[PRCo] Re: CAR #39 AND FUNDING RESTORATIONS

[Fred W. Schneider III]

ROGER Jenkins wrote:
> 
> All  cars at Seashore and I presume other museums as well , have
> individual funds for each car and when somebody sends money for that car
> , it is put in the fund set aside for it. 

A very rational way of doing things.  Some like the National Tramway
Museum in Crich, England will even begin a job until all the projected
monies are in hand.  They have no place on the property to store a
half-done job.  They don't display anything that isn't in operable or at
least presentable condition.  I'm sure a lot of museums start projects
without any money in hand, in the hope of raising the money needed as
they go.  I could easily name at least two of those.  

> When no donations have been
> recieved for it and the funds are O  for a while , that car cannot be
> worked on and it is moved out of the re-build center and replaced with a
> car that has a lot of money in its fund . Such is the case where the
> Rochester " Submarine " was brought in for the summer crews to work on
> and the #39 was placed in temp storage in another barn to wait for
> additional funds.  If you did not know , Seashore is in a very bad
> financial shape , asking for membership to chip in to pay for fixed
> costs , electric bills, operational bills etc.  No money from the
> general treasury spent on car restoration period.  And probably other
> trolley museums are in the same boat.

Was aware of Seashore's predicament.  I think most people in the museum
industry have heard.  You are not going to want to hear my next
statement.  THERE WILL BE MUSEUMS THAT FAIL.  THAT GO OUT OF BUSINESS. 
THE SMALL ONES WILL GO WITH OUT A WHISPER.  THE BIG ONES HAVE MORE TO
LIQUIDATE BEFORE THE FINAL COLLAPSE.  Simply asking the members to pay
to keep the door open is not going to work.  The people who rode the
cars and remember them are in their 70s and 80s and some in their 90s. 
I'm going to say, as I've said before, THOSE MUSEUMS THAT SURVIVE WILL
BE THE ONES THAT HAVE LEARNED HOW TO REACH OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND GIVE
THEM WHAT THEY WANT AND NOT WHAT RAILFANS WANT.  THEY WILL ALSO BE THE
MUSEUMS WHICH HAVE LEARNED TO GET GRANT MONEY FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SOURCES AND USE IT WISELY, THEREBY PLEASING THEIR BENEFACTORS.  Those
which cannot follow these simple principals will be liquidated.  You
needn't answer now.  Talk to me in 20 years if we're both still here.  I
have a mental list of those that will fail.  So far I'm right on target
on one, and close to the mark on another.  

>  So if you want to see your
> favorite car restored and running like I would like to see WP #739 ,
> SEND MONEY TO YOUR TROLLEY MUSEUM FOR THAT CAR YOU LIKE  !!  and be
> Specific tat the money is for that particular car and nothing else. or
> to the general fund if you like..

Car 739 is not planned for operation.  Only cosmetic repairs for display
are contemplated.  Of course money for wooden track brakes, etc., will
be needed.  This is not the official position of the museum; only of
those on the archives committee who plan what will go into the new
display barn.  If you actually want to see it running Roger, you might
wish to mail in your check for $500,000.00 to cover new B-50
controllers, trucks, wheels, motors.  That is just my rough guess; in
order to farm the work out to a commercial shop that could do the work,
maybe we're talking in excess of $1 million.  

I think, Roger, that we would be better advised to aim some of the
contributions toward those efforts that bring in the public ... paid
education staff ... paid public relations / promotional staff ... paid
management ... interpretive materials that place the trolley into the
context of its time (and by that I don't mean talking about a nickel
fare unless you talk about what everything else cost and what the
working man took home).  I said interpretation in light of that period,
not today.  Maybe I should also say interpretive materials that reach
out and grab the spectator and make him or her part of the adventure 
... better displays ... clean rest rooms for the public ... paved
parking lots ... picnic areas ... snack bars if appropriate ... highway
signs (they are very expensive) ... perhaps joint working agreements
with other museums and tourist sites ... keeping the place open enough
days in a year that the AAA will list it.  If we get the public, the
money will be there to restore the 39s and 739s.  If you car restoration
is first priority, there is absolutely no guarantee that anyone will
come to ride them.  There may be no second priority.  Remember, first
and foremost, the public can't tell the difference between one car and
another and they don't care.  An orange car works well for trips to the
Pumpkin Patch.  A red car with Santa Claus decals is great at
Christmas.  And no, I didn't propose a white open car in January. 
That's what you need to understand.  END OF SERMON.