[PRCo] Re: West Penn Cars at PTM

[Edward G Skuchas]

I am also a member at Seashore.  They evidently had a meeting of trolley museum reps to discuss the future.  I believe that they had a professional museum type there who led discussions about what people expect to see at a museum and what museums should do to attract and keep visitors.  The result is what I think of when some people are having guests at their house.  The place is cleaned, dirty laundry is cleaned up off the kid's room floor, toys are put away, the best china is put on the table.  You want to impress someone.  So Seashore finally put in the loop at the end of the line and put in a little park.  The nicest cars run.  The operators talk nicely and have good manners.  The cars are put in storage barns.  Only display barns are open.  The rare trucks are pulled out of the mud and weeds and put in a warehouse or storage container.  The weeds are cleaned up, lawn mowed and flowers planted.  Nice bathrooms, reasonable food.
What we see when we look at our rare West Penn shells and other items is not what the paying customer's see.  I think Arden has a great plan with the display barn and museum and the longer ride.  As with any museum or business, you don't make the money with just one visit, you want repeat customers and their influence to others to come.
And then all of the museums must develop and educate the next wave of volunteers who will have to take over for the current group.  And that new group did not live with the trolley cars as some of the older members have.

Edward G. Skuchas, PE
Parsons Energy & Chemical Group
edward.g.skuchas at parsons.com <mailto:edward.g.skuchas at parsons.com> 
The Berkshire Car Shop
eskuchas at home.com <mailto:eskuchas at home.com> 
Importer of St. Petersburg Tram Collection models.
The trolley modelers source for all manufacturer's parts, kits, cars, videos, books.


-----Original Message-----
From: John Swindler 
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 10:11 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: West Penn Cars at PTM






>Greg King replied:
>
>
>Hi John,
>
>I'll send it next pay day, you know we Motormen are so well paid down
>here!!!!
>
>However, point taken, at least it's saved and who knows, maybe someday
>someone will have the money.
>
>Greg


Gosh, Greg, I'm still trying to catch up with the pay scale for janitors on 
BARTD. (they are up in the high 20s/hr - and that doesn't include overtime.) 
  And didn't the New York MTA have some employees making close to $100,000 a 
year a while back??

As for my comments, guess I'm trying to ask: what would be the cost to 
recreate the necessary hardware to bring a 'chicken coop' back to life????  
I've heard figures of around $100,000 for just 27G truck frames from the 
Edmonton trolley museum group.  (And in Los Angeles, a couple PE 950s are 
coming in around $800,000 plus.)  Then there are motors, controllers, brake 
system, and the time, effort and skills necessary to install this equipment. 
  Because even if the hardware were available, who would do the work???

By comparison, what is the level of metal working skills and carpenter 
skills needed to bring a 'chicken coop' back to a "stuffed and mounted" 
display state??  I suspect considerably less then restoration to operating 
condition.  Maybe 2,3 or even 5-1 ratio.  That is, since resources are 
limited, would it be possible to "stuff and mount" five cars for the same 
cost and resources as restoring one to operating condition???

PTM suffers the fate of far too many other trolley museums in that the 
public is exposed to a junk collection.  One piece of junk is ok, as an 
example of 'before'.  Two pieces of junk is inexcusable.  Visit other 
museums outside the railfan area.  How you judge those museums is how the 
public judges us.

Therefore, as but just one PTM member's opinion, my vote would be to 
prioritize use of available restoration resources to get rid of the 'chicken 
coop' collection in the passing siding area first (through either "stuffing 
and mounting", de-accession, or hide elsewhere), before even thinking of 
directing resources towards any long term restoration. Of course, if someone 
wants to write out a check............

Again, just one distant member's unpopular opinion.

John



> >
> > Thank you, Greg, for your generous offer of $1.2 million (US) to rebuild
> > West Penn 739 as an operating car.  When can Ed expect your check??
> >
> > Sorry about the sarcasm, which will continue, but why would anyone want 
>to
> > rebuild West Penn 739 - or several other cars - as operating pieces of
> > equipment??  Because anything that is operated is a liability.  It 
>suffers
> > continual wear and tear.
> >
> > How many operating cars are required for a demonstration electric
>railway???
> >
> > At one extreme are the advocates of trying to restore everything to
> > operating condition.
> >
> > At the other extreme is a position that everything at a trolley museum
>could
> > be "stuffed and mounted" exhibits, such as the B&O Museum, for instance,
>and
> > then buy some Gomaco products to provide the demonstration electric
>railway.
> >   I use that last term because PTM is claiming to be a non-profit
> > educational organization, and not a club.
> >
> > A compromise in between may be the best use of available resources and
>allow
> > for the elimination of the greatest number of 'chicken coops' from a
> > property.
> >
> > Just a biased opinion.
> >
> > John
>
>
>


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