The Amherst Railway Society is an outstanding example of a very successful group that is not aligned with any national organization and does not restrict their programs and activities to any particular railroads or type of motive power. Each year their selection of events and presentations cover a wide range of topics and interests, and their meetings are very efficiently run and are not allowed to degrade into the disorganized chaos you get at many NRHS chapters.

Take a look at their calendar of events, which lists the programs for most of the year (they take a break in the summer), and compare that with the many NRHS chapter websites where events get posted a week or two before they happen, or compare with some of the NRHS chapters that do not post their activites on the internet at all, they list them in mailings that sometimes get sent so late you receive them after the meeting is over. Also note that there are NONE of the time-wasting "stand in line for the projector" debacles that NRHS chapters are so famous for, every presentation listed is an actual program on a specific topic.

If you want people to show up and take part, you have to let them know what you are doing.

http://www.amherstrail.org/calendar.html

Re: Grants:

I agree that grants are issued by several other organizations, and my hat is off to all of them who do this. I still feel strongly however, that our past-time, hobby, or whatever we may call it, is in serious trouble as mentioned for our inability to continue to gather in new people, whether young or old.


'nuff said!!!

R.B.O.

Dons right-it's all Andy Mueller and my fault!!!
Ross Rowland....no s please.....

I agree that there is no shortage of interest in the younger people in railroad preservation, but there is a serious lack of furthering the education and working knowledge of said preservation.

The NRHS has realized this through their support of Railcamp, but as it only reaches the proclaimed dozen or so students a year, it leaves the burden of educating the third generation to the multitude of societys, museums, and operations that are so prevalent in the country.

It can be incredibly difficult for a younger person to break into any of these places, and even more difficult for the young person to learn without having to "earn their whiskers" by sweeping out passenger cars. While it's an unspoken rule that new recruits should "go through the works," it may be obvious that while Billy 17 year old is needle scaling a thermic syphon, he's not being taught what the syphon does, or is in fact continually given the chores where the minimum amount of education can be appropriated, while elsewhere in the shop heritage skills like welding and staybolt driving, or learning how to hostle and fire an engine are relegated (and understandably so) to the older folk who have extensive experience. Unfortunately, these people are not always willing or able to pass on their experience and knowledge to the young people whose responsibility it will be to ensure the survival and operation of whatever machine is being operated in the future.

A young person's interest in railroading is like clay; it can be easily molded and formed by those with experience, but it often is not. The younger people are the "upstarts" or seen as nuasances on shop floors. This is no way to cultivate a future for our beloved hobby or any of our organizations.

Railcamp does many things: it cultivates the interest and makes it into a practical, viable, working knowledge, and it brings together the fraternity of the third generation, thereby making us realize we are not alone in our endeavors, and these are perhaps the people we will be working with in the field in years to come.

As for image, I think younger people can also slowly change that as well. We've had the chance to learn from the trials and errors and ways of our fathers (who, in turn learned from the source--the men whose livelihoods depended on the railroad) and we can even help turn the image around. These things can be appealing to anyone, and often are. The idea is to let them know why they should care, why these things are so darn neat, and how they can use that interest to help. The image of 'middle-aged men in their parents basements' can be replaced with a healthy dose of young spark. While the younger generation may be buried in their computers surfing MySpace.com all night (gag), they can still learn during the day.

The third generation does not have the blessed ability to learn from shop mechanics, boilermakers, or engineers like their fathers and uncles did.
The skills I learned at Railcamp years ago (oh man, now I've gotten old) are still with me today, but I wish there was a way I could constantly refine and hone those skills on a practical basis. The skills I learned while employed at the Ohio Central are extremely familiar and still fresh in my mind thanks to the great teacher I had, but for some damn reason last weekend on the 765, I didn't remember that to put two brake hoses together, it can be easiest to fasten them braced between your legs because I hadn't been presented with the task in three years.

While needle scaling and housekeeping are examples of necessary elements of any preservation task, it is important to remember that the third generation can be easily turned off if not stimulated or encouraged. This isn't to say we should let every Johnny Come Youngly up in the cab to blow the whistle, but that is to say we acknowledge that everyone, young and old, needs a good injection of whistle blowing and coal shoveling and rod wiping to know that their work is appreciated, and vital. And their work should not stop there. When an important skill is being applied, the young person should be there. Sure, some younger people will flake out and never come back, but the attitude, the willing encouragement to 'learn them youngsters' is surely a healthy, hearty way to ensure all the work that the 'gray hairs' have done will live on.

...perhaps further seguewaying the topic in the name of the greater good,

Kelly Lynch

Excellent post, Kelly, it was nice to hear both your thoughts and your experiences. Best of luck with the OC and in future endeavors.

R.O.