Railway Museum q u a r t e r l y "Advancing Railway Preservation" Number 54 A Journal of the Association of Railway Museums Winter 2010 The 2010 ARM Conference featured a trip over the spectacular ex-BC Rail line on the Whistler Mountaineer to Whistler Mountain resort. West Coast Railway Association’s Canadian Pacific heavyweight mountain observation car #598 runs in the consist, providing revenue to the association and a great way to view the railroad. Jim Vaitkunas photo. PRESIDENT’S COLUMN railway By Bob LaPrelle As we settle into a new year, thanks are in order to several organizations and museum individuals for a job well done in 2009. First and foremost, a big thanks to our members for their continued support of ARM. Your membership quarterly enables the organization to represent the railway preservation community with the collective strength of all of us. As you will read elsewhere in this issue Railway Museum Quarterly is published quarterly by the Association of Railway Museums and of RMQ, association and collaboration distributed free of charge to member and affiliate member institutions and individuals. The are key to tackling our challenges that opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Association. Articles appearing in RMQ lie ahead. may be reprinted in whole or in part provided proper credit is given the source. Submissions are I would also like to thank our host always welcomed, along with accompanying photos. Articles covering programs, initiatives, major site for a great Fall 2009 Conference. events and undertakings of member institutions are of special interest. The West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish (Vancouver), B.C. did an outstanding job of hosting the ARM ARM Membership membership during the week-long Membership in the Association of Railway Museums is open to nonprofit organizations preserving event in September. Don Evans and and displaying at least one piece of railway or street railway rolling stock to the public on a Susan Steen, along with the board, regularly scheduled basis. Other organizations, businesses and individuals interested in the work of staff, volunteers, and presenters at the the Association are invited to become affiliates. West Coast Railway Heritage All members and affiliates receive Railway Museum Quarterly as a benefit of membership. For Association are to be commended for more details, or to report address changes, please contact the Association of Railway Museums, their hard work and dedication. 1016 Rosser St., Conyers, GA 30012, or email to [email protected]. WCRA’s itinerary of educational and Call us at (770) 278-0088 or visit our Web site: www.railwaymuseums.org. informative programs along with fun and entertaining activities made for a nice balance between enrichment and Directors leisure activity. It was also exciting for Richard Anderson, Northwest Railway Museum, [email protected] us to celebrate the beginning of West David Dunn, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Coast’s next phase of construction on Bob LaPrelle, Museum of the American Railroad, [email protected] their roundhouse and conference Peter Murphy, Exporail, [email protected] facility. We are also very grateful to G. Mark Ray, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, [email protected] Peter Armstrong and the Armstrong Ken Rucker, National Capital Trolley Museum, [email protected] Hospitality Group for our rail trip to Jim Schantz, Seashore Trolley Museum, [email protected] Whistler and tour of the Rocky Eric Sitiko, HART-TECOLine Streetcar Museum, [email protected] Mountaineer in Vancouver. Kyle Wyatt, California State Railroad Museum, [email protected] The fall conferences are a signature event for ARM and the single most important tool to share ideas and Officers fellowship among each other. Check President: Bob LaPrelle ARM’s website for updated Vice President: David Dunn information on future conferences Secretary: Ellen Fishburn, [email protected] including reduced rate hotel Treasurer: Ken Rucker, 1313 Bonifant Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905-5961, accommodations and optional tours. [email protected] ARM is also soliciting proposals for Committees future conference sites. This is an Renewal Parts: Rod Fishburn, Chair, [email protected] opportunity to showcase your organization and share your knowledge Staff and accomplishments with the railway Suzanne Grace, Executive Director, 1016 Rosser St., Conyers, GA 30012 preservation community. [email protected] We are also grateful to the volunteers at ARM. Thanks go out to Railway Museum Quarterly those who serve on the board, hold Aaron Isaacs, Editor, 3816 Vincent Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55410, (612) 929-7066, officer positions and committee [email protected]. assignments, along with the parts exchange group and our representatives The Association of Railway Museums is a Professional Affiliate Member of the American to AAM, FRA and other initiatives. Association of Museums. Finally, our thanks to Aaron Isaacs at RMQ and our