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| Communications https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33356 |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sat May 26, 2012 1:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Communications |
"Let me tell you a story. . ." http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 6NCF391SX0 For reference--related thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33046 |
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| Author: | PennCentral4321 [ Sat May 26, 2012 2:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Communications |
Watching that video got me thinking about a "Train" that was in a city park rusting and neglected. Even though it was there to honor a part of the city's history, it was an event that had happened nearly 20 years before and most had forgotten its significance. The city was facing some budget issues, gas prices had doubled and with the economic downturn there was no money available to even paint the rusting hulk. Then there were 4 guys who got together and decided to take action. These 4 man of varied backgrounds but with a common passion, began making plans. They approached the City Leaders about painting the locomotive so that is was no longer an eyesore. The city agreed to let them paint the "Train" but they would have to supply the paint and sign agreements releasing the city of any liability if any of them got hurt. Over the summer months they were able to get a fresh coat shiny black paint on the locomotive. Lights around the display and on the locomotive were repaired so that by the end of the summer it looked like it was ready to fire up and steam out of the park. It didn't stop there, the news coverage and attention that were drawn to the big black engine sparked a new interest in it. Soon there was an official organization formed to care for the locomotive in the future and to see to it that this important symbol of the impact of the railroads on the community was not lost. This new organization was now a not-for-profit meeting once a month and the membership was growing and ideas were discussed about how to raise money and what the next steps should be. Well the next summer they co-sponsored an excursion that was coming through town pulled by a steam locomotive. The trip was a huge success and several times over the summer the locomotive was open for public tours. Then over the next winter the local newspaper broke the story, "Railbuffs lease Old Train from City." The story told about how this new not-for-profit had leased the locomotive and was planning to move it from the park and rebuild to operation conditions to be used on excursion trains. Oh the nay sayers had a field day, "That thing has sat there so long the wheels will never turn." "How are they ever going to get it across the street?" "Do those tracks even connect to anything anymore?" "They will never let them run a smokey steam train again with all this concern about air pollution." "How can the city let these people take our train and tear it apart and ruin it?" Well, despite what all those who had said it could not or should not happen the locomotive was removed from the park and moved to another city and a new home. I am not sure if this has gotten anyone's attention here, or if anyone would like to hear more? The story goes on and does have many twists and turns. Some here already know the story others may think they do, some may even be involved in it. It has its triumphs and its sorrows. There are lessons to be learned and this may very well be the way to communicate them. Does anyone know the locomotive I am talking about or the outcome of the story? Would you like to hear more? |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sat May 26, 2012 6:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Communications |
Yes, let us go on. As to the locomotive, it could be any number of "park" engines over the years. Could be that Southern Pacific Mikado from Louisiana, could be the 4449 or the SP&S 700, ATSF 3751, PM 1225, NKP 765--or others. . . But let us hear it anyway. . . P.S.--this wasn't the original reason for posting the link; rather it was to recall how important our "stories" are to maintain the interest of those who aren't in yet, but you've got a good yarn, keep spinning. . . |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sat May 26, 2012 6:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Communications |
Like the intermission in a movie. . . While we wait, we have a little short, courtesy of Kelly Lynch at the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society: Originally printed in the Winter 2012 issue of the FWRHS newsletter, Short Lines. By Kelly Lynch, Communications Director As the 765 moved by night, by day, at reduced speed due to heat or at track speed on the highball, it stopped every town in its tracks. The slower summer speeds were hell on engine crew, but a blessing for the people who were given the extra moment to ponder the unusual sound in the distance, stare through their kitchen windows, leave their front doors, and exit offices and storefronts to take in the sight of our machine. No amount of strategically planned press releases or news reports could have bought us the constant, magnetized presence of the thousands of people who accompanied us out west and on the return home. It’s a good thing it was summer, because school attendance would have been curiously low for those whistle stop cities we passed through. I lost count of the streets called “Railroad” as we passed through the dozens of line-side towns, where there were no two smiles alike in the crowds armed with cell phones and cameras and brandishing their pearly whites and waves. We were