Shunting Ideas Around: Reflecting on the ITM Situation, & Lessons to Learn from the ITM
Welcome back to Shunting Ideas Around, the editorial series of The Occasional Express.
Today, I want to reflect on what is (arguably) one of the most historic moments in US Rail Preservation in the 21st Century, but... not for good reasons. The ITM's Fall from a well established museum to a state of disarray and in flux (at least in the public's eyes) did not happen over night. This' a topic I've been meaning to cover for a while, but haven't yet (this' actually my third attempt to write an editorial on this topic). The ITM situation is very complicated. Allow me to try and offer my thoughts. (Disclaimer: This article may appear similar to an article published by Trains Magazine, any similarities are unintentional).
If you want to, you can go back and read the article The Future of the ITM, but in a quick summary:
Today, I want to reflect on what is (arguably) one of the most historic moments in US Rail Preservation in the 21st Century, but... not for good reasons. The ITM's Fall from a well established museum to a state of disarray and in flux (at least in the public's eyes) did not happen over night. This' a topic I've been meaning to cover for a while, but haven't yet (this' actually my third attempt to write an editorial on this topic). The ITM situation is very complicated. Allow me to try and offer my thoughts. (Disclaimer: This article may appear similar to an article published by Trains Magazine, any similarities are unintentional).
If you want to, you can go back and read the article The Future of the ITM, but in a quick summary:
In 2016 after 7 whistle blower volunteers were fired by the ITM (against ITM's own policy), they lost their track-age rights with the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, were accused of toxic spills, which the Indiana Department of Environmental Management confirmed, and they were evicted from Forest Park in Noblesville. During that time a plan to turn some of the line into a trail was proposed and is going through, which Save the Nickel Plate are trying to stop, as were the ITM until their eviction.
Meanwhile, a new heritage excursion railroad rose up in the area, which many supporters of the line and ITM accused of being a city backed replacement: Nickel Plate Express.
The ITM were evicted from Forest Park in 2018, lost a lot of their collection, and have been relocating to Kokomo and Logansport ever since. No word has been released since then, except that they are purchasing 5 miles of track from the Logansport & Eel River Railroad. There has been no word on their current relocation progress, or where they are at as an organization.
With their collection scattered to the wind, many people would say that the ITM is defunct as an organization. (A spreadsheet of the collection can be found online, a similar but less trustworthy list can be found on the ITM's Wikipedia page here. As far as I can tell, it is trustworthy.)
When I found out about the struggle between the ITM and the HHPA, it was simply a Rail vs Trail fight. I signed the Change.org petition, lobbied for the ITM, and sent several emails to local leaders. Unfortunately, the efforts of Save the Nickel Plate were not enough to save the line.
It was a massive blow for Indiana's Rail Preservation, and also the future of transportation in Indiana. With Climate Change becoming an even more serious threat, the destruction of an already in tact railroad line seems very foolish. Imagine a light rail commuter line that connected Central Indiana with the Capital, Indianapolis. Instead, another trail will be added to the hundreds of miles in Indiana.
But then it turned into a fight to preserve a museum. As someone raised with a negative perspective of Government, I admit I was biased towards the ITM: it was the fight of a bunch of big bad politicians vs a local museum. In late 2017, the situation went from bad to worse: when the ITM was evicted, I was shocked. More accusations flew out: That the city of Noblesville was trying to steal
In summary, the entire situation with the ITM and the line known as the Nickel Plate (not to be confused with the historic Nickel Plate Road that it is named after) feels like wasted potential. There was already a popular train running to Indianapolis, the State Fair Train, which easily could've become an example of light rail working. I remember reading stories online from ITM volunteers who said people rode the State Fair Train to get to work.
But who is to blame? Well, despite following the situation for a long time, I do not feel qualified to assign blame. There's a lot to go around. One thing I will say is that at some point in time, the relationship between the ITM and the HHPA, Fishers, Noblesville, (and to a lesser extent) Hamilton County, soured.
Which leads me to some lessons (that have been highlighted by others. For reference, please check out this Trains Magazine article on the topic).
Lessons Learned from the ITM
1. Own your own land.
I've seen several preservationists argue that the only way to ensure the safety of your collection and location is to be your own landlord. And following the fallout from the ITM's eviction, I have to agree with the claim. (Parallels have been made to the situation with the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust and the West Somerset Railway, which you can read here, though I feel making comparisons at this stage is unfair, because of the differences in the dynamics between the organizations. Still there are glaring parallels).
