules to suit themselves; the lawyers.

There is an old expression:"One lawyer in town, he starves to death, Two lawyers in town it's a pig's banquet. After retiring from the active practice of engineering, I served four years trying to unregulate the City of Philadelphia. What an experience! The one thing a Regulator likes is two lawyers, and the one thing two lawyers like is a Regulator. Why to you think lawyers and law firms are the biggest contributers to local and statewide elections? That is the reason why the most important product we produce in this country is paper!

People have given up trying to do the most rudimentry things because of the perceived risks of being sued and the burden of paperwork needed to try to protect oneself from imagined risks.

In the case of moving the locomotive you can imagine the lawyers ringing their hands about the liability of Steamtown. After the recent court decision about the dirt biker who struck their train, and the lunitic judge's opinion holding Steamtown liable can you blame them? When I was Commissioner in Philadelphia I ordered the demolition of a building adjactent to the "ought" track at the east end of PRR's North Philadelphia Station after giving the owner several years to secure the building or demolish it. Guess what? After the demolition was completed who got sued? You got it, The City of Philadelphia. The idiot mayor who now wants to be governor and the City Solicitor were going to "SETTLE" the case for $250,000.00. I listened to Nancy Reagan and just said, "NO!" It went to trial and the jury awarded the slumloard a $ 1.00 verdict.

The problem is that everyone is gun-shy and C Y A is the operative order. It is a price we all pay. In the case of Steamtown don't kill the messenger, Accept it as another challange! Then write YOUR Congressman and tell HIM or HER of your opinion as to how flawed the process is! Until we all say "ENOUGH" we will continue to be raped at the bar of justice and the lawyers will continue to stuff their pockets. The paperwork to satisfy the EPA is only to keep the lawyers at bay. The average person does not stand a chance.

I cringe when anyone asks to visit our shop. I think twice about running excursions, and I really thank the freight railroads who allow us to run! This is really "Risky Business"



v-scarpitti@worldnet.att.net

>"what I'm
> peeved with are people who choose to
> complain BITTERLY, wait for "them"
> to do it."

And that is why I say it is better to "light the candle than curse the darkness". I would fight the fight to do "it" but how many people would join you? In my opinion, not many. That is what leadership is all about. Steamtown is too important to let it wallow in indifference. We in Pennsylvania have been blessed with a terrific railroad heritage. Not only a heritage but museum sites and tourist attractions. In many ways there are a "thousand points of light".

For instance Gloria Schlicher of the PHMC who put together the Pennsylvania Museum Commissions PA railroad pass that ties railroad related sites together with discounts throughout the state. Tourism is the state's second biggest industry. The viewing platform at Cresson and the mayor of Cressandra who put out a few picnic tables are prime examples of small but significant intitives.

Don't let negativity drain your energy. Tomorrow is a new day and maybe the new Supt' will have a vision and a passion to get some something going, before the staus quo, and the nabobs of negitivism wear him or her down!


v-scarpitti@worldnet.att.net

I don't know if anyone has said it but a big Thanks for all that red tape you went through. I know some guys that deal with the EPA and it seems like they never quit doing paperwork. You must feel the same way.

I was able to visit TVRM last year (just as the film crew for a tourism commercial left) and was very impressed. I was in the area on business and was able to take my family along, we saw one of your flyers and stayed in town an extra day to visit.

I try to keep tabs on the update site you maintain. I don't know how much information you keep on visitor demographics but you drew people from Southern Illinois for Thomas, thats a twelve hour round trip!

Keep up the good work! We plan on returning when schedules will allow.

> Speaking of government red tape, you should
> see the paperwork generated to remove the
> 5288 from the Tobyhanna Army Depot. Some of
> you may think that this "donation"
> was a small matter and simple to make
> happen. I can assure it was just the
> opposite. I was required to submit a plan
> that outlined all chemicals to be brought on
> site (including the MSDS sheets),
> certificates of liability insurance, hold
> harmless agreements, environmental and
> safety plans, plus a general outline of the
> work to be performed. 55 pages worth! Anyone
> else that is after something from Toby had
> better be ready to generate some paper!

> I have gotten to know many of the Steamtown
> folks very well in the past months. Believe
> me, they are just as frustrated as we are
> with all the bureaucratic nonsense. Not all
> of them were NPS employees before SNHS and
> they do feel the frustrations.


rrtp@midwest.net

> Terry Gess spoke with some of us on the train about organizing a private
> foundation that would raise funds to support the museum especially in areas that federal
> regulations restricted purely government activity. Such foundations and partnerships
> exist throughout government at all levels and with great success. The Foundation was
> meant, not to be a hnorarium, but rather a working group to raise an awareness of the
> museum and provide supplimentry funding.

This is just the type of operation that goes on in Sacramento with the California State Railroad Museum (a unit of State Parks) and the CSRM Foundation. The foundation does fundraising, promotion, the website, and all the other stuff the CSRM can not do because it is a unit of state government.

At the very last of the wonderful Preservation Symposiums in Sacramento Walter Gray and Kathy Taylor did a presentation as to how the two organizations and their org charts complement each other and how they work togeather. In the traditional musuem all of these operations are in one org chart; but in Sacramento they have to be done by two organizations that work togeather for a common good.

Brian Norden

bnorden@gateway.net

I spent several days over the past few years volunteering to work off season at Golden Spike NHS and can vouch for the frustration of trying to get one bolt when you need it. Bolts were only available in bulk quantities but only after going through a purchasing proceedure which required reams of paper, many signatures from different management levels, and bids from potential suppliers.

I drove to Brigham, stopped in a store, coughed up 14 cents and brought it back the next day.

It is miraculous things get done at all given the bureaucratic hassles these entities have provided themselves. How many hours of paid staff time would have gone into the 14 cent bolt? They could have turned one on the lathe cheaper!

Maybe private / public partnerships are the best temporary solution until real private sector management styles pervade the public arena. I could see some merit in Steamtown contracting out locomotive maintenence to private firms capable of doing it more efficiently with a rewards system based on actual locomotive performance and availability.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

I think that there are some good hard working people at Steamtown NHS, I have met some of them.

Here in San Francisco we have a co-operating organization that helps us run the Maritime Park. They do in fact do those things that the NPS can not do. Perhaps the Foundation that F.Nelson Blount founded so many years ago can be revived to do some needed work.

I am standing on my own personal soapbox.

TM

ted_miles@NPS.gov