What I seem to be hearing here is that it is not acceptable in any case to release any museum artifact to any individual under any circumstance because a) NO ONE can be trusted, and b) even minor risks (e.g., automobile accidents, acts of God, etc.) are too great to assume.
Which seems to me to be a rather counterproductive answer to the question of how to involve more volunteers in museum activities.
Let me give you an example that seems simple to me:
A trusted, known member of a museum has a machine suitable for use in a simple operation, like repetitive polishing of a large quantity of given parts. They can either be polished on the machinery at the museum, or on his/her identical machine.
Seems to me there are three questions to be asked:
1. Do we know this individual well enough for them to be trusted?
2. Can they perform the operation satisfactorily?
3. O.K. I can't resist -- what's their driving record? ...just kidding.
Should original vellum drawings of historical items be released? Probably not. But how about a bucket of somewhat rusty 15/16 inch bolts that need wire brushing?
O.K., I've made my point. I'll drop it now.

With 2/3rds of all responses stating that volunterism is down - what are some possible solutions?

The Western Railway Museum held a retreat a while ago to discuss the future of the organization.

The folks got into some lively discussion. I am 57 and was the second youngest person in the room!

Yes, the Baby Boomers who started the museum all are gray and worried about the future.

Young people today are interested in electronics, girls and careers. At both the historical museums where I work the pattern is the young people stay through college then go in the directions mentioned above and the come back to museum volunteers at about 55 when they are in pre-retirement years.

I think 30 year old volunteers are as rare as can be!

Getting back to the future issues; there will always be people to run a train or a street car. But finding the people to keep them running are getting rare.

The people with 40 years experience in a wood shop or a machine shop are not there any more.

Who will machine now steam engine parts or cast new brasses for bearings in the future?

DC motor shops are still out there, but you have to look long and hard and everything they do is getting more and more expensive.

Just think about how many places are doing iron castings these days?

I worry that railroad museums of the future will be more static than operational. How much will Diesel fuel cost in 25 years?

I don't have any solutions, just reporting on facts that I have observed.

Ted Miles

I found Mr. Ed's post interesting and hope to add something constructive to the thread - as a 27yr old with a young family and non-railroading career, I ask you all to consider where your organizations are going? I like being part of my organization because I feel I do make a difference, and there is so much potential, I look forward to being part of the organization as it grows in the future. So, while we don't compare in caliber to a place like Strasburg, or TVRM, I like to dream that we just might be one day. For some volunteers it's not what you have, but what could be - but I think you have to have a plan, roadmap, etc. and even if you make one milestone, you have to look down the road at the next possibility, whether it be a steam program, car project, or a new station. I think that makes certain places like those mentioned above successful - they always have projects and sights set on the future, not just the historic equipment we preserve and display. So, to close, I offer Mr. Ed the sincere hope, and excitement of what could be...

Actually, you have started a list which I would love to see continued. While driving record might be over the top, questions about how and when things get transported, and where, seems legitimate to me.

I may lose my audience with this admission... I am not a railfan. In my case, I rode on one big Los Angeles Red Car when my mom took me to do so on their last day of service (she was not a railfan either.) It's the same story for me and the Los Angeles Railway cars. I have no steam recollections and mainline passenger service was a skeleton of its former self during my teen years pre-Amtrak.

I am the dreamer talked about by Sully. I love to dream about how to make the place run better; how to build on the efforts of the real railfans. At our Museum, I have been allowed to help initiate our Harvey Girls Historical Society to increase female involvement (I agree with the "paint scaping" comment above.) I was also able and encoraged to begin our endowment efforts. (BTW, I do scrape paint too, but way less often than the "active, more dedicated" volunteers.

The greatest asset our museum has to offer is hands-on shop class like learning. Kids who have no option of shop class in California anymore (70% of those classrooms were shut down in the 80s) can learn those same skills in our shops. Parents have consistently said that they wish their kids could take a shop class and can possibly be wooed to get the kids involved at our Museums. My experience with 10 boys now 15-17 over the last several years is that while they love video games and girls, they will jump at the chance to go work at the museum. Actually it's my own schedule that limits it.

Shipping via common carrier, one can insure the item.

Not the case with dropping something in somebody's pick up.

Do we know this individual well enough for them to be trusted?

Unfortunately, our inability to know how people will act based upon our past experience is attested to by the fact that being a divorce lawyer is such a lucrative business. Seriously, I'm sure the organization that lost the model A engine, THOUGHT they could trust the individual.

To put it from a different perspective, If i was taking something home-I'd be sure that the removal was appropriately approved and documented and that the return was documented as well. This kid of thing takes away temptation.

I'd also be sure that the organization's property insurance covered the stuff while off premises in the posession of an authorized party.

Health is basically the question here, people wise.

