Boy, its funny how many of the comments about derelict, neglected steam engines sound just like the derelict, neglected interurban cars and streetcars. Prior to its shutdown, Trolleycars.com had some nasty posts about Orange Empire or Seashore and how so-and-so car was sitting in ruin while a new organization in the car's home town wants to acquire it and restore it. It sounds like a common cry in both electric and steam/diesel.<p>I think the answer is found in a document being advanced by the Association of Railroad Museums. If you are involved in a railroad museum, you need a copy of ARM's "Recommended Practices for Railway Museums". ARM has done a lot of work in conjunction with the American Museum Association to improve the professionalism of the railroad museum.<p>It seems to me that most people identify ARM as a organization for electric railway preservation groups, but I think these principles are universal for anyone with a collection of industrial antiques. I am the co-founder of North Texas Historic Transportation, Inc., and I will be pushing our organization to join ARM and adopt the Recommended Practices for Railway Museums when we refine our bylaws.<p>Some of the key principles in collection management (other than introducing the concept of collection management to some of these organizations) include DEACCESSIONING and DEFINING the PURPOSE of the museum facility. Its a good thing to define the goals of the museum and develop collection policies based on those goals.<p>I could probably take a little bit more time to organize my thoughts a little better and wind up with a 20 meg post about these issues, but dinner awaits.<p>A couple of questions, though:<p>1. Are you involved with a railroad museum?<p>2. Is your museum a member of the ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD MUSEUMS?<p>3. If no, why not?<p>4. If yes, do you have a copy the "Manual of Recommended Practices for Railway Museums?"<p>5. If no, why not?<p><br>Its long about time that we work on improving our organizations, bringing them in line with accepted standards for all museums and get beyond being just someone's exclusive toybox, rust collection, or life-size model railroad.<br>



tnold@swbell.net

I am actually involved with a tourist railway at the moment, and so my main focus is not on historical preservation of equipment but on operation of historic equipment over a historic rail line. We are preserving the "experience" if not the "artifact". I am working on a project at the moment to create an operating wrecking derrick exhibit to demonstrate the operation of these monstrous beasts. But I do have a copy of the ARM Reccomended Practices in my files, and am begining the process of adopting TRAIN's safety and operating rules to our tourist line. I would like to see us become more unified, and I think membership in TRAIN and the ARM is a good start. <p>I'm just starting my work with this tourist operation, trying to bring them up to snuff on all the regulations and proper procedures. It'll take a while, but it'll be worth it in the long run. I will do my best to follow the reccommended parctices that relate to our operation.<br>



bighookx45@aol.com