the graying of RR historical organizations and how to change

Sun Jun 3 19:58:17 EDT 2018

I agree that today's rail fans and modelers are more in tune to the running of today,s freight operations and diesels, which I have no real interest in although I can see it daily from my front  porch.
Over the past fifty years, I have purchased or been given a lot of information on the steam locomotives, freight and passenger operations, and structures of the N&W and the N&WHS has been helpful 
in getting some of this information both the original and the current one.  I have found that in the past several years that the magazine holds no interest to me, it is for that reason that I will not be renewing my membership.
I still wish to support the organization and would like to suggest a membership status that does not include the magazine at a much reduced cost, similar to what the NMRA has done.  This has proven to be popuar
since it was instituted.  My interest is in the N&W prior to October 1955 which does not include diesels from the the year 1940 so I can have an unstreamlined J, which I like better than the streamlined version.

Kurt Kramke

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On Sun, 6/3/18, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

 Subject: the graying of RR historical organizations and how to change
 To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
 Date: Sunday, June 3, 2018, 11:31 AM

 It
 is far easier to sit back and pontificate from a computer
 and see and recognize the problems than actually putting
 something successful into place. Yes, it only belabors the
 obvious, but you can throw all the money you can find at it
 that you desire and still end up back at square one with
 little or nothing. PERIOD.
 Today's
 crowd of interest has little overall interest in historic
 steam perhaps just like the nostalgic stage coach or horse
 and buggy of the history books.
 They
 are digital oriented and into the NOW and immediate
 gratification, something that the internet provides them
 with with. Covered wagon diesel of first generation diesel
 interest maybe, but show them an SD-70 this that or the
 other that is operating somewhere RIGHT NOW and away they go
 and they send out their tweet--o-grams to all those, and
 more within their circle and then they send gratitudinal
 thank-yous all around for telling them about this that or
 the other train of the moment.
 Recognize
 that the organization from the inside out needs to change
 its mindset to better understand where this crowd is
 thinking and going and who, and then somehow (I don't
 know how to do this either), fill the seats on the BOD's
 and officer's posts with people of this age and group
 and mind-set. Make the average ago of the BOD's not 60
 or 70 but 35; yes, thirty-five years old and then you'll
 have a start, but as already stated, it's far easier
 said than done. Today's train chasers like to look,
 watch, see and tell their friends what they saw and missed
 but don't want the full-time involvement in
 organizations such as the N&WHS. And as stated at the
 outset it is far easier to identify the problem than fix it,
 for it permeates our society at all levels, not just the
 N&WHS, but likely just about every other RR historical
 society in this country.
 Maybe
 what is needed is to see how they do it and successfully in
 England or other places which have made the transition from
 what was and what was thought was the proper way to go, and
 what the realities of society's dictates today
 is.
 I
 can psychoanalyze this from now until doomsday, but the talk
 has to be translated to something else, and until that
 journey starts, it's going nowhere. Remember, journey of
 thousand miles begins with single
 step.
 Me.
 ? I see very little in chasing today's trains roaming
 the rails except for the occasional odd consist of some
 sort, but show me something historical, ba-ta-bing, you have
 my attention in an instant. Tourist train museums are little
 more than glorified petting zoos for trains, much like a zoo
 with all its animals in cages.
 How
 many RR's still care to let the animal still roam wild
 as it was originally designed and meant to do, roam the
 rails free and unhindered? UP, a few times a year, D&RGW
 NG out of Chama and Durango are fine examples, NS
 occasionally with the 611, 4449 once in a while and a few
 others here and there. Some RR's have an absolutely NO
 policy towards steamers, even dead in train on their own
 wheels to set foot on their rails. A few museums are
 fortunate to have large land-holdings and can operate longer
 distances, like Illinois RR Museum, but those are few and
 far between.
 The
 historic aircraft which operates those few still operable WW
 II B-17 or B-25 around the country - look at how much they
 charge for that thrill of a lifetime that their parents and
 grandparents and the so-called greatest generation
 experienced first-hand so we could even be writing and
 exchanging messages such as these today's seen. Some
 countries don't even permit THAT, think about it for a
 moment ........... well, maybe not.
 The
 mindset needs to change and be changed or we and our kind
 will be relegated to the dodo bird and a lot sooner than
 than you think.

 Dr.
 Bob, age 71 and not getting any
 younger

 To all,

 The perception of the photograph is an accurate reality of
 our society and many other similar organizations.  I would
 venture to say that, at age 47, I am one of the youngest
 members so it is hard for me to disagree. This matter has
 been recognized by the Board of Directors and Officers. 
 During the past year and a half, we have taken new actions
 to be more attractive to people of an age that actually
 remember the N&W and, most importantly, the 18 to 30
 year old crowd.

 The aforementioned actions include a greater presence at
 model train shows, advertising the society and commissary in
 Model Railroad Hobbyist, embracing Norfolk Southern and
 including model railroading under the society umbrella. The
 latter of these actions are in their infancy and we deduce
 that in order to attract the 18 to 30 year old demographic
 we must ?dangle a carrot? and the carrot is model
 railroading and Norfolk Southern.  It shall be stated that
 despite rumors, our society will not switch its sole focus
 to model railroading and Norfolk Southern nor has such an
 idea been entertained. 

 Remaining relevant to our sole mission of preserving the
 history of the N&W and we ?senior? members is equally
 critical. The Board of Directors decided to produce The
 Arrow in house with Ken Miller at the helm. One  goal with
 doing such is to have more engagement from the members in
 the form of articles, articles of someone?s recollection on
 the mainline, equipment, structures, etc., anything that
 pertains to the history of the N&W.

 These actions will require work on behalf of all of the
 Board of Directors and Officers.  Each director and officer
 has their strengths and each have been tasked with
 particular areas of focus based on such so we can move
 forward.  Will it happen overnight? No.  We are all
 volunteers and have regular jobs and families that take
 priority. However, each individual has the desire to
 accomplish the goals that lie before us.

 To conclude, the society has begun a capital campaign
 drive.  Funding is needed for the aging archives building
 that is need of repairs and is also becoming quite small for
 our needs.  It is our hope for a new archives building in
 the future. This campaign has begun with the simple step of
 selling ?Clear Block to the Future? shirts which will be a
 modest start.

 Please do not hesitate to contact the officers and directors
 with any suggestions.  We welcome all ideas.

 Regards,

 Todd
 Arnett, President

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