I'll be glad to make a $$$ donation to RYPN if someone can replace that awful photo on our cover page.

IMHO there are a wealth of pictures out there showing machines that have been brought back from the grave and are living testimonies to preservation and would be uplifting as a visual greeting to our website vs. that poor wretch that's been our greeter for far too long.

Please advise. Thanks, Ross Rowland

I think that is a good idea.

I agree as well.

On our RYPN Facebook page I use a photo that I took of J. David Conrad painting an 0-6-0 on display in Gambier, OH. I felt that the photo not only represented preservation in action, but also paid tribute to one of the most accomplished and respected rail preservationists in the US.

Perhaps we should occasionally change both the forum and Facebook front page photos, but use the same photos on each platform to maintain consistency between the two.

I have long wanted to say the same thing!

Is the "wretch" on the homepage Northern Pacific Railroad No. 927 at the Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum?

I just checked out the "wretch" mentioned:

Yeah, a better photo could be used...

I agree with Rick about the masthead images though you need to incorporate the or a logo for branding purposes. The RYPN website as a whole could use an overhaul. My previous offer to help in some way still stands.

It sure looks like it. http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=665
Thanks for the lead, I had previously tried in vain to find out what locomotive that was.

Perhaps the site is trying to teach us all an ironic lesson.

“Can’t you fix that old locomotive?”
If you want to fix it why don’t you volunteer your time!
(Capable person volunteers time, isn’t responded to.)

“Can’t you fix that old locomotive?”
If you want that locomotive fixed why don’t you donate the money to do it!
(Someone offers to donate said money... isn’t responded to.)

Yup... the reason that old equipment just sits there many times is not the result of a lack of capable volunteers, nor a lack of funds. It’s just simply the fact that the organization itself is fine with that old locomotive, and/or lacks the will / organization to get it fixed up.

I agree a new photo is called for, but what I would RATHER see would be a before and after, two photo spread. What a locomotive (or depot or piece of rolling stock) looked like BEFORE and then AFTER a successful restoration. Maybe make the before photo smaller and the later photo larger, if that would be better received. Maybe if the Ironhorse Railroad Park ever gets NP 927 restored, we can use the current photo for the before example!

Les

If you have a photo or photos that may be appropriate, post them here. Make sure that we have permission to use them. Then we will have a good selection to choose from.

May I suggest Mississippian RR No. 76? Now that is a transformation!

2017 (this photo is mine)


2018 (not mine, photo by William Graff)

Let's make this a little more to-the-point and accurate:

"This old locomotive needs a new owner! To whom do we make out the check? We're willing and capable, and have references and a long track record!!"
"Dunno, nobody's been around to claim responsibility or ownership of that place for years that anyone's seen.... apparently someone keeps paying the taxes, and that one light in the back of the office stays on forever...."
"Well, gee, what, can we just do a deed search for the property it's on and find the owners?"
"Well, they kinda disappeared who-knows-where after someone threatened to sue them over possible asbestos...... and so did all their helpers......"
[potential buyer starts backing up.....]
"..... and that guy who threatened to sue is still a couple doors down the street...."
[.....gets into the hy-rail truck.....]
.... and still like to threaten people with lawsuits....."
[.... drives off dejectedly...]

(Lest you think I'm just making this stuff up, in the past week I've done two property-owner searches trying to hunt down the owners of seemingly-abandoned museum-potential railroad equipment, and got the exact "nobody's seen them for years" spiel from the adjacent property owners, who allowed me on their properties to get close enough to identify the exact pieces in question--and in one case was warned against approaching another property owner for my own safety!)

Arthur C. Clarke, the visionary author of "2001: A Space Odyssey" wrote something about inventing the future. Clarke said: "Every visionary project goes through three phases.
The first is, 'It can't be done!'
The second is, 'It can be done, but it'll cost too much!'
The third is, 'I was in favor of that from the beginning!'

I think it nests very well against locomotive restoration, whether cosmetic or operational. If you change the homepage photo, make it a gem of a success, please.

Why does it have to be a steam locomotive what's wrong with a Depo or passenger car ,locomotive crane, wrecking crane ,roundhouse ,water tower anything else Railway connected.