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Re: (erielack) Another surviving U-Boat

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


Ken Clark wrote:
> I doubt it.  The ELHS "don't preserve equipment" policy is what led to the creation of the ELDCPS.
> 
> Ken
> 
> KSmollin_@_aol.com wrote: I wonder if the ELHS would be interested in saving this one
> 
> http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/attachment.php?s=d058b48819060d23054fa9597
> 01d91b0&attachmentid=59392&d=1149521197
> 
> 

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