[PRCo] Re: West Penn Cars at PTM

[Jim Holland]

Good Morning!!

	Welcome back, John   ---   guess you were away   ---   didn't see any posts for about a
week.

	Some observations on the various comments and posts of the past week   ---   Not
criticisms!

> John Swindler wrote:

> .......But
> what I remember most was one speaker commenting that trolley museums were
> started as clubs, and far too many still have a club mentality when dealing
> with the public.  Sort of 'it's our club, and visitors are tolerated, but
> not welcome'.

	It seems that what is too easily forgotten is that if  IS  The  RailFAN  who started the
museums in the first place  --  and now they  *seem*  to be denigrated as barriers to
serving the public.   And as Fred has mentioned, it is the  *Almighty--Dollar*  which
actually rules, not People as individuals or groups.
	I mentioned the  *Almighty--Dollar*  syndrome a couple years ago and got lambasted for
it   ---   but that  *seems*  to be what it boils down to!!
	I am not at all interested in the  *Dollar--Talks*  syndrome   ---  that can also be an 
*Excuse*  for not doing something in addition to a Reason.   But it has essentially pushed
the railfan out of the picture   ---   As Fred says, they only contribute 1% of the
income.
	And quite honestly, as a Railfan, I feel pushed out of the picture at museums and get the
impressions that railfans are unwanted.   But what many forget is that, By Definition,
Everyone at a trolleycar museum is a railfan.   Denying it doesn't change the matter!

> .......The speaker also mentioned that the club mentality creates
> barriers to reaching out to the public, with the result that the museum is
> stuck with a declining, aging membership.
> Then about a month later attended a northeast region church conference in
> which the theme was reaching out to the public.  As one speaker commented,
> in too many churches fellowship ends at the coffee table rather then
> reaching out into the community, with the result that many  churches are
> stuck with a declining, aging membership.

	But isn't this really the message of life   ---   it ends in  *Death!*   Why be surprized
when  *Anything*  dies   ---   an Individual, a Pet, an Organization   ---   even rocks in
the lmountains disintegrate into dust?!?!   Grieve, yes, but Death is a part of living!  
I am somewhat  {morbidly)--amused  at this effort at preserving trolleycars 
*ad--infinitum*  and beyond our own lifespan!!   How many stage coach museums do we see  
---   Ken will quickly tell us of at least one  --  bet it takes some real digging to find
more, and Who Here has a listing of stage coach museums or really wants such a list(?) 
--  and  WHO  of us would take the time to attend a stage coach museum?   So fast--forward
to AD--2100   ---   who will take the time to visit a trolleycar museum   ---  if they
still exist??

	Also, we live in America  --  the land of the free  --  and are supposedly fighting a war
to defend that Freedom.    Part of that Freedom is  *Freedom--of--Choice.*
	I--F  a museum chooses the club mentality   ---   so be it.   If they enjoy it, fine.  
If the museum dies, so does everything and everyone else!   Let a museum chart its own
destiny.
	Those who will  *possibly*  derive the most enjoyment from the trolley museums are those
who associated with trolleycars in their lives   ---   be they J.Q.Public or J.Q.Railfan.
	So Enjoy Trolleycars while they are here   ---   they won't last forever   ---  
trolleycars nor museums.   I would then vote with Greg and  *wish*  to see a WP--700
operational.   My grandmother told me stories about living in Connellsville and these big
cars and I would like to experience just a smidgen of what she related.   Realistically,
it does take money and effort to do such, but it is not impossible.   I hope it happens
while recognizing the odds are against it.

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James B. Holland

Holland  Electric  Railway  Operation
    "O"--Scale  St.-Petersburg Trams Company Trolleycars  &
        "O"--Scale  Parts  mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
        Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) http://www.pa-trolley.org/
    Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.nmra.org

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