W.W.&F. Discussion Forum
WW&F Railway Museum Discussion => Volunteers => Topic started by: Richard "Steam" Symmes on April 28, 2013, 11:20:16 AM
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Where are the "young folks" (20s and 30s)?
The pictures make it look like "duffer land". Another ten years will make a huge difference in what can be done as far as "grunt work" goes.
This is the same problem that is spreading through all the hobbies, museums, and whatnot. Our live steam club members average about 70 years old. There are only one or two people younger than that and they have families to raise, so their time is limited. The kids. . . all into virtual reality and social media, with rare exceptions. This fact of life is going to impact all museums big time in the coming years.
Party on!
Richard
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Where are the "young folks" (20s and 30s)?
Over my two days at the weekend, I encountered plenty of those younger than me (I'm 42, just beyond the "under 40" crowd.) In fact, I worked closely with "Trip" who is pictured with me in Mike Fox's 3rd photo replacing ties. He and his wife joined us for the weekend - and they both appeared to be in that demographic.
We also had a number of new (or newer) volunteers - "Ralph" and his dad (whose name I forget) were quick to learn the art of spiking and tamping. Ralph's dad flew in from Aurora, Colorado. "Dennis" (who is fairly new and lives locally) help me dig out the clay and wood-chip mixture that was in the gauge at Brook Crossing.
One young face that stopped by on Friday was Joe Fox. Now working for a local regional railroad as conductor - he isn't able to get to Sheepscot very often.
The *BEST* though was a 4 or 5 year old that I interacted with briefly. His favorite train? "CSX". His dad told me that not long ago, the boy asked him what "Exempt" (at a crossing) means! The future is looking bright.
I was sad that I had to leave Saturday night, after a great two days. All ages and abilities working side by side for the common good of the WW&F. I wish you had been able to join us in person - you are always welcome.
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Up until a couple of years ago, I qualified as "young folk". Guess I'm getting old :(
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The point of my comment was not to disparage "duffers". God knows they do most of the work up there. The point was, that another ten years or less will make a big difference in what can be done if the youthful element isn't developed to replace the aging veterans. This is happening all over, and is certainly not unique to the WW&F or any particular sort of museum.
We have in the next town to me an institution called the Wenham Museum (Wenham, Mass.) It has an entire basement filled with various model railroads which kids can run by pushing a button. All scales are represented, from G to Z. All of this was put together in the 1970s by a group of dedicated men who were into model railroading. Most of them volunteered their time. Only a couple were part time paid personnel. There were about a dozen in all. Guess how many are active today? 3 or 4, and they are all in their 80's with various health issues. All the rest have either died or are in nursing homes. No younger people have been found to replace them. First, because the entire railroading hobby is aging, and second, because those younger men with an interest, don't have the time to devote to the museum.
The result is that if there is a problem with a layout, often nobody is on hand to fix it, and the layout is taken "off line" until it can be attended to, which can take several days. Maintaining the fleet of locomotives and rolling stock is also feeling the pinch, as knowledgeable people who can take things apart and fix them are no longer available as often as in the past.
Again, as we look at Stephen's usual magnificent photos of the work sessions, we see mostly gray or white hair in evidence. This only will get worse as time goes on. I see this as a priority subject for the museum's directors to discuss. Pretending that these old hands will live forever, or never suffer physical incapacity is simply "whistling past the graveyard." Deal with the situation now before it becomes too critical.
I speak as someone approaching age 72, and my own work capability is beginning to shrink, difficult as it is for me to believe, or even admit. I was 30 years old yesterday, or so it seems until I look in the mirror. Yikes! Where did this old geezer come from? We don't age like fine cheese or wine, and those are "the facts, Jack."
Richard
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I think there will be plenty of young people to take our places, I don't expect many people raising families,However, I don't look a the 50 and early 60's as old. every year we've a lot more" younger" people working the machine shop, and when we start laying rail again we will see a big influx of people. Working on buildings isn't as grand as laying track.Were lucky now that we're getting more local talent that come every week.
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Well stated, Fred.
Ira
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I was 30 years old yesterday, or so it seems until I look in the mirror. Yikes! Where did this old geezer come from?
