PRESIDENTS SOAPBOX
It has become interesting how much the Internet contributes to our information base and increases our contact with persons interested in Railroad History. A couple of recent incidents illustrate this very well.
For the first, some of you remember when Bruce and I were comparing the track diagrams of the Union Pacific Silver Bow which we had. My copy was from pre 1920, while Bruce's copy was from the 1930's, his copy listed an engine house on the inventory of structures but we could not find the location. In the course of an on-going E-Mail exchange with a correspondent in the United Kingdom who was soliciting information about the BA&P, he wrote that he had some current information about the Silver Bow yard. I sent him a copy of my blueprint and asked him if his diagrams showed the location of an engine house. As a result he sent me a copy of a hand drawn diagram as an e-mail attachment with the answer to our question.
More recently, our organization received an inquiry regarding the Victor branch. Happily, Bruce was able to provide the information requested.
We have also received several inquiries from persons who found us through our web site wanting to know more about modeling practices and techniques and others who want to know more about our operation. I even had a an inquiry about the old rolling stock which is located at Virginia City Montana. Now there is a story someone could pursue.
This brings us to where we are on our space development. In order to keep pace with an expanding public interest and improve our display to meet even our short term goals, we need to proceed with the ceiling project. We have the material on hand and no progress can be made on a railroad until the ceiling is completed and the room free of EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL. I suggest that it is imperative that we spend a minimum of two nights per month on the ceiling until that project is completed. We have scheduled some informational clinics which should remain on the schedule.
In review of the past year, although no formal count of man-hours was kept (Marti worked better than a man too), at least 500 hours were spent by members of the organization working on the space improvement alone, at least another 150 hours was spent on community projects including the Annual Railshow where the largest beneficiary was the Idaho Operation Lifesaver Project. In each of the last two years, our organization has donated $300.00 to the Operation Lifesaver Scholarship Fund for Idaho High School Students.
Let's continue working together again this year and make 1999 an even more productive year.