2. Keep Good Relations with Local Leaders.
As I said earlier, the ITM and the cities they worked with appear to have some unresolved bad blood. Which is very sad, because it was the work of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority who preserved the line, so that ITM would not have to bare the million dollar cost to buy the line. (For reference, check out this interview done by Save the Nickel Plate here). Unfortunately, the organization meant to help the ITM a few decades later would help with ITM's downfall.
In contrast, Nickel Plate Express appears to be doing very well with the cities of Atlanta, IN and Noblesville, IN, who they connect with. (Argument of NPE being a "city backed replacement" aside, they have shown how far good relations can go).
3. Ensure Good PR.
The ITM used to be well known because of their crown jewel, Nickel Plate Road 587. At one point, 587 was travelling around with the Norfolk Southern Steam Program, with titans such as Nickel Plate 765, Norfolk & Western 611, 1218, and Southern 4501.
And yet, when 587 was retired for her overhaul, the ITM fell into obscurity in the larger public eye, though was very prominent in Central Indiana thanks to the State Fair Train, which acted as its flagship excursion and main money maker.
Adding onto this, I refer to Lesson 4.
4. Increase Online Presence
Now, when I was first writing this editorial piece, the ITM's last Facebook post was their announcement of the cancellation of 2019's Polar Bear Express. I'm pleased to announce that ITM has been posting more on their Facebook page (a link will be below in the sources).
I applaud their efforts to post more consistently, and encourage the ITM (and other organizations) to increase their online presences. A good way to do this is to use one or two hashtags (too many will clog up your posts) and to use several platforms.
A few good examples I would recommend copying are the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (who have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), The Illinois Railroad Museum, and the American Steam Railroad.
Having one platform can be risky, for example, Facebook is dying in popularity with younger generations, which could mean that the ITM could lose their base of support and contact with future visitors and volunteers.
Now, I currently only use two social media platforms (three if you include LinkedIn) so my opinion is, again, a little biased. With that said, I would recommend starting with Twitter, it's a pretty easy and user friendly platform, and easy to see how many followers you have. Plus, it's very easy to interact with fellow nonprofits.
Which is something else I would suggest regarding online presence: interactions with fellow nonprofits. It's always fun to see the FWRHS comment on a Fire Up 611 or Nashville Steam post. Interactions like that are fun and good PR. However, it is not a place to advertise yourself (as ITM did on a post for Nickel Plate Express, which while I initially thought was funny, in reality comes off as unprofessional and spam-my).
Speaking of other organizations....
5. Build Connections with Fellow Nonprofits
While interviewing the ITM's current Chairman, Les McConnell, he mentioned other groups not "giving us money to move," essentially, he talked as if no one had helped the ITM. Which is definitely not true, given that the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation helped rescue 587 from Forest Park.
In summary, I feel (but again, I cannot say certainly, since I am not a part of the ITM, this' simply an outsider's perspective) that the ITM has been isolated from the larger preservation community. Now, again, I am not the most experienced with the Rail Preservation community (not out of disinterest, more my situation has not allowed me to participate more). With that said, I hear a lot at college about the importance of networking and having connections.
I'm not sure what opportunities there are for networking with Rail Preservation nonprofits, but I would recommend the ITM do so. Attend conventions, have trips to other Museums to see what they are doing, and work to rebuild their relationships, so if they have trouble again in the future, then they have people to lean back on.
For example, a few good organizations to network with would be the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (who have a shared topic of preserving the history and equipment of the Nickel Plate Road) and the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (who helped rescue 587).
Final Thoughts
While looking at the ITM's Facebook Page, I still see a lot of negativity and outright hostility towards the organization. There are still people who say that the ITM should disband (including a very strongly worded non-recommendation).
I personally have grown somewhat tired of the drama around the ITM, which's why I haven't written this editorial piece sooner. With that said, I do not have any bad feelings towards the ITM. I realize, having followed the organization and speaking to some former volunteers (who will not be named to protect their identities) that there is room for improvement, and I hope that lessons will be learned to ensure the museum survives for another 60 years.
Personally, I feel like the ITM needs a win of some kind. Perhaps getting enough funds raised to restore 587, or getting an excursion going. In any case, I wish the ITM the best, and I will continue to watch their progress towards rebuilding.
