Is Museum Expansion Possible?

[Fred W. Schneider III]

It is being expanded.  See copies of Trolley Fare for details.  Graded
as far as Thepit plant parking lot, poles are in, some bracket arms are
up.  There is no intention to go any farther than that.  That will
extend the line to about two miles total. 

Funding of construction is seldom the problem.  One can find grants to
cover funding of an extension.  But it may be impossible to obtain the
additional operating costs to support an extension once built.  If you
have gotten in so deep that you cannot maintain what you have out of
operating revenues, you may also drive away capital grants that are
needed for overhauls.    

If it were not for the fact that this extension connects existing track
to real estate purchased for the new visitors center and two carbarns, I
would question that it may already be too much.

Exactly as it is with public transport, museum revenue is determined by
what the public feels it is willing to spend, not by how much track you
have. It is a free market economy.  If the public feels that such a
museum is good for one to two hours of their time, then you will be paid
accordingly.  It has nothing to do with what you charge a visitor, you
will only receive what they think is reasonable.  Right now $7 is
probably reasonable.  If you add another mile of track and try to add
its costs to the admission price, you will drive customers away. Adding
track is defeating because it increases costs without any increase in
revenue. 

If you want a good example of what can be done ... go look at the
National Tramway Museum in Crich, England. Go through the stores,
restaurant, carbarn, display barn.  Save the ride for last.  By the time
you have seen everything else they have to show you, then the ride
because anti-climactic. But it was done properly, city street, woods,
views ... and all in maybe a mile and a half.  There is no need to add
anymore steel.    

fws

HRBran99 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> If funding were not a problem, is it possible for the PTM to expand either
> north or south along the PRC right of way? If so, how far north or south, and
> if not, why?
> 
> This was just something I was thinking about.
> 
> HrB