Pa. Releases $5 Million for RR Museum of Pa.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 5:35 pm

Snipped from Trains Newswire, at Kalmbach.com--I guess somebody was reading RyPN in Harrisburg.

Note that this comes at a fiscally tight time for the state, at a point where the building itself is running with a bare-minimum "skeleton crew" with no archivists or curators.....

Quote:

Harrisburg — Gov. Edward G. Rendell today announced the release of $5 million in state funds for major improvements at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Lancaster County. This investment of capital funds will help boost Pennsylvania's tourism industry while preserving the state's storied railroad history.

Barbara Franco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, said $500,000 will be used for the design of a 16,000-square-foot roundhouse that incorporates the museum's existing turntable and will be able to house a significant number of the museum's extensive collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock currently stored outdoors. Many of the locomotives that will be preserved in the new building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are among the only surviving examples of their kind. The Governor's Office anticipates releasing an additional $6.1 million for the elements.

Franco said $4.5 million is allocated for the design, fabrication and installation of new permanent exhibits that examine Pennsylvania's railroading history from its earliest beginnings to the present day. The exhibits will explore the social, economic, and technological history of Pennsylvania railroading, using the museum's collection of artifacts and rolling stock to illustrate the story. Together, the new roundhouse and new exhibits will make the Railroad Museum even more attractive to families and visitors of all ages.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:19 pm

Government capital expenses are funded differently than ongoing operating expenses, and it can be argued that the building expansion will save money because of the protection it will afford the engines. Also, cutting staff (operating expenses) reduces the monthly subsidy, making it easier to support the capital investment.

Something similar happened to us here at our (private) university. We all had to make 1.5% budget cuts last year, and then the University went out and purchased the headquarters building of NCR. They cut the operating budget to float bonds at a better credit rating.

Stationary Steam · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:08 am

Do I read this right?

$500,000 to design the roundhouse, but not actually turn one shovel of dirt to build it.
$4,500,000 to design and install new permanent exhibits not related to the roundhouse.

So after spending $5,000,000 the museum ends up with a stack of drawings and some rearrangement of artifacts in the current building, but not a dime to actually get the equipment sitting outside under cover?

How many years would they have to wait until another windfall comes in from the state to fund the actual construction of the roundhouse?

Why does $4,500,000 sound like way too much money to construct museum exhibits?

Newriver400 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:52 am

You'd think with the archives at RRMofPA that they'd have plenty of roundhouse design materials. But we must remember that government does NOTHING like the private sector. I expect that $500k figure also includes writing all of the specifications, doing site specific structural analysis, and, presumably, site specific surveys, and completion of every other kind of bureaucratic red tape form/plan required. If it doesn't, the taxpayers get ripped off yet again.

Not that I disagree with the preservation of one the more comprehensive geographically significant collections, but can my grandchildren (my son is not yet two) afford this? Perhaps private sector funding would be a better option...

Best,
Mike

WesternStar · **Joined:** Sun Oct 30, 2005 12:15 am **Posts:** 170

Actually, $500,000 for design and specifications sounds about right in today's world. All other costs have gone up and apparently engineers and architects actually expect to be paid more too:-) The Northwest Railway Museum spent approximately $350,000 for the design of their new exhibit building that is now uinder construction, but it doesn't have any interior improvements such as restrooms or offices.

As for $4.5 million for design, fabrication and installation of exhibits. Depending on the size of the exhibits, that doesn't sound unreasonable either compared to the value of other recent exhibits I know about - and they were in the private sector. Museum exhibits are no longer just photos and labels because they are what teaches and captivates the audience.

The Northwest Railway Museum recently had four new exhibit labels designed, manufactured and installed. So HPPL signs, metals stands, some cadd time, transportation to the museum for four signs that are each about 8 square feet cost just under $10,000. Now if you want some interactivity and other features such as video and audio and associated production costs that today's museum visitor expects and I can see how a major exhibit could cost $4.5 million.

It certainly is great news to hear of these investments in the RRMoP. Now if the governor could just find some funds to hire the curatorial staff back . . .

--Richard

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:52 am

Let's consider another possibility:

"Design, fabrication & installation of new exhibits" is bureaucratese for "build the roundhouse"?

Afboone · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:09 pm

I'm with Mr Mitchell on this one.

junior · **Posted:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:33 am

....if you read the Museum's web site, it states:

This project will fund the design of a roundhouse which will provide permanent, climate-controlled storage for the museum's historic collection of PRR steam and electric motive power, among other items. The Governor's Office anticipates releasing an additional $6.1 million in construction funds for the roundhouse.

$11.1 million dollars in total for these projects. Lets hope that additional $6 million is around when the time comes.

So yes, $500,000 for designs, $4.5 million for displays and HOPEFULLY $6.1 million for the actual building.

As they say, don't count your chicks before the eggs have hatched.

Mike Swanson · **Posted:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:11 pm

Just because the museum states that the money is allocated for one purpose doesn't mean that it can't be used for another, unless the governor released the $5 million specifically for the roundhouse design and exhibit design and construction. If RRMofPA is specifying what projects the money will be spent on, then the museum could easily choose to use the $4.5 million to build the roundhouse instead (or at least to complete enough of it so that the locomotives and rolling stock that were to be in the roundhouse could at least be brought inside as intended; that is one of main goals of this entire project, after all). We'll just have to wait and see (as usual)...

Newriver400 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:07 pm

Mr. Swanson:

Thank you for service, which is what I presume you are doing in that hell hole half way around the world. I, too, wish you were back working on 2926 and I pray your tour of duty is completed safely and you get back to working on that great 2900 as soon as possible.

Best,
Michael Brown
Suwanee, GA