As for Nickel Plate Express (who are somewhat connected) I do not want to go into too much detail. Given the controversy that happened as they came up, I won't be visiting any time soon, due to questionable ethics surrounding them. If I do visit any organizations, it will be the FWRHS when Headwaters Junction comes up. Noblesville and Fishers have missed out on an opportunity that Fort Wayne is working towards making a reality.
Thank you for reading this editorial piece. What are your thoughts on the ITM? Let me know in the comments, but please be respectful with your opinions and to others. (Any hostile comments towards other people will be deleted).
For further reading, and to see the ITM's Facebook Page, please see the links below.
ITM Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/IndianaTransportationMuseum
Trains Magazine Articles
"Details and Lessons Learned from the Indiana Transportation Museum."
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/07/06-details-emerge-on-scrapped-rolling-stock-in-indiana
"Indiana Transportation Museum Closes on Purchase of Railroad."
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/03/05-indiana-transportation-museum-close-on-purchase-of-railroad
 |
| Nickel Plate 426 during better days for the ITM, when the State Fair Train still ran. By Jeremy C. Schultz - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6487386 |
With their collection scattered to the wind, many people would say that the ITM is defunct as an organization. (A spreadsheet of the collection can be found online, a similar but less trustworthy list can be found on the ITM's Wikipedia page here. As far as I can tell, it is trustworthy.)
When I found out about the struggle between the ITM and the HHPA, it was simply a Rail vs Trail fight. I signed the Change.org petition, lobbied for the ITM, and sent several emails to local leaders. Unfortunately, the efforts of Save the Nickel Plate were not enough to save the line.
It was a massive blow for Indiana's Rail Preservation, and also the future of transportation in Indiana. With Climate Change becoming an even more serious threat, the destruction of an already in tact railroad line seems very foolish. Imagine a light rail commuter line that connected Central Indiana with the Capital, Indianapolis. Instead, another trail will be added to the hundreds of miles in Indiana.
 |
| Nickel Plate Road 587 under restoration at Noblesville, that would never be completed. 587 is currently at the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation's Ravenna, Kentucky workshop. Source: By Jeremy C. Schultz - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6350413 |
In summary, the entire situation with the ITM and the line known as the Nickel Plate (not to be confused with the historic Nickel Plate Road that it is named after) feels like wasted potential. There was already a popular train running to Indianapolis, the State Fair Train, which easily could've become an example of light rail working. I remember reading stories online from ITM volunteers who said people rode the State Fair Train to get to work.
But who is to blame? Well, despite following the situation for a long time, I do not feel qualified to assign blame. There's a lot to go around. One thing I will say is that at some point in time, the relationship between the ITM and the HHPA, Fishers, Noblesville, (and to a lesser extent) Hamilton County, soured.
Which leads me to some lessons (that have been highlighted by others. For reference, please check out this Trains Magazine article on the topic).
Lessons Learned from the ITM
1. Own your own land.
I've seen several preservationists argue that the only way to ensure the safety of your collection and location is to be your own landlord. And following the fallout from the ITM's eviction, I have to agree with the claim. (Parallels have been made to the situation with the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust and the West Somerset Railway, which you can read here, though I feel making comparisons at this stage is unfair, because of the differences in the dynamics between the organizations. Still there are glaring parallels).
2. Keep Good Relations with Local Leaders.
As I said earlier, the ITM and the cities they worked with appear to have some unresolved bad blood. Which is very sad, because it was the work of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority who preserved the line, so that ITM would not have to bare the million dollar cost to buy the line. (For reference, check out this interview done by Save the Nickel Plate here). Unfortunately, the organization meant to help the ITM a few decades later would help with ITM's downfall.
In contrast, Nickel Plate Express appears to be doing very well with the cities of Atlanta, IN and Noblesville, IN, who they connect with. (Argument of NPE being a "city backed replacement" aside, they have shown how far good relations can go).
3. Ensure Good PR.
The ITM used to be well known because of their crown jewel, Nickel Plate Road 587. At one point, 587 was travelling around with the Norfolk Southern Steam Program, with titans such as Nickel Plate 765, Norfolk & Western 611, 1218, and Southern 4501.
And yet, when 587 was retired for her overhaul, the ITM fell into obscurity in the larger public eye, though was very prominent in Central Indiana thanks to the State Fair Train, which acted as its flagship excursion and main money maker.
