The answer varies greatly, of course, as we saw at a short ceremony on Friday to mark the start of construction of a new $4.8 million railway museum.

The formal shots – complete with the obligatory [brand new] shovels, smart new museum caps and signage at the Railway Institute site on Havannah Street – had five people in them.

Three were representing Bathurst Regional Council with one each representing the state and federal governments.

And that was roughly the breakdown of money contributed to the project – though very roughly indeed.

Council is by far the largest contributor, tipping in $3,432,170, so it’s perhaps only fair they got three faces in the shot.

The feds contributed roughly (very roughly) one-third as much as council by tipping in $965,250, so Mr Gee has paid for his appearance, but it must be said that Mr Toole earned his spot at a bargain basement price of just $413,180.

But what of Paul and Bonny Hennessy, whose gifting to council in 2015 of a model of the Bathurst to Tarana railway line got the museum up and running in the first place?

Their generous contribution (and the only contribution funded from their own pockets) earned them only a seat at the sidelines and acknowledgment from each of the speakers.

But at least they didn’t have to pick up a shovel.

For all the predictable stage management at Friday’s ceremony, though, Bathurst has good reason to be excited about this project.

While the project cost has climbed from the $2.4 million forecast in 2016 to the $4.8 million announced on Friday, the museum is sure to become a great cultural asset for the city.

Just as revheads from across the country are drawn to the National Motor Racing Museum, train spotters are expected to descend on our new rail museum to learn about Bathurst’s railways history and to honour former prime minister and engine driver Ben Chifley.

There will also be an education centre that provides another unique reason – along with the Chifley Home and Bathurst Goldfields – for school groups to pay us a visit.

Bathurst is much more than just a race track, and our new railway museum will simply be further proof.