Re: Kudos to the OERM for achieving balance ... 
| August 04, 2015 11:45AM |
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John Cole Wrote:
===================================
> Jason, you also have to consider that things like
> pavilions will bring out visitors that may not
> have heard of your museum and may indeed become a
> working member because they found out about you
> going to an event your museum hosted. Orange
> Empire R/R Museum in So. Calif. gets a spike in
> membership every year because of Day out With
> Thomas visitors. (One lady asked me "how long we
> had been there BEFORE Thomas?") She almost fell
> over when I told her over 50 years, So don't sell
> reaching out to the masses short as it brings in a
> crowd that would have never darkened your doorway
> otherwise.
>
> Things are hardly ever black and white.
True, John -
But the OERM manages to put on public events WITHOUT sacrificing its primary mission of preservation. I don't visit often, but every time I do am impressed with the INCREASE in space donated to preservation and restoration, and the INCREASE in the number of beautifully restored pieces that are UNDER COVER and available for us see and in many cases to ride on. SFAIK, very little - if anything - has ever been deliberately destroyed by the OERM just to make room for Thomas or any other P.R. events, nor has much - if anything - ever been allowed to deteriorate beyond the point were it could someday be restored.
- Russ Sperry
p.s. to Craig: Credit the term Phraud-O-Graph entirely to Earl Knoob. It's such an accurate term that I can't resist using it often.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2015 12:09PM by Russo Loco.
===================================
> Jason, you also have to consider that things like
> pavilions will bring out visitors that may not
> have heard of your museum and may indeed become a
> working member because they found out about you
> going to an event your museum hosted. Orange
> Empire R/R Museum in So. Calif. gets a spike in
> membership every year because of Day out With
> Thomas visitors. (One lady asked me "how long we
> had been there BEFORE Thomas?") She almost fell
> over when I told her over 50 years, So don't sell
> reaching out to the masses short as it brings in a
> crowd that would have never darkened your doorway
> otherwise.
>
> Things are hardly ever black and white.
True, John -
But the OERM manages to put on public events WITHOUT sacrificing its primary mission of preservation. I don't visit often, but every time I do am impressed with the INCREASE in space donated to preservation and restoration, and the INCREASE in the number of beautifully restored pieces that are UNDER COVER and available for us see and in many cases to ride on. SFAIK, very little - if anything - has ever been deliberately destroyed by the OERM just to make room for Thomas or any other P.R. events, nor has much - if anything - ever been allowed to deteriorate beyond the point were it could someday be restored.
- Russ Sperry
p.s. to Craig: Credit the term Phraud-O-Graph entirely to Earl Knoob. It's such an accurate term that I can't resist using it often.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2015 12:09PM by Russo Loco.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.