Re: [VIC] Stack Talk December 1999

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

Stewart Findlay wrote:

> Stephen Hurst wrote:
>
> > I only speak for myself here, but I am getting sick and tired of all this
> > serious crap (no offence intended to those expressing their opinion) just
> > bring on the trains :)  'Leave the managing to the managers, and the
> > consuming to the consumers'.
>
> A disappointing attitude Stephen - obviously you haven't read the article as
> you have completely missed the whole point. Remain just a consumer if you
> wish but when the steam does start to disappear then you can't blame the few
> who are left (putting up with increasing levels of time required to keeping
> preservation afloat) when we finally run out of people to continue our
> efforts!

I think Steven Hurst was referring to the fact I have made several criticisms
during the last few months of some of the current policies and/or attitudes of
the various preservation groups in Victoria.

> Too few people, with many who are becoming senior citizens, cannot continue
> with the current workload if all or many organizations will remain in
> existence. New blood is needed and the armchair critics and photogenic
> gunzels need to start helping or their hobby will disappear before  their
> eyes.

I agree, Steamrail and other groups like it need more volunteers to maintain
their locomotives and rolling stock. There are far too many armchair railfans
who sit back and let others do the work while they enjoy all the benefits of
mainline steam and historic diesels. Although I enjoy taking photos, I have done
volunteer work for the VGR and I am currently doing a little bit of work for the
CHTR (hopefully I can do a bit more during the next few months as I'm currently
on holidays. :-) )

> Sounds pessimistic? Maybe so but this is a fact of what is most likely to
> happen if new volunteers don't come forward.

It sounds realistic to me.

> In reply to David O'Hare's suggestion of the Healesville line - Steamrail
> Victoria is not a tourist railway operator and there are already too many
> tourist lines in Victoria. It doesn't stop us from working closely with
> other Tourist Railway operators but there simply isn't enough room for all
> the present organizations let alone a new tourist line operator! The
> "Lineman" comments are pretty accurate and are worthy of a read (Note -
> nothing to worry about SG in the remainder of Victoria).

Some groups should just give up. The best example is Healesville. All of their
carriages are derelict and are under constant attack from vandals, the condition
of their track is terrible, they don't have any steam locomotives operational
and their diesel locomotives only run occasionally. They are just wasting
resources that could be put into other groups like the VGR, CHTR, Steamrail or
SRHC. I think the time has come for some groups to look at themselves
realistically and ask themselves if they really have any hope of succeeding.

--
- James Brook -

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