Executive Director Organizational Mission: The purpose of the Association of Railway Museums is to lead in the Suzanne Grace for continuing to add advancement of railway heritage through education and advocacy, guided by the principles value to ARM each year. While most set forth in "Recommended Practices for Railway Museums" and incorporated in other best associations saw a decline in practices generally accepted in the wider museum community. membership last year, ARM actually saw a net increase. We are also honored to have added our new international 2 ARM/TRAIN JOINT SPRING MEETING AT THE STRASBURG RAIL ROAD Friday-Saturday April 9-10, 2009 The Association of Railway Museums and the Tourist Railway Association are having their first joint Spring meeting to plan future cooperation between the two organizations. Other national rail preservation leaders will be there to discuss how the industry can best move forward. Friday: Separate ARM and TRAIN Board meetings Saturday: All-day meeting between ARM and TRAIN. The public is invited to observe. Strasburg Rail Road wilI run extra trains Friday thru Sunday in addition to the regular passenger train. All trains open to conference attendees. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Sunday:Informal summit of rail preservation leaders Monday-Wednesday April 11-13 Engineering Standards Committee will meet to work on the ASME boiler code. These meetings are open to the public. Contact Ann Musser at the railroad ([email protected]) or 717-687-8421 to make reservations. Lodging: Historic Strasburg Inn, 1400 Historic Drive, Strasburg, PA 17579, 717-687-7691 There are 67 rooms blocked at $79, 04/08/10 thru 04/13/10, with checkout on the 14th. There are also 8 suites blocked at $99. An 11% tax will be added. To access the rate use the function name of “Strasburg Rail Road Train Meeting”. Cutoff date for reservations at these rates is 03/08/10. members from Mexico and Kenya in encouraging and valuable component of incumbent upon us to point out the 2009. the conference experience. uniqueness, historical significance, and I had the pleasure of meeting with Another important topic that is on the economic benefits of ensuring the several of you at the fall conference and minds of many members is our ability future of our operations. learning of your accomplishments and to continue operating historic ARM will continue to participate in concerns throughout the past year. equipment as rail transportation comes the regulatory process through Obviously, the economic downturn is under greater regulatory scrutiny. Many information gathering and sharing. We the greatest immediate challenge to all of you have a stake in the implications will stress, and at times take the lead on ARM members. Those of us who rely of increased regulation on operating safety issues as an industry association on private funding are experiencing museums and tourist railways. ARM while emphasizing the special needs individual, foundation, and corporate has and will continue to place a high and considerations of our business. We giving at greatly reduced levels. Others priority on addressing this issue. While have formed a committee of ARM among us who are reliant on public the Association and its members are members who operate historic funds are seeing budget cutbacks and strongly committed to safety in all equipment to address your concerns and staff reductions. aspects of operation, we are also a establish a timely and effective method While we will have challenges in unique industry within an industry of responding to future issues. We will 2010, we also introduced many when it comes to the application of continue to liaison with the FRA and innovative ideas at the fall conference. standards. keep abreast of the latest regulatory We’re becoming much more diverse in Operational, historic railway activity while providing valuable input our approach to railway preservation. equipment is unique, but no less of an about the special needs and Just a few years ago, conference topics asset to its owners and operators than considerations of our business. We are were centered around the more practical their modern common carrier also working with sister organizations aspect of our operations. While the counterparts – particularly on tourist including, TRAIN and RPCA to crafts are essential to all of us, we are railways. Beyond preservation, we have develop collaborative ways of ensuring also placing a high priority on the an expected return on our investment in the continued safe operation of our business side of our field. We are each piece, and an obligation to its care, valuable assets in the 21st Century. becoming much more entrepreneurial maintenance, and safe operation – just We will address several key issues in and marketing savvy. This is a very like the Class 1s. This is an educational 2009. We are looking forward to a process as much as anything. It is 3 productive joint ARM/TRAIN board true) had the Federal Railroad respect for historical accuracy, or that meeting this April in Strasburg, PA.