Jim when I left San Diego in May 88, I still could run, looked pretty good
weight wise, now going on 58, the body has broke down, can't lay track
anymore, diabetes, high blood pressure etc, but all controlled with diet
and exercise. Ross is no spring chicken anymore either, but we did 2
weeks worth of work of the tank car at HVRM last summer. Yes and mishaps happen too, aches, pains sore muscles are all included. Safety
is now the high priority for us older guys. We do have some younger
people to take up the slack, but over the years the regulars and people
with the knowledge of doing things have all retired. Sure we have endowment fund to keep the museum going in 20 years, but will it be
a locked shop by then, no people....Who is interested in all that train
equipment then. Why creep along at 15 mph, when 574 km/hr TGV
trains are running. Volunteerism is about the same at HVRM, some
days better than others. Train crews are a hard commodity to find
such as PSRM knows. Only with the energetic young people will the
keep the museum running. 10 years ago it was not uncommon to have
20 people show up on a winter Saturday that would be zero or colder,
now maybe 2 or 3 show up just to make sure the depots pipes haven't
froze. Jim hope you have a Happy Easter and the Bunny Train is a
success for PSRM.

Tom Travis HVRM North Judson IN Restoration

One can insure an item a number of ways but if the item is difficult to replace it will not matter what you do to insure them once they are gone they are gone. A case in point, a class one “railroad” derailed 2 passenger cars en-route to a tourist line not once but twice when leaving the same city. Their solution was to see if they could truck them after the second derailment because of the damage. After surveying possible route the solution was to put the battered hulks on flat cars and ship them using a subcontractor to do the work. Cars that could have been used for possible revenue service are now poor parts donors.

On the highway system I have seen cross compound air pumps hauled on twin axle trailers, other pumps and tools in pickup trucks to and from offsite storage. I have hauled locomotive gauges and safety valves on a regular basis for testing by oil industry supporter who had people who did that type of work daily. I have seen volunteers for many museums haul materials using volunteer vehicles because it meets the budget and is track able. If you have an insurance policy that covers the individual items then they are insured no matter the transportation system. The real question is can you replace them if they are lost destroyed by theft, accident, or vandalism. And just because things are on your site does not mean they will not walk off. When somebody wants something they will find a way to get it.

Robby

Thanks Sully for your thoughts. I am a railfan and have been all of my life (closing in on 60). I remember my first visit to the PA rail museum in Lancaster. I told the wife that when I retired we were moving to the Lancaster area so I could volunteer to work at the museum doing what ever had to be done.

I saw an article in the local paper about a little museum that was close (an hour) to our home. I drove up there and the rest is history. I enjoy working with my hands whether it is sanding and painting a car or laying track. Well since the shoulder surgery last October I won't be doing that anymore, but I can still sand and paint with the best of them. And I will continue to do whatever it takes to get the cars together and keep them that way.

Later!
Mr. Ed

I cannot speak officially, but since I know the answer (and no one from the museum has replied) I will comment. Volunteerism is up at the WW&F Ry Museum in Maine. Additionally the most recent tabulation posted by James Patten put volunteer hours at over 100,000 in the last 10 years.

No offense --- but when making comments such as this, the first thing one needs to look at is ATTITUDE. If you were 20 or 30-something and heard "well, you guys are just going to go away anyway, so why should we work to keep you", would you give the place another chance?

I hear this time and time again --- what I have yet to hear is the following:

"If these guys/ gals are leaving because of jobs and families, what can we do to create a family-friendly atmosphere for them to return to?" Or, to put it another way, rather than constantly worry about "oh god, we can't have anyone under 18 or we will be sued," what about creating an area at your site where the volunteers kids can play and have fun, where the significant others can watch them, where EVERYONE enjoys being there, and yet work still gets done?

My children are six and four --- and while yes, my young family may dictate I may have to spend more time with them, I am getting a bit sick of tired of how un-tolerant many are in this day and age for those who DO wish to volunteer and DO have families. It doesn't mean that we don't want to volunteer -- its just means that our families come first before the non-profit/ museum/ tourist railroad (well, there's days for those of us who actually WORK for a non-profit, but that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish...)

Maybe what is needed is more pow-wows --- on a national scale --- that talk about how to not just get younger volunteers, but how to KEEP them when they start to grow into families. This isn't rocket science --- those families can mean FUTURE members, too. Lot easier to get 'em when they grew up there, ya know?

TJG

That's doesn't surprise me in the least. You have three major things going for you guys at WW&F -

- Rebuilding a line on an original grade. Who ELSE in the country can say they are RELAYING rail on an historic roadbed? V&T would be about it.

- Use of historic equipment DOING what it did originally. You guys don't baby your stuff --- you USE it.

- Action; you guys always have something going on, and have a goal-oriented project where people see more progress every time the come. VERY IMPORTANT.

TJG

How will you recruit volunteers?
You'll get people to volunteer to feel a part of history.
To keep our country's heritage alive.
To have something to do that has a beginning, a middle, and an end -- unlike most jobs these days.
You'll get people to volunteer because they like you. And like what you do.
Or because they have a helluva lot of fun when they come out.
Or it's something they can do to spend an afternoon with their kid.
They'll volunteer because it's intrinsically rewarding to preserve interesting, intricate, strange old things.
You'll get volunteers when they can share what you already have: Your friendship with other volunteers. Your passion for railroads. And the fun you have together keeping its history alive.