Our Society is trying to save over ten railroad structures in Colorado and one in Wyoming. One of the problems we are having is from the railroads that want them demolished, one would think that there would be a desire on the part of the railroads to save these historic structures, if for no other reason than public relations. Ever station is over a 100 years old and does have history attatched to it, from the birth place of FTD, to one of the main narrow gauge carriers in the mountains. Yet for the most part the different communities love these old buildings and want them to remain, yet as stated above where they are byrail lines the carriers want to see them gone. Our organization (Rocky Mountain Railroad Heritage Society) believes that they can be saved and moved if we can get the major railroads to work with us. For one they are gone, they are gone forever!
One of the important 'key' principles here is to make personal contacts with decision-makers and 'key influencers' at the railroads involved, understand the railroad's perspective regarding the buildings and properties, and have well-developed, reasonably specific, written plans for how the properties will be transferred, used, and maintained in the future. There is a wealth of information on this subject on the "Interchange" forum at RyPN (which is often populated by professional-grade restoration and historic-preservation people). I suspect that a well-phrased and polite request over there would provide many good suggestions, and perhaps good relationships with people who can assist you more directly. Just be sure you have done all the 'homework' you can regarding applications for grants, nonprofit organization status for the people who will be taking title to the buildings, etc. BEFORE you start discussing how 'railroads' can help save these things.
To most railroads, stations and other unused or 'partially-used' structures represent primarily a risk and a cost, particularly if they are not recognized by an organization like the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Your job is to build plans for the railroad(s) involved that establish, or show people with authority at the railroad(s), how preservation suits their corporate purpose better than demolition would. (This is by no means difficult -- but it has to be done, and in detail, and with the right details, in order to be practical.)
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