Ray Cottingham <cttnghmrl@a...> recently wondered:
>I am not a modeler, but enjoy the Bulletin for its historical content. I
>agree with the person who earlier asked "How can a historical society be too
>historical?"
Well, Ray the first sentence kinda answered the question in part - for
those who are interested in _just_ history a historical society, by
definition cannot be too historical, I guess.. OTOH, the other part would
be not enough or specific info for modelers or others who became members to
acquire information other, or in addition to, just history. The TP&W
HIstorical Society was notorious for this.
As a sort or wrap up/synopsis of this topic then, I would say some got my
points and some didn't, though I tried to present them as plainly as I
could. Maybe some didn't want to get them as I noticed stock, knee-jerk
comments trotted out by some, as if some of my statements were just not
even read or ignored, sort of as I expected. These _I_ ignored.
So, it seems the status quo will be maintained until some fledgling author
steps up and writes the needed material. Of course, they will need access
to Society information to research their subject. Which kind of puts us
back to where we started - lack of info available regularly on wide areas
of interest, ensuring the greatest ongoing satisfaction to the largest
segment of members at any one time. Hmmm.
Maybe the answer to the problem is for all the resources in the Society's
archives be made available online or for copying/mailing similar to what
the NMRA's Kalmbach Memorial Library does for their members. At least if
someone needed to know something specific at some point in time, they
wouldn't have to wait who knows how many months or years to see if it might
show up as a data sheet, or in a bulletin, or if ever.
So that is my understanding of where the situation is right now - based on
my experience and the comments of those who resonded with salient information.
I thank all who took the time to join in this discussion in an intelligent
and gentlemanly fashion
At this point, this issue is probably best left pursued, if at all,
off-list. Thanks to all members for their patience, understanding, and
participation where appropriate.
Paul Kossart - Peru, Illinois, USA
NMRA, BRHS, La Salle & Bureau County Model Railroad Club
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Modeling the CB&Q & Illiniwek River Branch in HO - Circa early fall, 1969.
"Serving Agriculture and Industry in the Illiniwek River Valley since 1904"
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