Well, I must be completely out of touch. Thanks for your insight, but I recall it was less than 20 years ago that the museum completely rebuilt their mainline from the sub-bed up, installed up-to-date grade crossing equipment at 11th St., created Leola siding with spring switches, extended the overhead from Leola to 7th Street and worked with both the ATSF and the city of Perris to operate to the depot in Perris. The only thing that was contracted was the tamping and leveling, but that was due to a lack of specialized equipment. $1 million for anything at that time would be nuts. I must be out of touch!

But, twenty years is not that long of a time frame. What happened to all the knowledge, materials, people and ability of that place? There was a great deal of pride in the average streetcar motorman on a loop run telling the visitors that the museum was built entirely by volunteers and maintained as such.

For this project, is it the intent of the museum to let the entire project out for contract, including the materials? I certainly can't support that given the knowledge of acres of material, boxcars and containers of parts, a fleet of construction vehicles...where does it end? And, I know that all sounds negative, and maybe I could come out an help, or write a check etc., etc. Thanks, but I've already done all that many times over.

Now, I am also not foolish enough to think it can be done with 75/40 rail made by Carnegie in 1936. I know the cost of motor-operated switches on concrete ties with Pandrol clips is about the same cost of a new home. Interfacing track circuits under CTC standards doesn't come cheap, nor with second-hand materials installed by well-meaning but liable volunteers.

However, I do think that a hand outstretched for a project with a price tag that large for a volunteer organization should come with a clear breakdown of project phases and cost estimates with alternatives. Levinson is not titled as Money Seeking Dude, but Executive Director, a job he sought, and was not saddled with. It is also a paid position, and that comes with burdens.

Paul Diegas may have engineered many fine projects over the years, with a solid track record and has great reason to be admired, but I imagine the scope and trammel of a project of this nature will be found on the drawing boards of an outsider. Speaking of architects and engineers, I wonder how well the Library project will continue?

Let's hope the money will come in. The importance of a real connection at Perris cannot be understated or procrastinated. I recall Walter Abenseth always using the RTD and RTA to get out to the museum, and many of us imagined what it would be like to have a complete rail connection from our SoCal bedroom communities right to the bookstore.

Try not to take my seemingly negative comments to heart. Critical as this may seem, I believe it to be a genuine inquiry with merit.