Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm) |
Helping the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company MuseumGetting land, shipping locomotives across the country, moving and reconditioning buildings, building new buildings - the museum folks have been really busy here, and they've done a great deal of work without a huge cash flow. Based on what I've seen they really seem to be doing the best they can with the help they get.Because they have rightly emphasized preservation over presentation, they now have exhibits that are well worth seeing, but they don't have all of the things done that you would expect a better-funded museum to have. Some of that changed in August, 2008, when a team of volunteers converged on the museum grounds to add pathways, shade trees and other upgrades to the museum's grounds. Once again, the museum seems to have leveraged a relatively small investment into an impressive series of upgrades. Little Museum, Big Plans - The museum has been known to help with grant projects, though the page for that has been taken down. Still, through grants, some of the big-ticket items have already been done, and some of the items haven't been done yet. I'm thinking if you contact them, they can tell you more. A few fairly expensive items linger on the "not done yet" list. For example, they managed to get Shay 2147 at least somewhat restored, and that wasn't cheap to do right. Another August, 2008 addition, was painting the LRRR's name on the water tower, which will really help folks find the place. But many other things on the "to-do" list shouldn't be that expensive, and would add a great deal of interest and educational value to the site. The "Buy a Brick" program also shows your support. Again, the page for that has been taken down, but I'm sure if you contact them, they'll give you information. Another way you can help is by becoming a member. It's inexpensive and will help you keep aware of special programs and activities. And, of course, volunteers are always appreciated. At the moment there is a link to one-year and lifetime memberships on the home page. The Smoky Mountain National Forest gets more visitors every year than any other national park. When I'm anywhere near Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, I personally appreciate the opportunity to see an exhibit that really says something about the history of this beautiful natural resource. With the help of the model railroading and railfan community, the LRRR&LC museum could become an exhibit that educates hundreds of thousands a year about railroads and railroading.
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