Number 11 Published by the Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums Winter 2013 + = It’s official. ARM and TRAIN are now the Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums. With that, this magazine has a new name and our industry has a larger, better advocate. Requested Address Service Address PERMIT NO. 1096 NO. PERMIT TWIN CITIES, MN CITIES, TWIN Covington, GA 30015 GA Covington, PAID P.O. Box 1189 Box P.O. U.S.POSTAGE PRSRT. STD. PRSRT. ATRRM 2 3 ASSOCIATION OF TOURIST RAILROADS PRESIDENT’S COLUMN AND RAILWAY MUSEUMS By G. Mark Ray The purpose of the Association of Tourist Railroads and I can remember a long time ago as a young boy Railway Museums is to lead in the advancement of railway growing up in Chattanooga reading about the opening of a heritage through education, advocacy and the promotion of new railroad museum. I don’t know why I was fascinated by best practices. this but I was. Perhaps it had been my Grandfather telling me about the General or taking me to go to train watching. For more details, or to report address changes, please contact us at: Whatever the reason was, I was moved enough to write a Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums letter to the museum. I explained that I was 9 years old and P. O. Box 1189, Covington, GA 30015 that one day I wanted to become a member so I could be a www.railwaymuseums.org, www.traininc.org steam locomotive engineer. To my surprise, I received a (770) 278-0088 hand written reply signed by Mr. Paul H. Merriman. [email protected] It would be 9 years later before I joined the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and another 7 before I was qualified as a steam locomotive engineer. Officers Little did I know where this path would take me. I President: G. Mark Ray, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum would later serve as Road Foreman of Engines, lead the Vice-Presidents: building of the wheel shop (including the restoration of all Scott Becker, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum three wheel machines), and serve on the board of directors, Linn Moedinger, Strasburg Rail Road which I still do today. Secretary: Ellen Fishburn, Orange Empire Railway Museum In 1999, TVRM sent me to a place called Cass, West Treasurer: Alan Barnett: Indiana Railway Museum Virginia, to set up a display booth showing off the wheel shop. This was my first TRAIN conference and in 2000, I Directors attended my first ARM conference. Through the years, I’ve come to know many great people and was elected to serve Richard Anderson, Northwest Railway Museum as a director of both ARM and TRAIN. Chris Bertel, Thunder Mountain Line Which brings us to today. The vote in Montreal Rick Burchett, Chehalis-Centralia Railroad represents not only a combining of two organizations but it John E. Bush, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad sets the tone for the future of railway preservation. Our Steven M. Butler, San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad journey begins this March in Savannah, GA, at our Spring Jeffery D. Jackson, American Heritage Railroads Conference. The Coastal Heritage Society has assembled an Syl Keller, Monticello Railway Museum agenda of educational seminars, events, and some great Bob LaPrelle, Museum of the American Railroad tours. The board will also spend a day developing the first Peter Murphy, Exporail strategic plan for our new organization. This is a major step Richard N. Noonan, California State Railroad Museum for us as it will provide the roadmap to guide us in the future. Ken Rucker, National Capital Trolley Museum Finally, let me close by saying that being elected as the Jim Schantz, Seashore Trolley Museum first President of the Association of Tourist Railroads and Fenner Stevenson, Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad Railway Museums is a great honor. I look forward to Jim Vaitkunas, Minnesota Streetcar Museum leading our new organization into the future and meeting the Meg Warder, Black Hills Central Railroad challenges that lay ahead of us. Erv White, Grand Canyon Railway. See you in Savannah! Frankie Wiseman, Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad Kyle Wyatt, California State Railroad Museum Committees Renewal Parts: Rod Fishburn, Chair, [email protected] Staff Suzanne Grace, Executive Director P. O. Box 1189 Covington, GA 30015 [email protected] Aaron Isaacs, Editor 3816 Vincent Ave.. