Before I give MY OPINIONS, and they are mine, no one elses....I have great difficulty with those that do not identify themselves....Earl, Viktor, m, etc. They are certainly are entitled to their opinions and also should be heard but I for one do not know where their information came from and whether its valid. With that being said, I can tell you that the situation that precipitated the move from Hunters Point to PLA and the change is "management" is very complicated to say the least. A lot of it happened behind the scenes and not out in the open so MEMBERS could not voice their opinions or suggestions. If it were not for Mike Mangini, there would be no GGRM and no 2472, period. He has been the heart and soul since its inception.
Its that simple. He breathed life into a rusting hulk and he had a plan and vision to carry it out.
All of this happened before the current BOD. I think I might have a little knowledge and input here. I met Mike back in 1974 when he was a volunteer crew member for the AFT and the 4449. He told me about the 2472 and I started to volunteer at the engine in San Mateo in 1976 when it was PROJECT 2472. I am still involved to this day. When no-one was able to fit through the steam dome, myself and Margret Monore layed on out on our backs needle chipping the INSIDE of the boiler during the early days of resortation. I am not going to tell you how many hours I have spent on the engine, but those folks that count do now. It is my opinion that because of politics with the City and County of S.F. Hunters Point was never going to be a permanent place for the Museum because of the value of the land to the City. Witness the current " 49er Stadium idea". The EPA superfund clean-up was always starting at us lie a time bomb. Even if we could go back, the Navy needed to finish the clean-up and turn the property over to the City. During Willie Browns tenure, it looked like there was a place for us, however the change of administrations at City Hall Changed that. A site committee had been looking for other venues but the PLA offer was to good to pass up. As far as the collection was concerned, Mike Mangini, as part of his vision included saving some very significant pieces of equipment which we did save. However, because of limited resources and the extensive re-builds the 2472 needed, monies that could have been used for restoration were used on the engine. Also, the dampness of S.F. took its tool on the deterioration on the rolling stock. Mike had no control over this. Funds could be raised for the steam engine but not for the museum pieces. As far as what happened with the change in "management", I was not involved with it and a lot went on behind the scene, so my knowledge is limited and I will leave the speculation to the rest of you unidentified folks. I will say this that the GGRM offered Mike Mangini an advisory role but the whole process of eliminating his position as Exeutive Director was handled so badly that there is no way some of his caliber could come back given the personalities at play here. I love that engine and continue to work on it at Niles Canyon and those that also share my feelings need to bury the hatchet or move on as some already have done so.