My thoughts, and they are just that, are to suggest going to an Online
method similar to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute MRR club did
with their site. Offer a subscription on a monthly basis and allow
people to download what they need. For example I need plans of the
Norwood and Malone Junction NY stations. Do I feel compelled to
purchase a $45 CD without knowing what is on there? No. Would I pay
$20 and download just the two plans, yes.

This also goes to freight cars. I need information on NYC Coal Cars
for 1959-1960 that were used in Northern NY state. Another $45 for a
cd that may or may not be throwing darts in the dark?

I applaud the efforts of NYC HS as it stands but this digital method
may bring in more revenue for the group, and do so at a low cost. Plus
it would definitely increase awareness of what this group has and
offers. If manufacturers know the information is out there, they might
just seek it out and produce what we are looking for.

Alan


On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 4:57 PM, James Yaworsky<jyaworsky@...> wrote:

--- In STMFC@..., Richard Hendrickson <rhendrickson@...> wrote:

Other historical societies

(and not just those for the larger railroads) have either established
their own archives or contracted with existing libraries or museums
to store and catalog materials so that they are readily available.

[snip]
 What good is a historical society if its holdings are held

in disorganized limbo where they can't be accessed?

Richard Hendrickson

Richard, I totally agree with you, and you will be glad to learn the following:

From the NYCSHS website:

"The NYC collection of photographs is temporarily unavailable for purchase. The collection has been transferred to the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio for cataloging and archiving. Due to the overwhelming size of the collection, this is expected to take considerable time. After this activity has been completed, photographs will again be available for members of the New York Central System Historical Society, and to the general public at competitive rates. The collection has exhibited signs of deterioration in recent years, and the archival efforts of the WRHS will preserve these images for the foreseeable future."


And as has been noted back in this message thread, the drawing collection of the Society has been digitalized and is available.  Perhaps more has to be done to ease the process of getting copies of these drawings, but they are available.  This whole process is an immense task.

Jim Yaworsky






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