Re: Young Railroaders

I just have to put out my experience.
I joined a local RR museum while I was in high school (at the time, the county had elementry for grades 1-7 and high school for 8-12). It seemed to be a BS club mostly.
I finally was told to just pick something and start working on it. No help. This was in about 1971. I got some buddies from school who were not neccissarily railfans but interested in getting together and helping out to re-roof a WWII boxcar-caboose. No one said anything. Just a little help from museum members. I helped on the SRR steam excursions by helping service the steamer at the lunch spot (after having bought a ticket and not really needing to).
When we tried to do the sides and the inside no one would even coome over to look and give pointers. Finally Collage took so much time that I dropped out of active participation.
When I returned afer graduation and three years on my own in Houston, TX, I had the same feel of a BS club. I had asked about running the equipment but everyone said it was not worth it.
I joined a live steam club many years later (about 1988)and they had put their track in with the museum. When we had enough to start running, we put a home made sign out front saying "Train Rides".
Withing about 6 moths, the museum started steaming up and charging an entry fee.
Young blood is needed and the older experience is needed. If we can just find a way to bridge the gap.
Doug