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Re: Siege Mentality? (was Re: RTM 19th Century Treasures)

James Brook wrote...

> What percentage of this income is the interest free loans and what
> percentage is donations?

Last year there was $15,660 received in loans.

> A company can't survive on interest free loans
> because you will have to pay them back eventually.

Thats true, but the major portion of the loans are regarded as long term.
The members with the highest level of loans sign a form for the accounts
each year stating we do not intend to call in our loans in the next year.
This allows those loans to be shown as long term, rather than current
liabilities in the balance sheet.

> As for the donations,
> if there isn't any real progress within the next few years then many
> potential donors may simply say "what's the point?". I was looking back
> through my issues of Railway Digest (looking for something else that's
> completely un-related) and in the April 1997 issue on page 40 I noticed
> a breif report about Dorrigo and in it, it says "The Dorrigo Steam
> Railway and Museum continues earthworks to level the site for its static
> display area so the sidings can be extended to hold its large collection
> in readiness for its public opening." If you still haven't progressed
> beyond the basic earthworks in at least 3½ years, is this really going
> to attract potential donors when there are other much more successful
> museums and tourist railways out there?

We have been raising money in this method for over 20 years, and there seems
no reason to beleive its about to stop. It took about 2 weeks to raise the
money for the tank, so the enthusiasm is still there.

You have not seen the extent of the earthworks we are undertaking. The cut
is now over 20 feet deep. We need to move about 300,000 ft^3 of dirt for
each siding. We have finished several stages and laid the sidings (and
filled them). We are nearly ready to lay more track. All this is being done
within the 'no weekend work' deict from the local council, so it only
happens when our qualified bulldozer/scaper drivers are available during the
week.

Trevor









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> - James Brook -
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