The Trains article on preservation and what we can learn from Britain is worth reading. Too often, we have seen competing collections, and/or factions, which are unable to cooperate on critical issues like marketing, fundraising, and prioritization of maintenance or restoration. Clearly, at some of the State Museums have some issue with State bureaucracy, concerned with employee union issues, liability issues, and held hostage sometimes by inflexible budget restrictions. Many of the museums and collections also have some issues with focus and credibility, and mixed track records, when doing outreach to the public and other potential sponsors. Some railroad preservationist's just aren't that geared toward the business side of this.

Choo choo's is an expensive hobby, as I tell my clients, especially the big ones. Without a good business operation, focus, and discipline over the tendency toward "trainfan factionalism", it can be very difficult to raise and prioritize funds. One suggestion is more consolidation of operations, and sharing of business operations and fundraising. Attracting and empowering well qualified, experienced, and committed management is one critical component to success. And, we need to focus on the kinds of projects that can keep the public interested and willing to fund. Rail fans are, by nature, highly individualistic, a little feisty, and not always inviting to ousiders, they are also aging, and need to attract and recruit a wider-younger public to make these efforts sustainable into the future.