Richard
This is just more evidence that they don't make mirrors like they used to. ;)
-John
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Maybe the mirrors in the "Fun House" at the carnival?
BULLETIN FOR FRED: 60s may not be old, but in a short ten years that turns to 70s. Your abilities diminish quite a lot in those 10 years. See my earlier comments about the Wenham Museum. And that only concerns working on model railroads. That's not humping ties and rail and shoveling carloads or gravel.
You make light of this situation at your own peril.
Richard
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t 77 I think 60 is quite young.W e have a crane and tractor to help us now. One thing older people have always have helped us with is money. Its always a great help. We also get a lot of tools from older people which is great.
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A lot of our volunteers are like fine wine. They get better with age. Our oldest volunteers have done a lot of work, and often still do. These guys have retired and are willing and able to commit time to the museum. THEY make the museum what it is. Their dedication shows the younger generation what can and needs to be done, day after day, to keep the museum looking good and making progress.
There are about a dozen of us that are regulars that are around 40. 10 years ago, there was probably about a dozen around 40, and 20 years ago, the museum still in it's infancy, there were people in their 40's, most likely about a dozen.
It is nice during the work weekend to see the younger crowd. There were some there, just not pictured.
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Without trying I can think of at least 3 regular museum volunteers in their 30's, two of them are at Sheepscot every week.
A few facts -
From my 39 years in the fire service (with 20 in administration), I can note the trend for volunteers. We would get 18-19 year old volunteers who would stay for an average of 5 years. When they reached their mid 20's some would get married and start familys. Most of the members with kids left or cut back their volunteer time at that point. Some would come back in 5-10 years, those were the members who had a good experience at the fire house when they were young. The ones that came back were good firefighters and we would have them as active members for another 30+ years.
We know it's tough rasing a family and giving time to a fire company or museum. Fred made the point that most 20-30 somethings are too busy with kids in school and all their activities to volunteer and the WW&F is no exception. I think we should try to get new members of all ages. Introducing children and young adults to the railroad will plant a seed of interest but I don't think we will ever have a large crop of 20-30 somethings. What we do have is a broad range of people who bring skills and energy to the railroad. BTW, if you don't think a 70 something has energy, spend a day with Fred.
Stewart
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If we want more young people to be attracted to railroad preservation (or any hobby) we must be willing to invest in them.
We also have to be prepared when they go off to college and start a career and family – knowing that the seeds planted will bear fruit. This may be elsewhere.
For example, I did not get involved with the WW&F until I was about 30. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I've loved trains since I was born. Some attribute it to an early Amtrak trip from Providence to Florida when I was an infant, circa 1972. Maybe its because both of my parents are from Bellows Falls, VT. My middle name is after Charles Herbert "Bert" Preston, the conductor for the Woodstock Railroad in Vermont and my great-grandfather. Whatever the reason, I got bit by this bug a long time ago – but didn't have the opportunity to get truly involved until much later.
However, I am forever grateful to the older generation who encouraged my interests at such a young age. Please let me honor some of them here:
Mr. Harrison.
He was a member of the Pioneer Valley Steamers in Southwick, MA. He also ran "Davis Store" in Wrentham, my hometown. Davis' had a few copies of "Model Railroader" on sale, and somehow one was slipped into my bag whenever I stopped in for ice cream. Mr. Harrison took me to the Pioneer Valley Steamers several times, which I never forgot.
Howard Topham.
A former railroader turned newspaper reporter, Mr. Topham had a large collection of books, films, and railroad ephemera – especially Boston-area traction. When his health started to fail, he made me an offer I could not refuse – show up at his apartment with my bicycle and he would let me have as much as I could safely carry home. I made dozens of round trips with my basket jammed full of magazines, books, etc. Years later, I donated much of this to the WW&F for our archives, or trade/sale for other museum needs.
Adolf Arnold.
Mr. Arnold had a toy train museum in Middleboro, MA. My dad brought me there several times during its construction so that I could help out. Dad worked 2nd and 3rd shift, so he would sleep in the car while I swept floors. Mr. Arnold was always patient with my questions and ideas.
