Posted on behalf of the new chairman of RYPN, Mark Bassett

Events sometime conspire where a small incident can go from a molehill to Mount Everest in a heartbeat. RYPN experienced that last week. A small event, the removing of posts by the moderators followed by the threat of a lawsuit, led to the “permanent” shutdown of the board.

As events unfolded, no one thought that the moderators doing their job would lead to such a meltdown but it did. I’m not going to go into who did what and who said what because that misses the huge issues hanging over our heads like the Sword of Damocles .

The Rail Heritage community faces immense challenges in the next decade. If these challenges are not addressed, then in twenty to forty years there will only be three to four pools of steam left in the country. And as a corollary, massive amounts of our heritage will have been cut up and scrapped because they were an eyesore and no one stopped the do-gooders, who were cleaning up their favorite park. Or maybe the do-gooders will go after the steam locomotives because of the pollution they create. Where will the voice of reason be that says, yes steam locomotives pollute, but lets get real so does your automobile. The number of operating steam locomotives has been declining where the number of automobiles has skyrocketed to the moon.

Least you think I am a pessimist; nothing could be further from the truth. I am an optimist. I believe these challenges can be met and that the Rail Heritage field can have a very bright future. But this will only happen if there is a place for the exchange of ideas and discussion. I believe RYPN is that place and that it is vital to the future of Rail Preservation.

We have all learned from the events of the past week. RYPN is now stronger and better. As we move forward, we need to address our challenges. That was why RYPN was created. As the Interchange opens, I ask that you focus on the issues of rail preservation and not start a thread about the past week and who said what to whom, if you need additional information or have questions PM me.

As you enter RYPN you’ll see changes and improvements. This only happened because of the combined efforts of many people, who stepped forward, to all of them THANKS.

Mark S. Bassett
Chairman, RYPN

I'm glad the board is back. im on my 7 days of midnights, so I'm always out of sorts. I did't know what was going on until the board was gone. I hope we can move past whatever happened, and this site doesn't turn into a National Enquirer toilet like the Chaski site did. This is a great place, lots of info, and Bobbars great pics. Thanks for bringing it back!

In keeping with Mark Bassetts above message please allow me to say thanks to Mark and the others who helped reactiveate this important forum.
I agree that we all need to do everything possible to strengthen and promote our industry so that it has what's needed to survive long term.
Ross Rowland

All we have is each other if our efforts are seen as only a hobby and without much significance by the general public.

Good morning Forum Members,

Thank you to those who have sorted it all out and brought the Interchange back to life. Upward and onward in our efforts at Rail Preservation.

Thanks again,
de Don n2qhvRMLI

Welcome back RYPN. They say "you don't know what you got 'til its gone", and in this case truer words have never been spoken. Let us all appreciate this great resource and put it's common good above any individual.

Mark & Co.

Thanks for bringing RyPN back on line.

Wesley Paulson
National Capital Trolley Museum

I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for righting what had been a great wrong.

My darling wife sincerely thanks you all from the bottom of HER heart for sparing me from having to volunteer to take over the whole d**ned thing myself.

I have been a member for over a year but have never posted. I regularly check the site for information on preservation activities. I was certainly shocked and disappointed last week to discover the RYPN had been closed down. I am very greatful to the courageous and beneficent new board members and chairman. I am also greatful to the past officers for maintaining such a great site for so long. I bet there are a lot of folks like me, the "silent majority" out there that derive a great deal of benefit from this site. I am the Harrisburg Chapter NRHS Historian and a volunteer trainman, fireman, brakeman, conductor, engineer, DSLE, and anything else needed on the Milk & Honey.
Thanks and Welcome back!! Charlie High (my real name!)

I can't say enough good things-about this website, about its founders, or about its new chairman.

The website: it's unparalleled. It's my first stop of the day (after checking Jean Luc Ponty's website-he's my favorite musician) and I stop in repeatedly.

The founders: I can't thank you enough for what you put together. The knowledge and the passion are unequaled.

The new chairman: I have read Mark Bassetts's articles and repeatedly my reaction is "wow". Mark really understands both tactical nuts-and-bolts issues and he also has the most articulate understanding of how our passion can and should be relevant to the greater world.

Bravo on all fronts!

I posted the first bit of this thread several weeks ago as our board came back on line.

At that time I had to post it with out access to the administrative email account. It was once a "sticky" firmly stuck to the top of our threads.

Now, we have been up for several weeks. I am removing the sticky and letting the thread fall of its own weigh within the body of our discussions.

Thanks