I have put up a "real" website for the F40PH Preservation Society at www.f40ph.org any thoughts on what works or doesn't work?

Looks pretty good!
since you asked! ;) here are a few thoughts on the design of the page..

Try to design the page so that everything fits on the main page, with no horizontal or vertical scrolling, at a 1024 X 768 monitor resolution..
obviously on "sub pages" you will have vertical scrolling..with more text..thats fine..but there should never be horizontal scrolling on any page..

dont bother designing for 800X600 anymore...if anyone is still running 800X600 they need to join the new millennium..
800X600 was the "standard" 10 years ago..but no longer.
1024 X 768 is the current "minimum" that, IMO, webpages should be designed to fit.

For some reason your main page is named "New Page 3"..
you should change that..

Make the menu in the left frame so it all fits without having to scroll up and down.
and the red, white and blue background doesnt really "go" in the left frame..
it clashes with the text/links..

in the "main frame" of the "main page" I would make the photo smaller, and tweak the text so that the photo and text all fit, without any scrolling, at 1024x768.

Scot

Honestly, the site looks a bit rough. Try developing it using today's standards. Look over W3Schools for some guidance.

Not bad for your first attempt. Styling is always subjective, so opinions on "looks" will vary wildly from person to person.

On the other hand, spelling is not subjective at all. You should correct "scraped" to "scrapped" on your home page.

Still, a very good and noble attempt. Best of luck with your dream!

Matt

30 years from now, the statement "the last few decades" isnt going to make sense..
and the statement is a bit obsolete already..since the F40PH wasnt much used during the last decade..
How about:

The EMD F40PH represents a significant piece of Railroad history. The F40PH tells the story of American passenger railroading during the last decades of the 20th Century, and was hailed as “the locomotive that saved Amtrak."

that puts the locomotive more in its proper historic context..
and the statement will still make sense 50 years from now..or 200 years from now..

Scot

w3schools will help with the technology, but for some style help, check out Smashing Magazine: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/

RCD, I'm a little confused on the purpose of your organization. On the site it says:

The F40PH Preservation Society's main goal is to preserve railroad history and artifacts, especially those relating to Amtrak’s F40PH locomotives, and to educate the public about these artifacts and historical information through collection, restoration, display, demonstration and interpretation.

If you are about the F40, then I would make your purpose based SOLELY on that. Ditch the general "railroad history and artifacts" part. Also, are you only going to be concerned with Amtrak F40s, and not F40s from Metra, Caltrain, or even CSX?

Facebook page is a nice touch, BTW.

No as it would put me in the same situation that other museums find themselves in, I might want to one day grow this into a Scenic railroad / Museum, with Superliners and everything (dreams on) but the main goal is the F40PH also why make it so we would have to turn down a Geep or something if it were offered to us. Also Amtrak, METRA and CAL Train, all have different model F40's Although the MBTA has a few that are almost exactly like Amtraks and I wouldn't mind haveing some of thoes.

I'm even more confused now. I thought this was about the (maybe just Amtrak) F40. If you want a scenic RR, then start one up and buy some F40s. (not my choice of scenic train power, but to each his own). But you also want an amtrak museum? But one that would take a geep...


I think you really need to take a step back focus on what you want, before you start filing paperwork.

Maybe get rid of the rather dull Freefoto.com shot on the main page and find a shot of one in a more exciting location. Maybe along the Pacific coast, in the Rockies, or in the Easter fall colors. Also maybe try adding a photo gallery. There are loads of shots online and if you ask the photographers would probably let you use them.

Seems to me like a one person plan for fame to me.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT F40PH PRESERVATION. I am just leaving my options open for the future, but for now it's all about the F40PH. The scenic RR/Museum thing was some tangent I was speculating on while letting my mind wonder note the "(dreams on)" I put in, next time I should be more clear what I mean when I say things like that... And how is that? Saving historic railroad equipment does not get you "fame". Do you honestly think I am doing this just for a short article in the human interest section of the local newspaper? As for photos I will see what I can do but unfortunate I myself don't own any good photos of Amtrak F40's and I haven't had a good history with using others photos even when I did have permission or was using it under fair use clause but let's not get started on that.