Howie Gunnison.
Dad worked with Mr. Gunnison at Walpole State Prison – both as steam boiler engineers. Mr. Gunnison also lived in Wrentham and had a collection of switch stands proudly displayed on the top of a hill in his front yard. He was also a regular engineer at Edaville, and one day gave me the run of the park as his "nephew." Between that, and other visits, I somehow managed to ride in the cab of all 4 of the Maine steamers around the bogs. I had no idea how special that would be in later years.
Mr. Gunnison obviously loved the Maine two-footers and moved away soon after he retired; his switch stands disappeared. Dad told me that he moved somewhere in Maine – and was somehow involved with some trains up there. He died not long after. It was not until many years later that I learned that Mr. Gunnison was an early member of the WW&F, and his collection ended up as ours. Even though the south switch at Alna Center is a PITA to move, I pray for Howie every time I throw it – for I know he would be proud of its resurrection from a hilltop in Wrentham to be back into service.
Alvin "Mac" and Helen McClintock.
But no one invested in me like "Mac" and his wife, Helen.
Summer vacation is dreadfully boring to a pre-teen. Not old enough for a job, and not anything to do. I spent many summer mornings with Mac, and learned more than just about model trains.
Mac's property had a big barn and one day they were having a Yard Sale. Mac and his wife lived in an in-law apartment in the barn, their son and his family lived in the adjacent house. At the Yard Sale, I wandered into the barn to discover an elderly man selling a wide variety of Lionel, Marx, and American Flyer trains. After an hour of talking, Mac instructed his son to "take the boy to see the collection." His son was hesitant to let such a young visitor into his home, but Mac insisted that I knew what I was talking about and could be trusted.
I had never seen such a display.
Walls covered with Lionel, Marx, Flyer. O gauge, S Gauge, even some HO. Matchbox cars too. And a small layout under construction.
Mac told me to call him any time to visit. A lifelong friendship was born.
For the rest of the summer, and for many more summers to come, I would call over to let them know I was coming, then pedal my bike as quick as I could to get there. Mac was already in his basement workshop, tinkering away at something. He'd send me to fetch boxes in storage. A common trip was to send me to the Liquor store nearby to pick up boxes. He wanted a specific kind so that they would stack evenly. Then he would cut them to size and put the trains away in them.
At lunch, I would help him up the stairs. This was a major undertaking as he had injured his legs as a young man in a motorcycle accident. Helen would have lunch ready for him. I would usually head home, not wanting to wear out my welcome, but sometimes Helen would fix me a grilled cheese.
Mac "adopted" me so that I could attend the swap meets for the Train Collectors Association. The rules stated that only children of members could attend. They broke them for me, and no one cared. Oh the treasures I would find when not helping man his table.
Mac's health started to fail and he could no longer navigate the stairs to the basement workshop. So, I became his legs, fetching boxes from the basement, then putting them away. But it was the time we shared talking that helped shape me from an enthusiastic boy into a polite young man.
In college we still kept in touch when I would come home, but my visits were not as frequent. One day I got the phone call that Helen had died. Mac was heartbroken to lose his companion of more than 50 years. Mac's legs would not permit him to attend the wake, funeral, or burial – so his son asked if I would sit with him during that time. We talked of life and death, and he reminded me that if we truly believe in God and Heaven, death is not a sad event. While we morn, we remain hopeful.
When Christmas vacation came about 11 months later, I had someone special to introduce to Mac, my fiancée Michelle. We drove to his house unannounced – to learn that he had just been admitted to the hospital. When we arrived, it was clear that his journey on this earth was coming to a close.
I asked Mac what his secret for such a long and faithful marriage was. He opened the drawer on the hospital table to take out a book I had never seen him with before – a well worn book of prayers. He opened to a page, handed it to me, and asked me to read:
Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another's weaknesses and grow from each other's strengths. Help us to forgive one another's failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well-being of one another ahead of self.
May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us both ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.
Our visit was all too short. With a "goodbye old friend" we left. He died the next day.
