Re: (erielack) Another surviving U-Boat

[ELRRco_@_aol.com]

Dear Listers,
 
While Mr. Schultz makes a very well-reasoned argument, I must respectfully  
disagree with his point. Railroading is unique in that it is one of the few  
businesses that is romanticized by many despite the difficult labor involved in  
performing it, the tough relations between labor and management, and the 
always  contentious relationships between the railroads and the communities which 
they  serve.
 
Railroading is also very unique in that no other industry did so much in  
building the United States--and therefore the greatest world power in history.  
The banks didn't do it, the industrial giants didn't do it, the airlines didn't 
 do it, and the denizens of the internet didn't do it. The railroads did and  
as a result we have a duty to preserve as much of the history of these  
enterprises as possible.
 
It takes money, it takes time, and yes railfans are very thrifty with their  
time and their money. But when I hear stories from many  non-railfans who 
remember the Erie Lackawanna (but strangely not Conrail)  it tells me that in the 
rusting metal of a U34CH or the rotting wood of an old  DL&W caboose, that 
railfans and railroads have invaluable tools that can not  only capture the 
imagination of the young and old, but also provide the basis  for establishing a 
new generation of rail and business leaders that see the  value this industry 
can provide and assure that it continues to be a part of our  great nation's 
future.
 
Lets keep that future bright so that one day we might again see the  
railroads as true captains of American Industry as America continues to lead  this 
world. It may not seem that the routes of such greateness can come from on  old 
locomotive...but the William Truesdales, Graham Claytors, and John  Reeds of 
the future have to start somewhere.
 
Phil
_ELRRco_@_AOL.com_ (mailto:ELRRco@AOL.com) 
 

I'm sure  if someone wanted to provide the funds to purchase it, restore 
it and  house it the ELHS might consider doing so. Otherwise they are not 
alone in  choosing to not get involved in equipment preservation. I'm a 
member of  the NKPHTS (among many other societies, and it is about 
equally divided  who does and doesn't preserve equipment) and we aren't 
and don't care to  get involved preserving equipment either. We do 
provide supporting  donations to others who do preserve relevant equipment.

And what if  they did purchase it? Then what? To become another rusting 
hulk along with  the rest which were going to end up in some place like 
Phillipsburg? The  fact is trying to save everything possible is not 
practical or possible.  Too much which has already been "saved" is simply 
having its date with the  torch delayed. Railfans are by and large a 
cheap lot. Heck most of them  won't even buy a ticket for that rare 
mileage fan trip, but they will  chase it in their $30,000 or $40,000 SUV 
with a couple thousand dollars  worth of camera equipment. If it ends up 
loosing money for the sponsor, so  what, they got their pictures.

It's like the Erie passenger car which  was down on Long Beach Island. 
Have you ever lived near the ocean? I grew  up spending summers across 
the bay from the island. Have you ever seen  what a couple of years 
exposure to salt air does to unprotected metal?  That car will never be 
restored and from what the newspaper article quoted  the restaurant owner 
who purchased it saying what he intends to do with  it, I think it would 
be more merciful to let it end its life with some  dignity.

Too many amateurs are already involved with trying to preserve  
everything and anything. I don't use the term "amateurs" to mean people  
who aren't professional preservationists, I mean it as in rank amateur,  
people with big ideas and no practical way of having them come to  
fruition. All they do is bleed off scarce resources which would be  
better invested somewhere else.

It would be much better if  railfans, pseudo-preservations and historical 
societies start making a  more coordinated effort to stabilize what has 
already been "saved", rather  than every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to 
save their perceived holy grail  which is rotted beyond any practical 
hope of restoration. It would be  better to support the local, state and 
regional museums who do know how to  do it right financially and with 
sweat equity and who have people who  understand what is involved.

The ELDCPS is in my mind one of the few  bright spots in an otherwise 
increasingly bleak future of preservation. In  this instance the timing 
was right and the people with enough smarts to  get it done stepped up to 
do it. It has been successful in large part  because of the efforts of 
John, Tim, Paul and Mike. And if people offer up  the ELDCPS' efforts as 
an example and aren't a member or haven't donated,  then shame on you. A 
great deal still needs to be done and that great deal  requires financial 
support. So how about people ponying up? It is tax  deductible after all. 
do you even realize what a gallon, one single gallon  of paint costs? 
$200 is a reasonable starting place.

The ELDCPS  isn't alone, there are groups you don't hear much about but 
have been  working their tails off to properly save, restore and preserve 
railroad  equipment. I can think of two or three here in Central and 
Western New  York which come immediately to mind. Drop them a check, show 
them you  appreciate the difficult task and considerable effort they have  
expended.

Sorry to get up on the soap box, but I'm tired of people  always coming 
out with save this and save that. They always want someone  else to do it 
or at least have someone to point a finger at if it isn't.  If they want 
it saved so badly, why don't they start the ball rolling  themselves? 
Find out just how easy it is to do something like  this.

I'm not singling anyone out with my remarks, this is something  which has 
been bugging me for a while. Talk is cheap and talk doesn't get  
something saved and getting something saved doesn't get it restored and  
restoring it doesn't preserve it indefinitely. It all takes time, money  
and effort. It doesn't take talk. This doesn't only apply to railroad  
equipment either, there is a great deal of history in other forms people  
are letting fade into oblivion. You can't climb on it or photograph it  
though so how important can it be?

Will  Shultz






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