Railroad Museum of Long Island happenings?

[RRChef]

Wow. I've been watching this thread for a few days now and I wasn't going to get involved because these conversations seem to go nowhere fast. I haven't posted anything here in quite awhile mainly because I've had two serious illnesses in the past year and wasn't feeling well but also because of the childish behavior of the posters who frequent the LIRR threads on this board for which I have no tolerence. It seems that once or twice a year a post appears about the lack of progress at RMLI. Maybe it's me, but it always seems that these posts appear "out of season", either well before or well after the planned work for the summer at RMLI is done. It could be a coincidence but I don't think so. As a former member of Project 39, the predecessor of RMLI, I am well aware of the infighting, feuds, grudges, and personal fiefdoms that have plagued this organization going all the way back to it's founder. I am also aware of what this must look like to an outsider. It leaves the door open for every loon or foamer who thinks they know better to voice their opinions. Everyone is allowed an opinion but as the saying goes "If your not part of the solution, you're part of the problem". Instead of focusing on what is wrong at RMLI, how about looking at a few positives. First, 39's boiler is at Strasburg. You can't ask for any better contractor to be involved. Second, Don Fisher is now the President of RMLI. While I don't know Mr. Fisher personally I know of him through others and through his informative and well thought out posts here. I don't think that the members could have made a better choice. Having said that, I now ask that everyone give him a chance. He shouldn't have to go back and repost all of his updates for the last year or so just because some are too lazy to do a search and find out on their own. If it's so important to know this information then join and become active.I had been intending to get active again but that was before I became ill. In the past I worked with Paul, Midwest Fred and others on 1556 and other pieces of equipment (by the way nice picture, Paul) Unfortunately, physical work is out of the question for me for quite some time. However, my mind and fingers still work. If Mr. Fisher or another member of the board would contact me(email is in my profile) I would be more than willing to discuss helping in any way that I can. One more thing before I put the soapbox away. Without pointing fingers at anyone, some posters here really need to learn how to write and how to use spell check. How do you expect to be taken seriously if your posts are full of errors of every kind and make no sense?

Peter Mantone

[Hauspiper]

It is not that I dont agree with the way the museum is going. Oh wait I do not, we are not a toy train museum. But I am the first person to always admitt pride in the museum. I have for many years supporting the preservation of W-85 since she is the last American Flyer car left on Long Island. But just to see the condition of the Watermill ping and the fact that they(RMLI board) just passed it over grinds my gears. BEDT 16, and C68 needs some company at the site. The Ping would be a perfect display car. It is a cab car, it is gutted and perfect for displays to clear out the clutterd gift shop and a display car is what we need. But this will fall on deaf ears. I would paint the ping myself if we got her. Just tonight there was an email about a stupid MTH G5 and to see if Little can get one as 39. intead of worring about a toy worry about our history and a car that should not be lost to the scrappers tourch, every one who was worried about the Ping Pongs in NJ and Knox and Kane in Pa why not save the best example and she is also on trucks in watermill. I love the Museum love Twin Forks more, but want to bring my kids to RMLI in the future.
MIke

[Dump The Air]

Everyone's got time to make (good) suggestions, but none to help make them reality?... There's many ways to volunteer, and they all don't require being on site swinging a hammer.

Then why don't you Otto?

Then why don't I what? "Volunteer?" Well, for one, I'm not the one making all the "good suggestions," I was asking if the people with the suggestions cared to get involved on any level. And second, I already volunteer with three museums/railroads. I've been a member of Rochester Chapter NRHS since 2000, where I have volunteered over the years in track construction, equipment restoration and operation. Now I live down here, so I edit and publish the monthly newsletter. Down here, I volunteer with the Catskill Mountain Railroad (volunteer No. 108), where I occasionally help with track and equipment restoration, but my energies were focused on building a new web site and designing new brochures for the 2008 season. I have also authored a couple of articles (Hudson Valley Magazine and Railpace) to get us some publicity, And third, I'm a member of the Railroad Museum of New England (member No. 1971), and I occasionally volunteer with track and equipment restoration on the Naugatuck Railroad. I also spearheaded the project to build a new website and I am currently co-editor of our new blog.

I'm also an Assistant Scoutmaster with my Boy Scout troop, and I think I have a 9-5 job in advertising, and I have personal commitments as well.