I share these stories, honoring these "rail heroes" because we often forget what a difference we can make in the lives of young people. Sometimes its inconvenient to explain something for the 20th time. It's easy to lose patience and understanding. It's hard to trust someone so young. And sometimes rules need to be broken to create opportunities. (Not only in the stories I share above, but I recall the times I was invited into cabs for rides on Conrail and the Cape Cod and Hyannis by nameless train crews that saw this young kid hanging around the yard.)
So to those reading this forum who are "young" – please know that I will share whatever patience and understanding with you that I can muster. If you live near me, you are welcome to hitch a ride to the WW&F whenever we can go together.
And to the rest of us, let us know that it is our duty to raise up these young people. Let's not only teach them about the trains we love, but also share with them the lives we have lived.
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Well said Ed. Between you and Fred there's nothing left to be said on the subject. You indeed are a lucky man.
Dave
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Wow - that's quite a nice story, Ed. I had some similar fond memories growing up, starting with my Dad taking me to trainside. Although he had just a passing interest in railroads he brought me to Edaville and explained what the 2 footers were, lighting the fire so to speak. My Mom also endured my interest providing "taxi" service in my pre-license days. Both of them later had the favors returned with side trips to Portland, Sheepscot and Albion while visiting my sister in Maine with me being the "taxi driver."
Richard brings up some important concern and if I remember correctly he has introduced some of the next generation to rail preservation at the WW&F.
In my observation the WW&F has done relatively well in attracting young members. The "heritage railways" seem to have had varying degrees of success in attracting younger members but overall they seem to have been better in this regard than the "armchair" clubs which deal mainly with discussion and video presentations. I believe the "hands-on" activity can not be easily replaced by being on-line, where as the armchair groups have suffered from the newer sources of information that can be found on-line.
I have been involved with heritage rail groups such as the Connecticut Electric Railway Association and after that the RMNE since around 1966 when I was 16. Like Ed I visited the Pioneer Valley Live Steamers, this starting around 1962 for me. I remember a number of people who encouraged me through the years at each place, and at the RMNE I have gone from one of the youngest to one of the Old Goats over the decades, and have seen an entire generation pass on as the time went by. And those now gone were among those who helped to create our own history within the heritage railway movement. Thankfully Harry Percival is well remembered even by those who never had the pleasure of meeting him.
Ed, thanks again for stirring the memories. And thanks to Richard and all the others that have recognized the importance of encouraging the next generation.
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Our normal,every week, group is about 50-50 under 40 and over 40, we gain new people every year. We're one of the few 2 foot gauge R.R. growing in workers.
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If I did not have to work for covering my living expenses, and bump my retirement/disability income to 3600.oo a month I would volunteer fulltime at the museum. Yes, I would move up there just for that reason. I'm 42, and I want to do something that I want to do, rather than grind away doing something that really has no meaning to my life other than income. There is no "work" per say when you are doing something that you love.
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Fred, that's encouraging to hear. Some of the other museums have "issues" ranging from politics to a remote location. Those can be difficult to overcome.
I always have said that the WW&F seems to have done everything right from day one. There have been no big battles among members that I'm aware of. You are fortunate that the majority of the hard workers are "locals" who have turned the place into the local train club. A place to go every day for retirees who like trains. People and circumstances like that are hard to come by.
Yet, again, as I said in an earlier posting, another ten or fifteen years will make a big difference in the work capabilities of these old hands who date back to the Percival days. Newer, younger members will come and some will "stick", but most will be drawn away by life, families, work, or whatever. You must recruit ten people to get just a couple to "stick". My "Wenham Museum" tale from another earlier posting is a cautionary flag. It is always out there waiting for those who think it won't happen here.
Finally, as real railroading changes and morphs into whatever the future holds, will there be ANY attraction at all to kids? Right now it's Thomas and the Polar Express which draws them. . . neither of which is real. What in the real world of railroading, now and future, will draw them? And will they relate it to historic trains, especially those of such rare examples as the Maine Two Footers?
Richard
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I do believe we have the best volunteers of any organization. Young, old, working or retired. The group of volunteers we have has done what ever needed to be done, no matter how it took to get it done.
The members of the BOD itself says a lot about the museum. A very nice mix in age, they bring ideas and experience to the organization.
