Unfortunately, by talking about standards for buildings we have now wandered 180 degrees from my original comments.
Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has a collection of artifacts, and they properly are managed under standard preservation rules. When the curators ponder what do do with NYC&HR 999, they look at the rules for steam locomotives; when they ponder what to do with the Pioneer Zephyr, they look at the rules for internal combustion vehicles; when they ponder what to do with the U-505, they look at the rules for ships. The museum does well when they properly care for their artifacts.
However, CATS is more than the sum of its components. Almost every component has been part of some kind of controversy here and/or at the Goat:
* buildings : where should the Visitor Center go, and what should it look like?
* locomotives : what should be painted on the tender?
* passenger cars : the infamous red vs green discussions
* non-revenue equipment : why did it take so long to finish the "white caboose" and the flanger?
* RoW : is ballasting appropriate on this line? (currently playing @ Goat)
* employees : at least we all agree that they are doing a good job!!
Each of these discussions happens in a vacuum, but all the issues are actually connected. Each should be guided by
one set of standards - the mission and goals for CATS.
Obviously you have a set of standards as a preservationist
Presumably, RGRPC-1, RGRPC-2, and CTSMC each has had a set of standards, but they appear to have been largely implicit, and it is not clear if they were completely consistent with each other.
The railroad needs a set of standards - set by its owners, well publicized, and seldom changed.
Then, and only then, does it make sense to talk about other standards - what to do about buildings, locomotives, cars, etc. Maybe preservation standards will fit in with what the owners want to do with their property, or maybe they won't, and it doesn't make sense to carry out this discussion until we know where the owners want to take this railroad - how they want to direct it so that it can meet its various goals,
including bringing in enough money so they can continue exist even apart from government assistance.