[PRCo] Re: PTM festivities

[James B. Holland]

Edward H. Lybarger wrote:

>Oops...I should have said "Arden is not the name of a trolley museum any
>more."  But I'm just reacting as any good businessperson would and should.
>
>The name "Arden" appears in the museum's own history, but we're representing
>the museum like it is now and will grow to in the future, not how it used to
>be.  "How it used to be" involves the industry we're describing to the
>public!
>
>Those who use the old name may do so out of fondness or out of unwillingness
>to accept change, but I will speak for myself and Dennis also, along with
>scores of other volunteers, and tell the world that I'm about the future.
>That future deals with the Trolley Era in Pennsylvania, etc. and not what
>any given trolley museum used to be named.  I don't believe this to be
>unfair!
>
>Ed
>

             I understand your points, Ed.

             VTA, Valley Transportation Authority, succeeded Santa Clara 
something or other possibly because service was over a wider area than 
previously served.       VTA quite insistent and precise about name change.

             And when  ({[pat]})  took over  PRCo, the old logo was 
painted over and the rectangular  ({[pat]})  ownership label placed 
under the car number each side.

             So while the upgrade from PERC to Arden to PRMA to PTM is 
the Letter of the Law, saying Arden certainly meets the Spirit of the 
Law.       We can easily get too hung up in identifying the messenger 
and totally forget the message!       It seems to be an item of extreme 
importance to you that is lost on the rest of us.

             I have consciously mulled this over in the past when 
writing information about Arden and beg to differ about outsiders not 
recognizing the name    ----    trolley fans across the country and 
around the world know it as Arden because yearly listings With Photos 
were published in Van Jones Traction and Models which clearly showed 
Arden Trolley Museum on the building.       Because of this, and because 
even modern railfans have possibly seen these old T&Ms, I don't hesitate 
to use Arden when speaking with railfans.       Even Greg King in Oz has 
called it Arden.

             There Are Quite A Few here who deny being Railfans even 
though they collect books about rails, write books // articles about 
rails, collect photos about rails, and belong to this list about 
rails.       And  ALL  of us use  *Interurban*  as a noun even though it 
is an adjective  --  it needs to modify something like TrolleyCar, motor 
coach, route, etc.       And this is not a case where a name has changed 
but is simply totally wrong application // bad Ingrish.


             Like Harold, by far I prefer  PERC    ----

PITTSBURGH   ELECTRIC   RAILWAY   CLUB    ----

and dislike the move away from that.       The founding Father's had a 
particular goal in mind and wish that had been respected.


Jim__Holland