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True, we have come a long way since the days when everything was done with hand tools and there are some very talented people in our group using their skills on projects. I'm impressed by things like using CAD to design locomotive parts, etc. but there's still a lot of old fashioned hand work. There are still lots of jobs one can start with i.e. mowing grass, cutting weeds, shoveling stone, carrying ties, and painting. People with mechanic minds can learn to use Ichabod then step up to Big Joe, the tractor or Model A truck. If you look at the work done last weekend, much of it was hands-on low tech stuff and everyone worked where they wanted.
I think one of the best things about the museum is that you can learn anything from high tech stuff to 80 year old gasoline engines, 100 year old steam technology or 5,000 year old ideas of moving rocks and dirt. Seems like a pretty good range of choices.
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As well as trade cookie recipes amongst the cooks!!!!
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I guess I have a more optimistic view than Richard's regarding future prospects for drawing in new members from the railroad fans in the younger set. As far as the available pool is concerned, I suspect it's ALWAYS been a case of "slim pickins."
I base that on what I observed in Bergenfield NJ during the first part of the 1940s, and then studying engineering in Troy NY 1946 -1950.
Through Bergenfield passed the West Shore River Division of the New York Central, with four tracks to accommodate the twice-daily surge of trains bringing commuters to and from New York City.
Steam ruled: nary a diesel until after I'd left for college. There was a nice selection of steam power from the Central—Pacifics, Mohawks, and the occasional Mikado, and later also Hudsons and B&A Berkshires displaced by diesels from other parts of the system. The New York, Ontario and Western, which had trackage rights, contributed light USRA Mountain-type engines and a variety of old ten wheelers, some of them camelbacks.
Besides heavy wartime freight traffic there were 30 passenger trains/day in each direction, 20 each way making a station stop in Bergenfield. In summer, the NYO&W ran passenger extras filled with New Yorkers bound for various towns in the "Borscht Belt" of the Catskills.
Another attraction was the coach yard in Dumont NJ, 1.5 miles to the north. Every weekday evening or Saturday afternoon, five of the commuter trains pulled into the yard and the engine turned on the wye before recoupling, ready for the run to the Weehawken ferry terminal each morning except Sunday.
So……..ALL KINDS of goodies you'd think would draw steam fans like flies. And according to my 1946 B.H.S. yearbook, the student population that year was 487.
Yet from that pool of "possibles," there were only THREE steam fans that hung out at the Bergenfield station. I know, because I was one of them and I spent an awful lot of time there. Didn't miss much. (Cep'n study time.)
At Rensselaer Poly the student population swelled from the normal 2,500 to 4,000 because of the GI Bill. Troy was a terrific town for steam action, served as it was by four railroads. With the exception of a few Alco road switchers used by the D & H, everything in and out of Troy was steam-hauled. But the students that started the model railroad layout in 1946 numbered only a dozen, and a subset of SIX of us chased steam on weekends when we could steal a bit of time from studies.
It's good to be reminded of the need to draw in new blood, but I believe if the Museum continues the many good things it's been doing, that will happen.
Dinga-linga-ling! Hang on…..phone's ringing in the other room. Back in a sec.
(Pause)
I'm back. That was John McNamara. He claims there were LOADS of railfans at Bergenfield High back then, just holding off, waiting till the West Shore went diesel. ;)
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Today's youth have far more distractions than youth of bygone days.
Plus, remember, back then in the "glory days", trains were an everyday thing for most people. The average person didn't pay them much attention. Now they nearly are invisible. Around here there is nothing but the same tired old MBTA commuter trains. No one even looks up when one passes.
So it seems to me that we need to try even harder than before to attract the minimum number of younger members to grow the organization.
When I was a teenager I had a model railroad, but I wasn't big into railfanning until after high school. My first big event was going to Pennsylvania in 1960 to ride one of the early Reading RR "Iron Horse Rambles" with big T-1 type 4-8-4 #2124. That did it for me! I was hooked. How many kids today can relate to that?
