How far we've come...

Greg U. · **Posted:** Thu Jan 13, 2005 4:38 am

I recently picked up a book on eBay called "Railroading from the Head End" by S. Kip Farrington, Jr. The book was written in 1942 and is all about exactly what the title says; moving trains over the road from the cab of the engines that powered them. It is an excellent book and I suggest picking it up if you can find it.

There was a part of the book that struck be quite hard. The Forward was written by a man Col. J. A. Appleton. This is what it says (in part):

"Since the operation of a war is perhaps the most complex of all the businesses that man has fashioned, it is understandable that to the average layman, and, for the matter to the average participant, many of its elements are a complete mystery.
"Because of the importance of victory, the majority of the operations of our transportation services must be veiled in secrecy. But when the victory is won, and the history of the war is written, one of the most significant chapters will concern transportation.
"Little can be said now about the wartime operation of our railroads without revealing "military secrets." But if you, Mr. American Citizen, find your patience tried by train schedules somewhat awry, if you are irked because you can't take a pleasure trip, if you are annoyed because you can't get a "lower," or even an "upper," just stop and think: Those schedules are slightly awry at times in order that fighting men and their equipment can be moved into battle.
"Winning the war is America's one really important job, and the railroads are doing their gigantic part of the job in great style-and with astonishingly little inconvenience to the general public of a nation at war"
J. A. Appleton
Colonel, Transportation Corps, U.S.A.
Chief, Rail Division

Why have I brought this up and found it so interesting? I, as part of a "younger" generation, have had the internet at my fingertip for much of my life. Back then, even schedules were secret. Now, I can e-mail or AIM someone 4 towns over and let them know that NS train whatever has just past through and on its way. The world has changed.

On this very board we discuss preservation of rail all over the world with people from all over the world. The knowledge here is better, for what I am interested in, than the library. On here I can find out how to rebuild the front end of a 1902 4-4-0 so that it is more fuel efficient. I can talk to PM-Man about railroading in Michigan and museum operations, get in touch with Jim Wrinn, editor of one of our biggest rail news publications, Linn W. Moedinger about boiler rebuilding and Strasburgâ€™s operations, and bobyar2001 on just about anything trains.

This board has brought together many different groups of people with many different backgrounds and all from the comfortable seat in our own home. What a world we are living. Railroad schedules as military secrets, never happen again. Railway preservation is no longer a group by group basis, now we can find help from anywhere just by looking here. How far we've come...now where do we go from here?

pm-man · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:08 pm

[/quote]I can talk to PM-Man about railroading in Michigan and museum operations, get in touch with Jim Wrinn, editor of one of our biggest rail news publications, Linn W. Moedinger about boiler rebuilding and Strasburg’s operations, and bobyar2001 on just about anything trains.

Quote:

Whoa.

Um, a reality check. While I'm flattered to be grouped with the likes of Mr. Moedinger and Mr. Wrinn, I'm a relative neophyte to the hobby/ industry/ profession in comparison --- heck, I'm not that much older than you Greg, although I'm sure you think I am ;- )

Greg raises issues that I've thought about, but never quite so eloquently put. The first time where I really came face to face with the above was at ARM/ TRAIN 2001. I was blown away that I could finally put faces with names --- guys like Lynn Moedinger, Dave Lathrop, Steve Lee, Doyle McCormick, Jim Wrinn, etc. ---- people who not only post here, but whom I'd read about in my childhood in L&RP, Trains, R&R, etc. As a kid growing up in Port Huron, Michigan, I never dreamed that I would ever see let alone meet these guys. To say that I, too, put them on pedestals is an understatement.

Its been been said here often --- but RYPN was one of the main catalysts for breaking down the walls of hero-worship to knowledge and yes, even friendship for me, too. Guys like Dave Lathrop gave our museum tips that were invaluable when restoring our coach; Randy Gustafson opened doors for me that would never had done so otherwise; the likes of Erik Ledbetter and Jim Wrinn supported what we were doing, even when things were rough, by acting as walls to bounce things off of, and helped us let the world know about what our place was trying to do --- for which I'm forever grateful. Plus, I feel an obligation to help those when I can as well --- becuase other did it for me.

Its in no small part that I went into the history and preservation becuase of these people and their ilk. Comments from Greg and guys like him echo what many of us feel --- that contrary to what many told us, that rail preservation can be, at its best and its worst, a family. How many countless wasted hours have been SAVED becuase a group who had no idea how to mill a piece of woodwork or apply a rubber-membrane instead of a canvas roof? How many park engines have received roofs over their heads becuase of the efforts of those on the board?

And the best --- how many budding rail preservationists have been fostered because of the willingness of posters to give info and support those free on this board?

T.J. Gaffney (a.ka. pEREmARQUETTE-man)