Adding onto this, I refer to Lesson 4.
4. Increase Online Presence
Now, when I was first writing this editorial piece, the ITM's last Facebook post was their announcement of the cancellation of 2019's Polar Bear Express. I'm pleased to announce that ITM has been posting more on their Facebook page (a link will be below in the sources).
I applaud their efforts to post more consistently, and encourage the ITM (and other organizations) to increase their online presences. A good way to do this is to use one or two hashtags (too many will clog up your posts) and to use several platforms.
A few good examples I would recommend copying are the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (who have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), The Illinois Railroad Museum, and the American Steam Railroad.
Having one platform can be risky, for example, Facebook is dying in popularity with younger generations, which could mean that the ITM could lose their base of support and contact with future visitors and volunteers.
Now, I currently only use two social media platforms (three if you include LinkedIn) so my opinion is, again, a little biased. With that said, I would recommend starting with Twitter, it's a pretty easy and user friendly platform, and easy to see how many followers you have. Plus, it's very easy to interact with fellow nonprofits.
Which is something else I would suggest regarding online presence: interactions with fellow nonprofits. It's always fun to see the FWRHS comment on a Fire Up 611 or Nashville Steam post. Interactions like that are fun and good PR. However, it is not a place to advertise yourself (as ITM did on a post for Nickel Plate Express, which while I initially thought was funny, in reality comes off as unprofessional and spam-my).
Speaking of other organizations....
5. Build Connections with Fellow Nonprofits
While interviewing the ITM's current Chairman, Les McConnell, he mentioned other groups not "giving us money to move," essentially, he talked as if no one had helped the ITM. Which is definitely not true, given that the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation helped rescue 587 from Forest Park.
In summary, I feel (but again, I cannot say certainly, since I am not a part of the ITM, this' simply an outsider's perspective) that the ITM has been isolated from the larger preservation community. Now, again, I am not the most experienced with the Rail Preservation community (not out of disinterest, more my situation has not allowed me to participate more). With that said, I hear a lot at college about the importance of networking and having connections.
 |
| 587 running an excursion to Tipton, Indiana in 1991, a sight we will hopefully see in the future. Source: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US - nkp587, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74480295 |
I'm not sure what opportunities there are for networking with Rail Preservation nonprofits, but I would recommend the ITM do so. Attend conventions, have trips to other Museums to see what they are doing, and work to rebuild their relationships, so if they have trouble again in the future, then they have people to lean back on.
For example, a few good organizations to network with would be the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (who have a shared topic of preserving the history and equipment of the Nickel Plate Road) and the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (who helped rescue 587).
Final Thoughts
While looking at the ITM's Facebook Page, I still see a lot of negativity and outright hostility towards the organization. There are still people who say that the ITM should disband (including a very strongly worded non-recommendation).
I personally have grown somewhat tired of the drama around the ITM, which's why I haven't written this editorial piece sooner. With that said, I do not have any bad feelings towards the ITM. I realize, having followed the organization and speaking to some former volunteers (who will not be named to protect their identities) that there is room for improvement, and I hope that lessons will be learned to ensure the museum survives for another 60 years.
Personally, I feel like the ITM needs a win of some kind. Perhaps getting enough funds raised to restore 587, or getting an excursion going. In any case, I wish the ITM the best, and I will continue to watch their progress towards rebuilding.
As for Nickel Plate Express (who are somewhat connected) I do not want to go into too much detail. Given the controversy that happened as they came up, I won't be visiting any time soon, due to questionable ethics surrounding them. If I do visit any organizations, it will be the FWRHS when Headwaters Junction comes up. Noblesville and Fishers have missed out on an opportunity that Fort Wayne is working towards making a reality.
Thank you for reading this editorial piece. What are your thoughts on the ITM? Let me know in the comments, but please be respectful with your opinions and to others. (Any hostile comments towards other people will be deleted).
For further reading, and to see the ITM's Facebook Page, please see the links below.
ITM Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/IndianaTransportationMuseum
Trains Magazine Articles
"Details and Lessons Learned from the Indiana Transportation Museum."
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/07/06-details-emerge-on-scrapped-rolling-stock-in-indiana
"Indiana Transportation Museum Closes on Purchase of Railroad."
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/03/05-indiana-transportation-museum-close-on-purchase-of-railroad
Itm needs to man up and take accountability as far as rebuilding relationships they have soured in mine
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