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

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

Trevor Edmonds wrote:
> 
> For 1999/2000 the income was $93,343. We bought very little during the year.
> There were several purchases in 1998/1999 from an income of $227,932. The
> earthworks have been done with the museum's bulldozer, dump truck and front
> end loader, so the cost is the fuel & maintenance. We now have a scraper on
> site, which has helped speed things up. The big drawback here is the
> condition the local council placed on the development application which
> prohibits earthworks on weekends. We have to wait for a qualified driver to
> be available on weekdays.
> 
  
What percentage of this income is the interest free loans and what
percentage is donations? A company can't survive on interest free loans
because you will have to pay them back eventually. 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?
  
-- 
- James Brook -

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