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410 [email protected] 612-929-7066 The Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums is a Professional Affiliate Member of the American Association of ARM President Bob LaPrelle and TRAIN President Museums. Rick Burchett shake hands after the two memberships voted to merge and form ATRRM. Joe Hazinski photo. To advertise in Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums, contact Aaron Isaacs at [email protected]. To download an advertising rate sheet, go to www.railwaymuseums.org/Static/documents/RateCard.pdf 4 5 6 WE NEED NUMBERS! number of volunteers (I'd recommend studied houses along Ohio's Little adding total volunteer hours). Miami Scenic Trail, a 78-mile rail-trail By Jim Porterfield A tally of how many steam and that cuts across the northeastern portion diesel locomotives, passenger cars, and of Cincinnati. Parent and vom Hofe IF you attended the 2012 ATRRM freight cars are on display (not counting found that homebuyers were willing to meeting in Montreal, and IF you picked wrecks and unrestored equipment pay a premium of $9,000 to be within up a copy of Great Britain's 2011 displayed, I presume, in "as is" 1,000 feet of access to the trail." Railway Heritage Committee Annual condition). Or consider these persuasive RTC Report, enthusiastically distributed by Imagine my surprise when, as a arguments, found among others at that group's David Morgan, and IF you relative newcomer to the ongoing effort http://tinyurl.com/9wptsz6: looked on page 11 (the inside back to professionalize the railway heritage The Great Allegheny Passage, cover), you saw a series of charts that tourism community, I learned ATRRM which cost . $70 million to construct, summarize aspects of the Committee's cannot produce similar data. It strikes generates more than $40 million in Annual Statistical Survey (for 2010). me that such an accounting is a direct spending in towns along the trail The charts and text present: minimum step to help members (and each year. "Visitors Welcomed and non-members) evaluate each year what The business occupancy rate in Passengers Carried," including marketing activity works and what downtown Dunedin, Florida, increased 1]. number of visitors doesn't work. It would also help from 30% to 95% following the 2] how many of them rode trains existing or proposed enterprises that are establishment of the nearby Fred 3]. number of train rides taken seeking public and private support for Marquis Pinellas Trail. 4]. how many miles those journeys projects to demonstrate how the The repeated annual economic amassed community will benefit from making an impact of cyclists was estimated by the 5]. how many total miles excursion investment in that proposal, and not in North Carolina Department of trains ran, and some other endeavor. Transportation to be nine times the 6]. the average number of riders per One example of what can be done one-time cost to build bicycle facilities. train. with market research is illustrated in (emphasis added). "Turnover Summary," which this recent example from what some in This is what market research looks appears to be their way of breaking the railroad heritage community like in action. down how guests spent money, mistakenly believe to be an opposing Before you can evaluate the impact including train rides, sales (to include force - the Rails to Trails Conservancy of a new exhibit, or of a restoration admissions and gift shops), catering, (RTC) - to help it advocate for more project or a new excursion, you have to and other (workshop services, charter support from community leaders and know where you stand today. Any trains, and the like). donors: "Research by planning group hoping to attract investors, "Working Staff," referring to the professor Rainer vom Hofe and benefactors, or support from public number of people employed and the economics professor Olivier Parent agencies has to be able to demonstrate, 7 8 in a convincing manner, the likely One Aside losers. For this article I interviewed economic impact the spending will Here's an idea to consider if you Ellis by phone in December as he produce. find yourself in need of a part for a walked to his Chicago commuter train. Hence the desire to know - at a piece of your equipment that is no The sale of Arizona Eastern helped minimum - how many people visit each longer available: Keeping Hill City provide cash for a series of initiatives. year, what they do when they visit, how Train On Track: Stevens Students IP started up the Saratoga & North they spend their money when they're Design Piece for 1880 Train at Creek, purchased the Texas State there, where they spend it, how many http://tinyurl.com/au5d3wm. Railroad, won a competition to operate people they employ to support that the ex-Southern Pacific Santa Cruz activity, and how many members of the Another Aside branch, became the contract operator larger community support the effort by At a just-concluded two-month run for Massachusetts-owned Cape Rail, volunteering. Equipped with that of Cheryl L. West's musical drama and revived the Pullman Company benchmark, you can go on each year to PULLMAN PORTER BLUES at the brand. There may be more to come. show how your expanding efforts are Arena Stage in Washington, DC, there affecting your organization's was a small exhibit in the lobby Saratoga & North Creek performance.