The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-20
RAILROAD NEWS.
Great Railway Museum Is Needed
in This Country Today.
Demand for Different Types of
Equipment and Supplies.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY
Man or AssOciatfOnCOuId Become
Famous at Once.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

The first real development of the
IDEA OF railway museum, and of the
broader idea of a historical museum
of transportation in all it's forms, was
IN connection with the department of
transportation exhibits of the Worlds
Columbian exposition at Chicago in
1893, says Railway Review. Prior
to that time, transportation had
only been represented in ex-
hfbitions by attending exhibits in 9TH
er departments of industry. The same
was true of museums, with the excep-
ton that there was a wonderfully COM
plet0 and valuable, privately owned,
winch was brought to Chicago in its
intirety and displayed in the German
section in the transportation building.
There were a number of interesting
early locomotives and other relics in
the South Kensington Museum in Lon
don, and some in the National Museum
at w Wash1ngton. There were some naval
and merchant marine collections in
Spain, France and England, but moth
ing at all complete or systematic.
The inspiration Of the Berlin Museum
came from the Chicago exhibition, and
that of the Japanese project had the
same origin, and was further Stimu-
lated by what was done at the st.
Louis Worlds fair in 1904 There have
been sporadic sessions of similar
propositions in Great Britain, and con-
some of the most valuable railway relics
in the world were allowed to leave that
country having been purchased for the
Chicago exhibition. An important in
cident is that there are left only two
of the iron trucks Cor wagOns) which
were the first ever drawn by steam.
They were at Merther Tydhl in Wales,
and were part of the train drawn by
Trevethick's first locomotive, some
years before Stephenson's time. Ger
secured these. tORAfher
with sections of the original cast iron
rails and stone stringers, and the
Worlds Columbian exposition secured
the other. We believe that some relics
of the track only are still in England
There never was a better oppOrtuni-
ty for a man of large means to do a
great thing for the public and to per-
petuate his own name than is now
offered by the idea of establishing a
great railway museum in this coun-
try.
We have in this country a fairly
adequate supply of museums of nat
and art, and about all the public IL
braries there is any demand for. Uni
versities and colleges abound, and
technical schools multiply and -four
ish. But there is no great institution
of engineering history and investiga-
ton It is the one great opportunity
open to the man or men of means
who appreciate what engineering sci
less field for investigation hardly yet
opened, and the tremendous economic
results which in turn would inure to
the physical, intellectual and moral
benefit of mankind. A splendid start
lin the historical section is ready in
that B. & o. collection now lying idle
in a warehouse; and as for engineering
experiment and investigation, the fields
are white for the harvest all around
US. Every engineering and technical
laSSoeiaffOn would eagerly cO-Operate
and nightly rejoice.
That such an institution would pre-
ferably be located in a great indus
trial center like Chicago goes without
saying. We believe private institu-
ton to be best if the money can be
had because the government has so
large a field of activities. The state
universities are, some of them at least,
showing a. comprehension of what
should be done in technical investiga-
ton as well as instruction. The plans
of the University of Illinois are broad
and comprehensive, and it is making
good progress in securing the necessary
financial support from the state The
B. & o. historical railway collection
would be of great value in that in
Istitution if properly housed, augmented
and maintained. Such an institution,
however, as we have suggested, would
supplement and cooperate with the
technical schools, and in addition have
a great and direct educational effect
upon the nublic, of inestimable value.
The public needs to know how the rail-
way came about, how it has developed
and created the modern world, and
what it now means to daily existence
and to all agencies of uplift.
Where is the man or woman of large
means acquired in some connection
with transportation who will establish
such an institution? The door Of OPP
Iportunity never stood more widely
oman