Erik H. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fkrock Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are you willing to put your money where your
> mouth
> > is? Or are you going to continue to bad mouth
> > railway museums?
>
> Well, I don't have $25,000 or $30,000. I'll tell
> you that right off the bat. Not unless I work for
> the sole sake of rail preservation - never mind
> feeding or clothing myself, my wife and my two
> children, making sure we have a roof over our
> heads and so on.
>
>> I thought that the idea was that a group of people
> working together could accomplish something...you
> know, the saying "TEAM: Together Everyone
> Accomplishes More"? But if the hobby and
> preservation is limited to those who can
> financially support it themselves...well it goes
> back to the guy who has a preservation "group"
> that made it clear that the group consisted of
> "him". At least the Disneyland Railroad makes no
> secret it's a profit-minded organization and the
> whole family has fun.

Boy, no @#$%&! It usually gets lost on the defenders of preservation that often the problem is not so much funding, but the @#$%& Factor of empiracle, small-penised jack offs that have no interest in learning how to manage a volunteer workforce. Think: If you could treat 50 people with decency and respect, encourage and competantly guide their efforts, you might be able to get that $30 grand when you can encourage them to contribute $25 apiece, once a month for a couple of years: (25X50X24 months). But only if there is a realistic let's-do-one-thing-at-a-time plan: $30 grand for a four car prefab steel building with concrete foooitngs. That's a workable goal, one that is realistic and tangible.

Speaking of which; follow the link, and scroll down until you see the 100x200 foot steel building advertised for $30,000:

[prefabricatedsteelbuilding.net]

Now, obviously the permits, ADA compliance, track, utilties, etc. are not included, but the point is that it is all possible with time, effort and teamwork. Instead, what usually happens is the mom and pop who drive 45 minutes to an hour on their time off become disenchanted by the lack of focus, politics and vaselating goals. Have a nice day!