As those of you who've paid more than a cursory visit to steamlocomotive.info know, it has a system that allows you to post notes that attach to specific locomotives to convey additional/new/different information about said locomotive. Usually this is a very useful tool.

Occasionally though, we get notes from outraged people because our information isn't accurate or up-to-date. These notes are sometimes amusing, but more often frustrating. I rarely, if ever, respond to the annoying ones, but today I'm making an exception to illustrate the true joys of webmastering.

Here's the note in question:


I first want to express gratitude to the note poster for providing us with useful data, which of course, may or may not be correct. Were I to accept his input I guess I'd also have to obey his admonition "Check your facts!" And probably will.

Before discussing this entertaining note further, I'd like to point out that since September 2002 when the site first came on line, we spent $9936.85 on long distance calls (before the days of unlimited long distance calling plans) and $4424.00 on postage doing just what this note author suggested, "Checking our facts!"

When one considers these notes (and PMs sent to me here on RyPN as Site Administrator), certain salient facts become apparent. First of all, irritated posters use a lot of exclamation marks. Since I'm not irritated at the moment, I'll refrain from using them. The note above contains 4 of them, which is on the low side.

Secondly, PMers and note posters who are upset often shout to emphasis two things: the erroneous data they believe you have, and their contempt for your stupidity in having said erroneous data. See the word "OIL!" in the note above.

Thirdly, irritated PMers and/or note posters often display a limited command of English spelling, grammar and sentence construction as evinced by the note quoted above. So, dear note poster, the word "peices" is actually spelled "pieces". You're welcome. You should probably accept a modified version of your own advice and check your spelling. Secondly, your last sentence is somewhat incoherent. The note poster wrote "And she converted to burn OIL!" By placing this in active voice what he is saying is that the locomotive converted itself to burn oil. One converts to Catholocism, or Buddhism. But when an external agency does the conversion, then it is "She was converted to burn oil" since the locomotive is incapable of converting itself to burn oil.

Too funny... thank goodness you can keep your sense of humour intact.

EVEN IF you won't personally monitor thousands of locomotives on an hourly basis to ensure accuracy!!!!!!

Just kidding, LOL. Thanks for all your hard work and the lengths you go to in pursuit of accuracy. It's appreciated.

Steve Hunter

It's "Occasionally" and "You're welcome." "Judge not, lest that ye be judged." <:-)

[dives for the foxhole]

Heh. Absolutely perfect. You are (you're) absolutely correct.

Steaminfo:

Thanks for your website. I refer to it at least once a week.

Thank you especially for your sense of humor and your thick skin. Two attributes sorely lacking in the discourse these days.


adm4:

Thank you for the as usual positive and encouraging input.

Things just get better and better. The photo of the Steptoe Valley #3 which is the subject of my rant, was taken by Jeff Terry, in the car shop of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum in East Ely, NV.

So...the note poster was wrong. I spoke with Mark Bassett, the director of the NNRY this morning. The Steptoe Valley #3 was delivered to the NNRY in December of 2010 (about 11 months ago). So the note poster did not see it at Niles Canyon two months ago, as he asserts.

The note poster asserts that the locomotive has been converted to burn oil. The locomotive was originally built as a coal burner, still has the coal bunker, no oil reservoir, fire grates and a coal burner's fire door. So it looks like no conversion at all has taken place.

The good news is that the Nevada Northern plans to restore this odd little critter to operation.

Continuing the lighthearted vein of the original post on this thread:

"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that it's difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine." -- Abraham Lincoln

That's probably my favorite "quote" of all time!

Followed, of course, by one of the most famous and iconic cartoons the Internet has ever presented:

http://xkcd.com/386/

I'll bet that the complaining reader of the website saw the Robert Dollar #3 at Niles Canyon and mistook it for the Steptoe Valley locomotive.

This all seems interesting as the Pacific Locomotive Association/Niles Canyon Railway website lists that Steptoe Valley Mining Company No. 3 is at its location and at the Brightside shops. See this webpage: http://www.ncry.org/roster/s_03sv/sv3.shtml

Can anyone sort this out?? Are there more than one #3?

'

It is simply a lack of an update to the ncry.org website. The locomotive did in fact move by truck to East Ely in December, 2010. Numerous credible witness including Jeff Terry, who photographed it at East Ely, and Mark Bassett, the director of NNRY. Steptoe Valley #3 is the locomotive in the earlier photograph, it is at East Ely, and the ncry.org website is out of date. I also called them and they confirmed it is gone.

One more comment in the interests of absolute accuracy. The locomotive was converted to an oil burner in about 1992. The grates, firedoor, etc were shipped to NNRY with the locomotive. Hence my conclusion it hadn't been converted.

Well, I guess that I am really confused about this little Porter 0-4-0T. The photos I have seen on the internet of this engine as Nevada Consolidated Copper Company #309, show a saddletank that goes all the way to the very front of the smokebox. The photos of the number 3 at Niles Canyon show a partial saddletank. The info with the locomotive states that a tender was added, but no info about whether the saddletank on the locomotives boiler was changed. Is this the same engine? If so, why was the drastic change made (quite a difference in appearance!) and why is no mention of it made on the Niles Canyon website? Please...somebody...a clarification. Thanks!

Les

Looks like a wonderful example of what happens when another website fails to update its information and your critics don't update theirs! Then again, the guy's obviously a crank who likes to spout off at others for being "wrong", especially as he didn't provide any sort of factual information to back up his claims. Nice way to deal with him, though!