I'm not trying to turn this discussion into a p---ing contest (save that for the new restrooms), but trying to point out that you can't "coast" and hope things will work out in the long run. You have to be on top of this issue every single day. It's happening in every hobby and traditional organization. The unwary will find themselves playing solo fiddle in an empty hall.
Richard
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I think the key to bringing new faces to the WW&F is the quality of the "product". Our mission is to present an early 1900's narrow gauge steam railroad with all it's surroundings. The Maine two footers were unique in a number of ways and we need to present the railroad in a historic setting. Everyone from casual visitors to serious railfans will enjoy the magic of Sheepscot with classic buildings, original R-O-W, nice rolling stock and beautiful motive power. Interaction with crews is very important. A kind engineman on the EBT got me interested in steam by offering a cab ride in 1960. Our crews often invite children to ride in the locomotive for part of the trip. The parent often goes as well and they all hop out with a smile.
If 5% of the population are interested in trains ... many like modeling while some chase and photograph. A few will work at a museum. The percentage of fans that like narrow gauge is less than that with many interested in 3 foot such as the former D&RG(W) lines. Maine Two Foot comes after all that so there is less of a railfan pool for the WW&F. What we can do to get the younger folks to Sheepscot is offer an exciting experience, we tell them about it with modern advertising and social media exposure. Young people are on facebook and twitter. The museum is on facebook and we should consider getting a Twitter account. Once they see the photos on the museum's facebook page they will want to visit. Seeing the operation first hand, some will join and contirbute.
The railroad is the draw but another angle is to promote the other historic things... such as the saw mill (when we set it up). There will be a few people who will show up because they like old equipment.
Stewart
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Another savvy thing is we're on YouTube. I just had another look at Eric Schade's excellent video showing the track work during the Spring Work Weekend a year ago.
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This thread came to mind when Sue & I were at the Steaming Tender Restaurant in Palmer MA on Saturday 11 May. There were a good 10 or so enthusiastic young railfan photographers there - guys mostly in their teens or early 20s, mostly specializing in photography of contemporary rail activity. It was good to see this enthusiasm in a younger crowd.
For those of you that aren't familiar with it, the Steaming Tender is located in the former Palmer Union Station which served the Boston & Albany and Central Vermont railroads, so it is a good place to tie on the feed bag while enjoying some contemporary "broad gauge" activity on today's CSX (ex B&A) and New England Central (former CV).
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We have in the next town to me an institution called the Wenham Museum (Wenham, Mass.) It has an entire basement filled with various model railroads which kids can run by pushing a button. All scales are represented, from G to Z. All of this was put together in the 1970s by a group of dedicated men who were into model railroading. Most of them volunteered their time. Only a couple were part time paid personnel. There were about a dozen in all. Guess how many are active today? 3 or 4, and they are all in their 80's with various health issues. All the rest have either died or are in nursing homes. No younger people have been found to replace them. First, because the entire railroading hobby is aging, and second, because those younger men with an interest, don't have the time to devote to the museum.
Richard
This is the main problem for me. Im 21 years old and from the age of 14 Ive been interest at volunteering at the Illinois Railway Museum and I always itching to go down there and help them out but there are certain problems that are keeping me from doing it (the main reason is money) I was told from a IRM member of the Steam Crew while I was giving a tour of their steam shop building and I ask them whats the best way to volunteer at this museum (While being able to support myself also) and he told me that the best way to do that is to for one "find a good job that can support yourself and or your family and whenever you have free time come on down here an work with us for fun and enjoy keeping our history live on to the future" Well I have a job but its pay is still not good enough for me to get my own place yet, so until I do so, Im stuck where I am but once I move out of my home, I will be making trips there a lot to help out because then I won't have the problem of driving for a hour and a half there and back and don't have to worry about parents thinking "Its to far away for you to drive"
The Point is I hope that people around my age (the 3rd Generation) will one day find the time to replace the (2nd Generation) of volunteers at every Railroad Museum across America who are right now working hard to get people around my age group interested and to hopefully soon have them take their place so they can have a enjoy retirement and watch their replacements take over the work they started.
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Keep the faith, Matthew. Your time will come!