to blame for productivity losses all over the midwest, especially within those factories and small businesses whose back doors would find themselves open as employees wandered out to enjoy the show. On every trip I find myself envying those people who are perhaps seeing the 765 for the first time. What’s that like, I wonder, to know nothing of this Tyrannosaurs Rex that’s now marching down Main Street and to be so in awe of the thing you’re damn near scared of it. What’s it like, anyway? And I always find myself wishing people could get a longer look or that we had an infinite number of leaflets to drop, so they could know everything there was to know about why we were there. One woman, describing her adventure in finding us on the trip home wrote, “It’s like tracking down Santa Claus.” Another person wrote, “I bet you guys were the most photographed thing in the country.” At a brief stop for the Canadian Pacific in Gilman, we had pizza delivered to the train. Before departure in Peoria, a friend of ours at RailAmerica bought us enough breakfast burritos to last us until Kansas City. At servicing stops, hard grease and oiling were completed like it was an art. By the end of the whole ordeal using the alemite gun, normally a handful in the heat and grease, was like unholstering a feather pen. The total crew on the train numbered six, with one trick resting, one operating, and one taking in the show. The passenger train, outfitted by its incredible owners MidAmerica Railcar Leasing, had everything from air conditioning to showers, and on the trip home, even a bunk car. More than once on that trip you could enjoy a shower, a shave, and a meal behind a Nickel Plate Road steam engine. A fellow crew member joining us for the return trip back couldn’t believe he was falling asleep to a steam locomotive a few cars ahead of him. Neither could I. Profound memories of the “I can die happy now” kind happened out of nowhere, like waving to my dad, the man who got me into this mess to begin with, from the fireman’s seat as we roared by him or the long night run that began with my girlfriend executing a one-in-a-million toss of a Coca-Cola can into my hand as I reached out of the cab at speed in a completely unplanned marriage of love and choreography. I didn’t think they made memories like these anymore. There is little need to mention the long days, extreme temperatures, missed income, sore limbs, sunburn, erratic sleep schedules, or questionable hotel lodging while on the road. Sometimes that whistle does grate and the concern about lifting safeties or maintaining water can get your skin leaking, but this is the memory machine and complaints don’t very well amount to much in comparison. Aboard the tool car on the 765’s day long, lightning fast trip to Bureau, Illinois and back in July, there wasn’t room to stand in the vestibules, but we crowded them anyway. The constant, shotgun conversation from the locomotive running the fastest it had since 1993 was throwing people into trances. Instead of saying “I think I can,” it was proclaiming “Of course I can.” Something funny happens to our volunteers when they exchange looks on these trips; they all know exactly what the other is thinking without saying a word. Every one of our volunteers, with their ears and eyes glued to the countryside, was responsible for the sight and sound up ahead, the very same fury that transfixed us all. With every throttle notch and stoker adjustment, it was like we were all seeing her again for the first time. ************************************************* Thank you, Kelly. http://fortwaynerailroad.org/news/ |
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| Author: | PennCentral4321 [ Sun May 27, 2012 12:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Communications |
As the story continues, for the most part the locomotive faded from any public attention for the next 5 years while work progressed on by a dedicated group. As with any project the origination went through its growing pains, however they stayed on focus. After 5 years of work and the locomotive being cold for 21 years it finally came back to life. I was 14 when this all first started to happen, one of those founding 4 was a teacher at my school and he encouraged me to get involved. Over the years as my life would allow I have been involved when I could be. That involvement opened many doors for me and gave me the opportunity to experience many of the things like Kelly Lynch told about in his story. Interestingly enough it was the same locomotive the NKP 765. I did not intend to change the course of this thread with a personal story but it was fun to tell. What I did attempt to do was to capture interest of those reading. I wanted to show how easy it would be to tell a story rather than giving boring technical details on a tour. Kelly is much more talented than I am at telling the story. But it is important to be able to tap into the mind of our audience and get them to get a mental picture going on. As a friend of mine who came up through old school AM radio once told me, "It is theater of the mind." This is a topic that does need more discussion and something that we all need to work on the talent of working the theater of the mind. |
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| Author: | J3a-614 [ Sun May 27, 2012 12:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Communications |
Penn Central, I apologize for stealing your thunder by borrowing thunder from Kelly! I didn't think it would have been the 765! While poking around on the NKP site, I came across an indirect link to this--more storytelling from Kelly at that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... iHjgsAs-0#! |
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