Pittsburgh Rys 101

[Jim Holland]

Greetings Derrick!

	You make some very valid points but the situations aired so far are just the tip of the 
iceberg and the straw that broke the camels back.

	The present policy of PTM, as I am told, is that they will collect "transit" vehicles - aka 
streetcars, interurbans, ***buses*** and whatever else they want to consider transit.  I am told 
that *railway companies*, aka PRCo, had buses.  This is true  --  but the PTM is  NOT  *-*Pittsburgh 
Railways Company Museum*-* but it is *-*Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.*-*  That excludes buses as far 
as I am concerned.  Mixing the two makes for an internal conflict of interest - the powers in 
control favor one mode over another, and streetcars can suffer.  (That is enough of a problem when 
the *people in control* favor a certain streetcar.  Why is it the New Orleans car gets so much 
attention in the PENNSYLVANIA TROLLEY Museum?)
	The local museum almost went belly up and streetcars were almost pushed out because the 
Mainline Railroad people thought the streetcars were archaic.  A resolution was actually brought 
forward to a vote to get rid of streetcars, but the resolution was soundly defeated, the Mainline 
Railroad people pulled out and formed another museum.  May they both prosper - but it was a real 
problem!  People at PTM told me that I am all wet about this museum but I know a couple of the 
founding members who told me this themselves.
	That brings up another point - I am 2,500 miles due west of Pittsburgh in the Bay Area - 
very difficult for me to get involved personally.  I have written to several asking about how 
decisions are made about the future of the museum and have only received vague answers.  The best 
that I can tell is that the Board of Trustees makes all the decisions - there is no vote by the 
membership except to elect the officers.
	For the 30 plus years that I have been a member, I have been out of state the whole time so 
building any friendships there has been next to impossible.  I have written to several people but 
nothing "took"  --  just an observation, not a complaint.  But without a friendship or contact, the 
relationship with the museum is rather hollow!  The only people I really know from PTM are 
themselves out of the area and we are at least 3,000 miles apart!
	I have been searching for photos and info on PRCo through the U.S. Mail and in the last ten 
years, I have made many purchases  AND  friends outside of PTM with whom I still maintain contact.  
I have been on the internet for 11+  MONTHS and right here on this list are three people whom I 
consider  *Core PRCo Friends - PRCo friends actually met before this list*  --  we have differing 
opinions but a very good rapport.  And there are at least three more people, possibly four, right on 
this list with whom a real friendship might be developing.  I have learned and shared more, digital 
and hardcopy, with these people than with all of PTM put together in the last 30 plus years.  And it 
has been extremely difficult to get information or photos or hardcopy documents from what should be 
the best source - the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.  If they know the information, it *seems* like 
they don't want to share it!
	The last time I was physically in attendance at PTM was about 1972-1974.  I was in 
Pittsburgh in 1984 but didn't make it to the Museum.  And since the rest of the family moved west 
shortly after that, who knows when I shall be able to return.  That was actually planned for last 
year, but it fell through.  While I can't foretell the future, my plans so far do not involve moving 
any closer than 1,500-2,000 miles from Pittsburgh.
	I wanted to contribute *something* to the museum so I have been writing a column about San 
Francisco for about twenty years.  But if this is the PENNSYLVANIA Trolley Museum, then the main 
columns in *Trolley Fare* should be about the museum, Pittsburgh, & Pennsylvania with San Francisco 
and other places listed as a News Brief.  While a couple people apparently read the column, what I 
get from a few others is that they aren't interested in anything outside of Pittsburgh.  That's 
fine, because neither am I (with the exception of Portland, OR).  And now that PRCo as I knew it is 
dead, there isn't anything in Pittsburgh to hold my interest.
	And on top of that, I am not really a Museum person.  I like the way the prototype operates; 
riding the same equipment in a museum just does not  **smut the custard!!!***  It is more akin to 
riding the kiddie cars in Kennywood.  Maybe it works for some, but it is not fulfilling for me!  I 
would like to do overhead trolley wire work in addition to track work, but I would also like to 
enjoy operation of the cars - without the public breathing down my neck.  But after working all week 
and volunteering on maintenance at a museum, there is precious little time to enjoy the operations 
privately - and then actually try to have a life outside this!!  I lived in Illinois for ten years 
and visited the IRM several times, East Troy once, and the Fox River location once (late 60s early 
70s).  I have been to Rio Vista in the Bay Area maybe five times and OERM 3-4 times in 22+ years 
(and for the last ten years, my parents have lived next door to OERM).

