B&O Museum controversy

[Hedron]

Strategic (or is that tactical?) decision to broaden their base of potential for significant grants and large donors. Nonprofits have to work hard to stay relevant. Sentimentality won't pay the bills. And not every museum has a generous endowment like Age of Steam Roundhouse....and even they chose a name much broader sounding than what started it, Jerry Joe Jacobson's Retirement Hobby.

[learmoia]

They might not be IRM, but they're far from the worst.

Speaking of IRM....

Originally called the Illinois Electric Railway Museum, ..............In March 1962, it was renamed to the Illinois Railway Museum to reflect its expanding scope.

They're doing OK with the name change..

[johnb]

Speaking of IRM....

Originally called the Illinois Electric Railway Museum, ..............In March 1962, it was renamed to the Illinois Railway Museum to reflect its expanding scope.

They're doing OK with the name change..

The SCRM was originally the Orange Empire Trolley Museum then became the Orange Empire Railway Museum.

both (at that time) changed one word, but kept the rest of their identity...they didn't abandon it....well, the Southern California Railway Museum eventually did

[sirenwerks]

I agree with Hedron. As a former Baltimoron, someone who grew up on the OML, and someone who spent 20 years working in the museum and nonprofit sector, it’s a sound move that shouldn’t frighten B&O enthusiasts. It maintains its collection and sits in the, arguably, birthplace of American railroading. No one balks at the Baltimore aquarium being the National Aquarium so why should this be any different? Tactically, the name change makes it much re likely to absorb the collections of other struggling railroad history organizations and it can broaden its collection and funding scope. Maybe even become a Smithsonian outlet, more so than it already is. There’s only so much Mid Atlantic stuff left so…