For information, the Colorado Railroad Museum has recently developed and implemented a Collection and Restoration Policy. This policy is based on the Association of Railway Museums (ARM) recommendations and policy’s from other railroad museums including:

California State RR Museum
Nevada State RR Museum
and
Orange Empire RR Museum

This plan outlines the process used when artifacts are repaired, restored or simply maintained. The RGS 20 will be the first piece of major equipment restored at the CRRM using this policy. The restoration document is being developed as Linn conducts the assessment on the locomotive and makes the needed repairs. Usually the document would be prepared prior to the restoration, but in this case, since the museum itself is not conducting the restoration, it is being written as the restoration continues and decisions are made by the Collection Management Committee, as outlined in the policy. Once complete, we hope to use the RGS 20 restoration document as the benchmark for all future restorations at the museum.

The policy isn't perfect and it will need to be changed and modified as we work our way through the process, but it is better than not having any process at all. For those of you that are interested, the policy can now be viewed on the Colorado Railroad Museum website under the roundhouse section.