I personally have no vested interest in RMLI, though I do wish them success. If there was something they thought I could help them with, I would certainly see if I could accommodate them (or at least help them find someone who was better suited to help than I). But this isnt about me.

Is it?

Well that sounds dandy Otto, it's good to hear you have a life, so do the rest of us, but everyone has an opinion, those are free!

[Otto Vondrak]

Well that sounds dandy Otto, it's good to hear you have a life, so do the rest of us, but everyone has an opinion, those are free!

Hey man, I got no beef with you, but it sounds like you have one with me. So what gives? Everyone here is telling the RMLI what they should be doing. I am merely pointing out ways to help beyond tossing out suggestions. "Talk is cheap." There's merit in suggestions, to be sure... but you have a greater chance of seeing your suggestion become reality if you throw your shoulder into it. I think I also outlined many ways to "help" that don't involve spending your own cash or actually being on site doing the heavy lifting. No sir, your beef is not with me.

-otto-

[n2qhvRMLI]

Gentlemen,

The Strasburg November report is posted on the "Long Island Preservation News" thread.

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... a&start=75

I'm off to post it on some other Forums.

de Don n2qhvRMLI

[BMT]

Don, I can't speak for others here, but I enjoy RMLI and it's displays. Otherwise I wouldn't get involved in the resto projects. And IMHO, the HO scale display at Greenport is one of the finest model train layouts depicting LIRR in it's heyday that I've ever seen! That alone should be a reason to visit the Greenport site!

If/when RMLI has a fund raising for a barn or a shed count me in....My previous comments were in concern over the enormous man-hours that went into those particular restorations.

[Hauspiper]

For what it is worth, I was suprised to see the momument in memory of Ron Freeman on the Garden Railway that was one of his many projects that he brought to the museum during the early years including the roof on the North building . This is his legacy. Just like Don Bender and Lou Smith all left found memories for me about the museum and it's growth over the years. Dick Horn , Bill Rayonor, Rich Gordard and Tom Collins all added in good memories about going to Riverhead and having fun while doing something good. That is what RMLI was about. I hope and prey that it will be that way again.
Mike

[nyandw]

Folks, I may have missed it. The ping in a restaurant in Watermill. Was RMLI offered it, and did LIST offer to pay to move it? What happened? This would be a quality over quanity move for a start, IMHO. Thank you.

Best,
Steve

[Mr rt]

Otto,
It would appear that you & I have more in common then I thought.
I have put in significant time doing MOW work at a local museum, including operating a crane & working with a tie puller. In 2007 I was one of the top 10 operators at that same museum.
And I been involved many times on Boy Scout trips, including canoe trip in the Cramberry bogs at Riverhead.
I care enough about this hobby to get involved as much as I can in the preservation of it.

[JPR]

Re: "O" gauge at RMLI - FYI, no RMLI funds have gone toward the "O" gauge layout at the Riverhead site. The layout is an all volunteer effort which has attracted many families to the Museum, and has brought income to RMLI. The volunteers are RMLI members. Rolling stock has either been donated by the volunteer operators or by the Wilkinson Foundation, which makes such grants to rail museums all over the nation. The annual commemorative "O" gauge car sales have brought thousands of unrestricted dollars each year to the Museum. I am one of those "O" gauge volunteers, and although I live 65 miles from Riverhead and 85 miles from Greenport, I have also scraped, painted, and hammered in both places on projects that have nothing to do with model trains. I have also made many trips to the NYC Transit Museum assisting RMLI's President in delivering artifacts on loan to it, or in taking away items it has loaned to RMLI. Don't make light of efforts with which you are clearly not fully familiar.

[Nova55]

Ah JPR, Nice to see sombody else from RMLI here. So what projects have you helped scrape and paint the past few years? We probably worked together on one.

[JPR]

Interior shelving, stove movement, attic storage work and interior/exterior caboose restoration at Greenport, double decker surface blasting prep and interior library cleanup/classification at Riverhead.

[n2qhvRMLI]

Gentle Forum Members,

Please turn your attention to our RMLI "News and Events" webpage:

http://www.rmli.us/News_and_Events.html

We are pleased to begin a recruitment program for new Museum Volunteers in 2009. Thank you for taking a look and please consider spending some time with us this year.

de Don n2qhvRMLI