Your mention of the Illinois Railway museum led me to check out its website. Among the various updates on progress with various steam restoration projects was this very encouraging line:
The whole team was young guys all in their lower 20's or teens, which makes a big change from the reliance on us old codgers!
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At 37 I'm still probably one of the younger people posting here. As a somewhat precocious teenager in the early 1990s I was actually an early member of the "Sheepscot Valley Railroaders" (prior to the group's rechristening as the WW&F Ry Museum), and can claim to have played a very minor role in the erection of the first stall of the enginehouse in the summer of 1990. (Yes, I was there, if only for a single weekend!) I count having met and chatted with Harry Percival one of the most inspiring experiences of my early career as a fan of the Two-Footers, almost (but not quite) on par with having once ridden in the cab of B&SR #8 around the loop at Edaville. But then college and graduate school and adult life in general intervened, and I sort of dropped out and let my membership lapse. I'm still interested, but I just don't have a lot of time or money to contribute these days, and I expect my situation is somewhat typical of those in the 20-40 age range.
That's *my* story, for what it's worth.
(I would love to have been able to purchase one of the shares of W&Q stock Harry was peddling circa 1990 for $100 each, and kick myself now for having missed the chance.)
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Phillip, W&Q stock is still available for $100/share. The Wiscasset & Quebec RR Company (yes the original company) is still extant and is happy to sell shares when they can. Don't expect any dividends however.
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That's good to hear! Thank you. Who should I contact to purchase a share?
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Wiscasset & Quebec Railroad Co
Les Fossell, Treasurer
PO Box 525
Alna, ME 04535
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Thank you. I will be in touch.
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While not a youngster by any means (56 yrs young) I am so impressed by what you folks have accomplished I am considering moving to mid coast Maine soon as im semi retired. I have family in Acton and Waterville. Im no stranger having spent most of my life Railfanning and modeling the Maine Central. Primarily the Rockland branch. 6 years ago I scrapped it all in favor of a Modern narrow gauge line (HOn30) centered around the WW&F. (photo below) I must say it again...the people involved with the WW&F are some of the nicest and down to earth people I've met in this hobby. Kudos to you all for an outstanding job well done.
Ted
(http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/2547462/sn/658708876/name/100_8394.jpg)
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In the future I am sure the museum will find ways to attract younger members. In the near future I would like to put together some kind of presentation type deal to have displayed at train shows and the museum, showing what we offer as a railroad, and to our volunteers. It would include deals/discounts on different events, combo tickets, etc. as well as what there is for volunteers to do, and how they're time spent gets rewarded later on down the line.
Any how, there are many names here I don't know or recognize. For those who don't know me, I started at the WW&F Ry at the age of 14 as a one time community service project for school. I had bugged my Dad, Mike Fox, about going to help for some time. After that one day, we were hooked and I tried to stay a somewhat regular volunteer since. At age 22 almost 23, I now work for a railroad in Maine and due to being on call 24/7 for now, my time at the WW&F is almost 0. I miss it very much and look foward to returning in the near future.
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Joe, what railroad in Maine might that be?
Not the former airline?
What is your position? Low man on a railroad totem pole is a tough place to be.
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It is indeed the former air line. I am a conductor workin on the spare board for now. Hopefully I can hold a five day week job in a year or so.
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As one who well remembers the real Pan American World Airways, it is a tough pill to swallow, watching the current iteration creaking down the rails. From the China Clipper flying boats of the 1930s to the Boeing 747s of the last years, who would have thought that such a legendary company would morph into a regional freight railroad?
Amelia Earhart was one of the founders of Pan American. That's why Tim Mellon donated money to and volunteered time with the group that has been searching for Earhart's plane out in the Pacific for lo these many years. Only this week a suspicious image was discovered in the sonar photography done last summer by that group. A spokesperson confirmed to me last summer that volunteer Tim Mellon of their group was the same Tim Mellon who now owns the Pan Am Rail System. If they indeed find Earhart's plane, he will be able to tie into it in some way or other. (never leave any tern unstoned).
You may find yourself involved in one of the discoveries of the Century.
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When I returned from Poland in 1991 afteer a railfan trip over there, we flew back on Pan Am just a few weeks before they quit operations.