PRR. K-4 at Steamtown as of Friday July 15th.Ed K. cp. Laurel Run

Another shot.Ed K.

need to figure out how to make photo's larger!Ed K.

I will try to make time to load the latest photos to the new K4 section of our brand new, completely redesigned web site we just brought on line.Thanks

Ooops - guess I should have told everyone - www.railroadcity.comThanks

I like the re-design but I was wondering if I could make a few suggestions-On the 1361 page there are two innacurate statements-"The other is not in running order, but is currently on display at the Railroad Museum of Altoona Pennsylvania at Strasburg, Altoona Pennsylvania."And I doubt the the engine was completly restored prior to being placed on the curve in 1957. Might also you reconsider naming Foamers Forum to something else?Just my .02.Joshua[/i]

Yes, it appears that whatever spellscheck program the writers used judiciously replaced "Pennsylvania" with "altoona pennsylvania" throughout the site.

A certain group of your potential supporters might just find that phrase as offensive as another group of potential supporters might find "featherbedder" equally offensive....it might sound "cute", but really isn't. Strictly my opinion, of course.

I agree about the offensiveness of the word "foamer." It's not really a kind term. It my offend not only to your constituents as HP noted, but some of your volunteers, too. Beleive me, I have seen that card played over and over. My favorite is the case of the museum/tourist railroad that doesn't want any foamers to volunteer, and they tell you so! If you are a buff, stay out. They only want "serious" people. And you know what? They have a pi$$ poor volunteer program and a really shabby track record. Kinda sad, because it has been addressed with them, but they refuse to see it... and the rust grows...Maybe I am over sensitive to it, but I don't think serious railroad museums should make light of anyone interested in trains, or perpetuate negatives. I would not expect the NRA web site to have a section entitled "Gun Nuts" or the Sierra Club to have one titled "Tree Huggers."It also touches another nerve about lines some draw to divide our tiny little community -- whether we see them readily or not. Is there really a need for class divisions when 3/4's of the posts here are about trying to get MORE people involved and MORE money in the door?Oversensitive in Joisey,Rob

Knowing this was going to stir debate, there is no inherent negative slant to the use of the term Foamer. We have many volunteers here in Altoona who will proudly refer to themselves in that manner. No disrespect was intended. In fact, we used it in the hope that people would get to the point where they would not react so sensitively to a term that simply describes an enthusiast. What is negative about being passionate about a subject?Thanks

As Howard says, one man's opinion, but I think I too would ask, does the term "foamer" serve some specific purpose for RRM of PA in this context that no other term would serve? If not, why would one use it when segments of one's audience are signalling that it "focus tests" negatively? One may consider the objections unfounded, but the reality of the objection on part of the audience you are trying to serve exists--what end is served for the museum by not accomodating the concerns, when accomodation carries no cost that I can identify?

Scott,I think you are missing the point. I am not syaing there is something negative about the passion for trains, I am saying there is something negative about using a derogatory term to describe it.The origin of the word foamer is not celebratory of a passion for trains. By using it, I would argue that you are not honoring the passion, but rather you are celebrating making fun of those with passion.Let me try another example. Here at the Jersey Shore, there is a derogatory slanng word for New Yorkers and North Jersians who come for the summer. They are called "Bennies" (long explanation why). If I wanted to attract people passionate about the shore and summering here, I would not put out a sign saying "Welcome Bennies!" I would do it if I wanted to offend and exclude summer folks from those areas, though.Yes, like your friends, some New Yorkers refer to themselves in a self-deprecating manner as "Bennies" but for most it is an unpleasant term. It's up to you to decide if you should change it. Given the ngative reaction it has garnered here (from folks far more experienced than I), I would suggest you seriously consider it.Respectfully,Rob Davis

Erik and all, There seem to be names for almost everything.I would much rather be called a ship enthuisist than a ship nut.I would rather be a trolley fan than a juice junky.And it goes on. However, Isn't foaming something that goes on inside a steam boiler that is being heated excessively fast?This I assume, puts extra strain on stay bolts and perhaps even the structure of the fire box itself?So I would say it is betten not to use a negitive when a positive can be used for something that all of us here love; at least most of the time!Ted Miles

On the Great Lakes, we refer to ourselves as "boatnerds". Its just a reality. So much so, our best website for info on Great Lakes Shipping is "boatnerd.com"In my opinion (and I have been and am both a boatnerd and a foamer), there is a heck of a lot out there to get more upset about than this ----TJ

Actually it's the other way around. The website was so named because it combined the founder's interest in Great Lakes shipping (hence "boat") and computers (hence "nerd"), and it's thanks to the popularity of the site that Great Lakes shipping enthusiasts are now calling themselves "boatnerds". It took a while for some of us to warm up to the term. Once, while sitting in a bar with several other shipping enthusiasts, including the original "boatnerd" himself, we found ourselves having to explain the term to an attractive young waitress. I told her "We used to be cool until this guy came along and turned us all into 'nerds'!"Anyway, my take on it is that it's all about context. If some random stranger came up to me and said "man, you're such a boatnerd" or "you're such a foamer", I would most likely take it as an insult, but in the context of a web site that is clearly aimed in a positive way at people who share my interests, by people who share my interests, then it's not hard to see the good-natured humor in it.Richard Jenkins