	For those individuals who had left the museum - they did so because of a job move.  They had 
been quite active while present but their only contact after leaving the area was the monthly 
*Trolley Fare* - no one from the museum kept in touch and their inquiries went unanswered!  
Friendships within the museum are just as important, if not more important, than the streetcars of 
the museum.  Please see the paragraphs above about friendships!

To sum it up:::::::

	To maintain some kind of stability at the museum, some things should be unchangeable, 
possibly the government.  But if my only say in the decision making process is to vote for the 
officers, this is not for me.  What happens if no one I vote for is elected?  What say do I have in 
policy?  Like Kenny J. has already stated, I would like the elected officers to represent my 
interests.  If this should be an unchangeable policy, this is a strong negative for me.
	The policy of the museum has been restated many times - apparently that is something that 
will always be changing.  To include buses is totally taboo  FOR  ME  at a streetcar museum.  Others 
may like this and that is fine, but it is not for me.  I don't want antique autos as a part of the 
museum, either.  I have been told that my attitude here is wrong (even though someone has emphasized 
that this is AMERICA and the last I knew, I was able to make my own decisions in  AMERICA.)  To host 
a get-together with a bus or auto museum(s) is fine, but I don't want them all under one roof.  
While this policy might be *all- streetcar* that will last until someone can get it changed to 
include buses . . . so this will be a constant battle which I don't want.
	It has been stated here that the "American way is power and money."  The 1997 PTM Annual 
report lists $20,415 as  TOTAL  MEMBER  DUES  with total Support and Revenue of $939,460 and net 
assets at the end of the year as $1,932,915.  At very best,  TOTAL  MEMBER  DUES  represents only 2% 
of Revenue, 1% of assets.  Big $$$$$ talk and members are NOT Big Bucks - it's the outside grants 
that are Big Bucks and Big Power.  And what influence can my measily $35/year buy?  This is lobbying 
money!!!???
	I don't believe in *progress at any price* as has been indicated is the American way in 
these Pittsburgh Rys 101 discussions.  The Ends Do Not Justify the Means.  As this is from an 
officer of PTM, it definitely concerns me.
	I am just too far away to be of influence and the museum movement is not really my cup of 
tea.  The last time I visited Rio Vista was to see the bookstore - don't think I rode the cars; that 
was 2-3 years ago.  Don;t have any plans to visit and if I get my choice of retirement spots, I may 
never see a museum again!

	There's a multitude of other reasons that figure in but just don't have time to write at 
this moment.

Derrick J Brashear wrote:

> > personally say they left because they didn't get their way without inquiring as to
> > who or what situations were involved.
> 
> Ok, well, did they?

	N-O  --  see above.

> > And you talk about universities being
> > unethical for receiving grants - but trolley museums have definitely jumped on that
> > "cash" wagon!  With these grants being in the multiple hundreds of thousands of
> > dollars, membership dues of $35 per year are meaningless.  The big bucks talk and the
> > railfan member has been pushed aside.  I see no reason to be a member any longer, and
> > thus terminate my membership with PTM.  I wish you much success!
> 
> I'm going way off topic for this list, and I don't like to, but I'll say
> what I said on the PRR-Talk mailing list when the folks there were being
> critical of the PRRTHS folks for not being forward in stance with respect
> to the internet and digital media: If you're serious about your goals, and
> you believe other people share your feelings, walking away isn't going to
> help anyone. Get involved, and help move things in the direction you want.
> Any change is going to take effort, but if it's a good change, the effort
> should be worth it.
> 
> I for one feel no grounds to be critical based solely on the fact that
> I've not had sufficient time to devote to any sort of volunteering, and
> I'm big on what I like to call the doctrine of "Put up or shut up." Having
> not put up any effort, I'll shut up now:-)
> 
> -D	
-- 
James B. Holland
       PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
       To e-mail *off-list,* please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/