TOO MUCH STUFF. A new thread from the Walter Rich topic.

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:32 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

AMD4 & Richard, apparently your browsers don't support the <sarcasm> tag?

It's in the implementation queue, right behind the "like" button.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:40 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

AMD4 & Richard, apparently your browsers don't support the <sarcasm> tag?

I said something sarcastic in this thread??? Where?

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2014 1:52 pm

Sorry Bob. I most identify with Sheldon Cooper.
You got me. Bazinga.

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:11 pm

Richard Glueck wrote:

It's already been touched upon in this thread,but allow me to echo: share.

Something that always grates at me is when people have hundreds, if not thousands of slides and negatives of, say, the PRR from 1950 through 1968, and say, "Oh, that my collection. Someday I may do something with those". That stuff is invaluable to technical and historical societies, but kept in a steel box on the shelf, and nobody gets to use it. Rather than expect to finance your retirement on an island in the South Pacific, particularly is you're in your sixties or seventies, put the images online! You don't have to write an article, but somebody will use them to some positive advantage. GIVE IT AWAY!

Case in point revolves around a fellow who shot slides and Super 8 films of the CNJ, PRR, NYC, LIRR, LV, during the transition years of 1966 - 1973. He died a few years back at a senior residence. Most of the slides were saved. The films got tossed by people cleaning out what remained.

A mutual friend of ours is now scanning the material for donation to a prominent T&HS. Amen!

So true. When I was working on my book material, most of the photgraphs came from a friend who had done a couple of books on Chattanooga railroad history years ago. He self published and only had a very limited number of copies printed. He was more than happy to share his negatives for the project.

On the other end of the spectrum, I purchased some papers and items related to the Western and Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia from a collector in St. Louis. He had inherited his uncle's collection years ago and had health problems. Over the years he had tried to get his kids and family interested in the collection but to no avail. I found him through a listing he had on eBay (of all places) and after developing rapport with him, bought as much as I could from him. I am certain that he sold the items for less than full market value, but profit wasn't the point. The point was to get as many of the items out of the house so that they wouldn't end up in an estate sale, since he realized that I understood the significance of the items.

That said, one of my projects will be going through the collection and identifying what should go to which institution. I have some items that I know ought to go to the Georgia State Library, as they would be most significant in their collection.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

what got thrown away?

I have back issues here of Trains/Railroad back to the 40's. that includes MR/RMC/Model Craftsman/Traction and Models...

T&M has not been digitized, I don't know if anyone out there has tried to archive it digitally.

It does take room, but not all the internet has whats in these volumes of mags.

Google has been doing these online books, but again not all books are getting online.
Issue like copyright.

Some people may not be able to jungle thru all that info, but it might be better off handing to a library who may be able to sort it out and have the time to do it since thats what they do, but you have to find the right place (library) to accept it, or maybe an NRHS society or whomever. There may be some invaluable tidbits however reclusive they might be.

Someone making a model or checking on a prototype could be invaluable.
I found the Oregon Historical society had drawings for the 4 truck box cab because I found someone who wanted to build a model, and they didnt know they had the drawings till I asked them, so they dug, and VOILA, they had it!
Now a local model maker has made several handcrafted brass models of it and the steeple cab version. (North Shore version)

so you never know what gold mine you might have there.

JimBoylan · **Posted:** Sun Nov 16, 2014 8:34 pm

In a previous post, someone, possibly Mr. Mitchell, gave his opinion about the lack of value in old "Railroad Magazines". The antique shops haven't yet read that doom and gloom post. I just saw that in the old washing machine mill at 2nd & Bridge Sts., Columbia, Pa., early 1940s "Railroad Magazines" wrapped in cellophane, are $5 per issue. If you have to ask the price of older issues, it isn't worth their trouble to take them out of the vault!

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Nov 16, 2014 9:16 pm

JimBoylan wrote:

In a previous post, someone, possibly Mr. Mitchell, gave his opinion about the lack of value in old "Railroad Magazines". The antique shops haven't yet read that doom and gloom post. I just saw that in the old washing machine mill at 2nd & Bridge Sts., Columbia, Pa., early 1940s "Railroad Magazines" wrapped in cellophane, are $5 per issue. If you have to ask the price of older issues, it isn't worth their trouble to take them out of the vault!

Get back to us when they actually SELL for that price. Ditto anything offered at inflated prices at eBay or Amazon.