Volunteering

Like almost any other museum, the East Troy Railroad Museum exists because of its volunteers. There is a Volunteer Log book that shows a rough approximation of how many hours are put in.  The 1997 total was just under 14,000 hours, which translates to the equivalent of seven full-time employees. Counting the unrecorded work, the office and background work, that means 14 or 15 full-timers. No small museum budget could hope to cover that, so it remains to the volunteers to get it done.


Volunteers visiting between runs


A volunteer welds signal bonds at Highway 20


Scott Stankovsky and Andy Witkowski build the Elegant Farmer Station platform, 1993


Volunteer Jack Franklin paints the Elegant Farmer Station shelter

   The variety of tasks in the operation of a museum/shortline is amazingly wide. From answering the telephone to operating the freight locomotive, many different kinds of people using many different kinds of skills come into play.
    What all of them have in common, though, is a desire to see things happen. This is the basis of the motivation that brings them out to the line and keeps them coming back regularly. They all know that whatever their time contribution, it’s needed to keep the line alive and growing.

    Some view their volunteer time as an opportunity to expand their skills and life experience. Many arrive with a skillset that they expect to use, and instead wind up assisting less-experienced workers while broadening their own skills in other fields.  It’s instructive to look at the career backgrounds of some of the regulars:

  • A former Air Force aircraft mechanic often finds himself doing small, fussy woodworking jobs (of which there are always plenty).
  • A mainframe computer expert is usually seen atop the line car working on the overhead, when he's not crewing on the dinner trains.
  • A university professor delights in rewiring PCC’s.
  • A UPS handler is often at the controls of the front-end-loader and other maintenance machinery.
  • A CPA is one of the primary work- and freight-train engineers.

The list, needless to say, goes on. Every one knows that they are doing important work, keeping this valuable piece of history alive. All have time constraints, of course; not every volunteer can put in 150 days a year (as some of the retired ones may). Some can only find time for one day a month.  But all like the work. It is involving, challenging, and very satisfying. There are ways individuals are singled out for recognition in the volunteer events throughout the year, but any one of the honorees would quickly tell you that they don’t do it for the cheers of their peers. They get all the gratification they need by simply accomplishing something they know is important.

    That’s how it is. People can see the need, and find it interesting, even fun, to answer the call.

    On just about any weekend, stop on out and visit the East Troy carbarn. Talk to one of the volunteers. You, too, have a skill that can be put to good use, and some interesting, involving, and rewarding task awaits you.

   Or, call us at 262-642-3263 and ask about getting involved.

See you out there!



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Last Update: Last modified: June 27 2007 17:57:07.
All of the material in this site, except as specifically noted, is copyright 1998-2007
by East Troy Railroad Museum, Inc.
PO Box 943, East Troy, WI 53120-0943
Information: 262-642-3263
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.