Every preservation group (especially those with wood equipment) has the same basic problem. After you have spent all the effort to repaint or rebuild a piece of rail equipment, it is left outside in the weather. The normal reaction is - Let's build a building to put it in and protect it! But that creates another series of problems. Now you have to find scarce funding and/or volunteers to build and maintain structures in addition to preserving rail equipment.
99% of rail equipment in the last 160+ years has spent 99% of its time outdoors in the weather. How really historicaly accurate is a perfect and pristinly painted piece of rolling stock?
In my opinion, instead of concentrating on acres of covered storage, priority should be given to:
1. Obviously, secure and covered storage should be available for any historic rail equipment that would otherwised be stripped bare by thieves or destroyed by weather.
2. Enough useable shop space should be available so that active supported projects can be completed with the greatest efficiency. Each group should develop the shop capability to at least repaint every locomotive or passenger car every 5 years, and others within 10 years. This refers to equipment that is still in good condition or has been previously had substantial work. This is in addition to the major project or continuing operations work.
3. Sufficient space should be allowed to publicly display and protect the "gems" of the collection in an appropriate setting. Please folks - Take a little extra time and money here to do this right. Years ago, Carson City (NV State RR Museum) put up a concrete block public display building that looks just like I described it. Too bad they didn't use split-face block (more stone appearance than concrete block)and followed a style reminicent of the now gone Carson Enginehouse. Instead of putting the offices/restrooms/gift shop/etc. addition in front the building, they should have put it the back or end. This would have allowed the displayed equipment to be visible through a face of large arched windows across the front. Imagine the view from Hwy 395 passing by at night! And the CHS at the Loop - what were they thinking?
What is the real priority - Having the capability to rebuild and maintain rail history; or just collect and warehouse it?
