Hi All
The recent editorial by Mr. Wrinn about the internet (see http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archiv ... g-emotions.)
is a long line of editorials and comments that do not help our steam community. Consider his previous writings before putting much weight into this one. In spite of the lives saved by the locomotive inspection act, think of the post by the author on the horrible loss of steam locomotives due to periodic inspections coming due. See viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28678&hilit=1472
After all, how dare we have safe steam locomotives when I need a picture for my collection. That attitude is self-serving and ignorant and shows a complete disregard of the dangers of steam locomotives and railroading deadly past. The clarification of the form 4 requirements in the current code resulted in the exposure the differed maintenance by many steam locomotive operators. This can be seen by the amount of boiler work done by various operations. One railroad operated a locomotive to the point the firebox sheets were bulging from the effects of both the erosion of thickness and the scale built up along the mud ring. The experts consulting for this operation “needed to go to South Africa to study water treatment”. Just how incompetent does someone need to be before they are called out?
Let me give you a situation that happened this year. A derailment that happened this year at a tourist RR where reports say they were shoving blind and ran thru a switch lined against them and then reversed movement over it. Apparently the conductor was too busy collecting tickets to protect the movement and the engineer shoved blind anyway. The reported response was the switch was never lined against us before. Fortunately, the switch was the problem instead of a little kid playing in the tracks. Do we call such behavior out? Do we say deep down they are really good people so we give them a pass? What is acceptable and what is not?
When people cannot take criticism then how do people grow and develop? Steam locomotives that we have today were developed over generations from the contributions of many people with different talents and abilities. I have heard people described as irreplaceable and I wonder how did they get to this position given the generations that have come before us. The self importance and hero worship this editorial indirectly promotes is very dangerous.
Many years ago (20+) I listened to the a RFE who was heavily respected by both the brothers and the management who would not express his low opinions on a legend in our business. I have heard a lot of negative stories over the years about that same crew. Yet you read magazines or the web they can turn water into wine. By having people in the industry who are placed on or off a pedestal because of the equipment they are associated with instead of their talents speaks more to our desires than their abilities. During the days of steam on the railroad the education process was a long program. Many of today’s operations do not have that same luxury of time. If we do not have peer review, what mechanisms can we use to develop the future of railroad preservation or do we even want a future for railroad preservation?
If there is to be a future for railroad preservation one of the needs is to bring in new talent and supporters. Humans exchange information by communicating with one another. If we want to grow and develop interest in railroad preservation, we have to reach our audience in ways that they want to be reached not just what is easy for us. The discussion forum is one way we can reach and engage with them if we choose to put in the effort. Today, too many operations do not see communicating as an important thing to do. How do you expect to grow and accomplish things if you do not communicate? A friend of mine quit donating to two operations because of the way they treated him solely as a money source. He stated the only time they call is when they want money. They never tell me what is going on. Keeping people in the dark does not allow people to explore their interest or express to them how to help the project. I was in Dallas in June 1995 visiting a well known property when I heard that SP 3420 had “bad springs”. For the record 3420 springs are in good shape. What had happened was someone who saw the driver springs under the firebox assumed they were bad because they were upside down to the others. They did not understand how the spring rigging worked. By figuring out who had said it I could educate them on how the spring rigging worked. Taking time to educate people is the most important thing we do.
An experience many of us have been the victim of is the you are not a member of our insider’s club. It is not only unhealthy but actually damaging many groups and our future abilities in preservation. By having the in click and the out siders you guarantee to the outside people that there are not needed. How big is your click have to be to support your organization?
In the end does each generation need to recreate the preservation wheel? This editorial shows to many have learned nothing from 1995 and the Gettysburg incident. Who is the next victim of the hero worship that this editorial promotes? Without open and public criticism how do we not only grow but more importantly self-police of ourselves so outsiders do not have a reason to further regulate us.

Robby Peartree

FRA and other regulations are minimal standards and allow for a wide variation in operating conditions and intensities of service. They aren't onerous or objectionable providing you manage them into your business plan and maintain a proactive rather than reactive position. The calendar is not hard to understand - you know when that 15 year deadline looms ahead. You have a good idea about what needs to be done when it happens to retain compliant conditions suitable for your operation thanks to the mandated inspections - there should be little opportunity for unpleasant surprises of the expensive kind. So, you can estimate and set aside sufficient funds to cover the cost in advance - if you are smart. It isn't rocket science, just a lower level of business competence. Anybody who can't deal with this should not be in a position of authority.

A little more than 50 years ago, Train Magazine had a similar editorial that Direct Distance Dialing shouldn't have been invented. Railfans who worked at places with unlimited or flat rate Long Distance telephone service were calling the editors who didn't have time in their workdays to answer the additional phone calls.

For railroad news, the internet has been a great, historic, wonderful good, we have message boards staffed by people like us whom we can find our news from and not be forced to rely on Trains and their rude arrogant yuppie staffers. This board, for example. I am still miffed about a particularly rude experience with a Trains staffer in my hometown of Toluca IL (along the Santa Fe main line) thirty years ago when I was a subscriber. I am now a subscriber to Railfan&Railroad, but I don't need to be to get railroad news.

I have subscribed to TRAINS since 1962. Do the math. I also have every issue back to the premier issue. I remember when a lifetime subscription cost $60. That's about what you pay for a year or two now.

Over the decades (IMO) it has morphed into a starry-eyed, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil rag that is unable and unwilling to call a spade a spade. There are a handful of phonies in this business, and a few people holding down jobs for which they are in no way qualified or suited. But you'd never know it by the gushing stories and videos those people get.

OTOH, it is more than willing to let it's forums fill up with foamer garbage posted by people who have no earthly idea about the subject they are addressing.

I agree, it does a disservice to those who ARE qualified and capable, who have long-established chops and who know better than to do something stupid just to call attention to themselves. They are overlooked or taken for granted while the shilling for the others is virtually nonstop.

The availability of the internet does not seem to have attracted many new participants to the railroad enthusiast hobby or railroad preservation. Recent visits to several organizations in areas where I used to live revealed the groups now have about half the turnout they had 30 years ago, and basically it is the same group of people less those who passed away, with very few new members.

In several groups that maintain discussion boards, the sites seem to be dominated by a small clique of insiders and are often more about using knowledge as a weapon rather than sharing it.

Everyone should be concerned about the direction the hobby/industry is headed, and particularly the problem of attracting younger people to the hobby.

PC

Elaborate, please.