As a museum professional who volunteers at a small railway museum I am sometimes dismayed at the lack of encouragement such museums get from "real" museums. Often the atitude is we are playing with a big train set. I will admit that much of it is self-inflicted by well meaning collectors gathering up any object that is even remotely connected to railroading. I once heard the suggestion that if it had been carried on a train then it should be in the museum (thankfully a short lived idea) Here in Smiths Falls the railway comprised a major part of the social fabric of the town for over a hundred years. Railroading was not just another industry, it was a way of life that was very different from the average person's. A museum is an ideal medium to interpret this special history. When I first volunteered at the Smiths Falls Museum I was surprised that none of the other volunteers in the group had any museum experience. I took it upon myself to get proper museum training, starting with a few courses, acquiring a certificate and eventually obtaining real paid work in another heritage institution. It is still an uphill battle but I am beginning to see daylight in terms of collection policies, management and programming. There is still a long way to go but I think that a specialized museum can tell a story just as well, and sometimes better than the more general museum. To this end I am always looking for ideas on how to make the Smiths Falls Railway Museum a better museum. Any suggestions would be welcome. Robert L. Vaughan Smiths Falls Railway Museum -- Robert L. Vaughan [log in to unmask] Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~bk681/index.html