Ironically, since the practice of posting April Fool's posts was banned here some years back, the "professionals" we look up to have now unabashedly embraced the practice.

Today on Facebook, we have posts of a jovial and humorous nature from the Nevada Northern, Union Pacific, Strasburg, the EBT Foundation, the Golden Spike National Historic Site, the Verde Canyon Railroad, Kentucky Steam Heritage, the Fort Wayne society, the Grand Canyon Railway, and others. (And that's just what I've found SO FAR.)

I'd better go check the Babylon Bee just in case.........

I saw where WW&F said they were standard-gauging the whole operation. "The re-gauging is necessary to accommodate the increased traffic on the railroad, which will be operated as a bridge route connecting the Canadian Pacific mainline across central Maine to the currently isolated Rockland Branch. Moreover, the port of Wiscasset will be revitalized in order to relieve congestion at CP’s port in Searsport and to ship containers of organically grown lavender products from SeaLyon Farm, LLC to destinations world wide."

I can confirm that there is a press release today (that I may or may not have co-authored) that announces, among other things, that the WW&F is now being included in the Canadian Pacific - Kansas City Southern merger. The conglomerate will no longer be known as CPKS, but rather WFCKP.

Like all good jokes, buried in there is a nugget of truth, which will be announced tomorrow...

Few people are as funny, witty or creative as they think they are.

Hence the reason Internet Annoyance Day is unbearable if you spend time on social media.

I'm sure you're a real joy at parties... Come on, it's ONE day a year, if you can't just get through it you ought to learn to live a little- it's all in good spirit.

I got a solid chuckle out of the line: "Railroad Superintendent Jason Lamontagne did not offer comment, since his surname is somewhat easier to pronounce than Buczkowski, Lecuyer, or Piwowarski and gauges all of these developments as “stupid." "

I have never understood the April Fool appeal.
And that's not from a lack of sense of humor. I used to be a stand-up comedian when I was younger and have been published as a cartoonist in many publications over the years.
I've always noticed that with such things, they're:
1 Tedious
2 Rarely actually funny
3 Confusing to people afterward who don't make the connection and later think it's real (and there is way too much misinformation online as it is)
Sorry, but when several other people on another forum thought Jim Wrinn's passing was an April Fool goof, that really reinforces my reasons for being tired of it all. It's just like all the model railroaders who think they're being clever and hilarious with their pun signs for businesses on their model railroad layouts.
It's not original.
It's not even funny.

I see ADMIV is trotting out his annual rant. Persistent little bugger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILA-l192vg8

April Fool's Day is like "drinking festivals" or St Paddy's Day in major cities.

It's the day that all the amateurs come out and think they can hang.

They only embarrass themselves.

The reason nobody takes this board seriously is y'all take yourselves too seriously. "I have a GREAT sense of humor" spoken like a true Karen.

I thought it was a decent compromise in the past to banish the joke threads to deletion or Railfanning on April 2nd. Guess we're not allowed to have a laugh at ourselves, according to the "comedy experts" here.

As much as you look down your noses and proclaim distaste, they're going to keep happening, on RYPN or elsewhere... While you cry here on what's regarded by many (most?) as the armpit of online preservation discussions.

"The day the amateurs think they can come out and hang" is the most pretentious bullcrap I've ever heard. Get over yourself.

-Sam

Well THIS moderator has no problem with April Fools Day. I find the annual ritual to be rather creative and this year was by far better than others, with more organizations engaging in the harmless tradition. Perhaps sometimes the thing to do is to pull that Poling Pole from your posterior and just be human, for one day a year. It might actually help recruit those "younger folk" that we hear incessantly are not interested in rail preservation, yet who seem to keep showing up in places such as Youngstown (Maybe because we have not forgotten that to many, this is a HOBBY and hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable).

As such, we played along this year:

"For Release April 1, 2022
The J&L Narrow Gauge Railroad has announced that all four exiting Porters will be restored to operation, and as a part of that project a new back shop with a 25 ton crane will be constructed at the railroad's property at 2261 Hubbard Road.

J&LNG Benevolent Dictator Rick Rowlands is quoted as saying, "Why the heck not?" when asked recently why all four locomotives are now being planned for restoration.

(Now it is up to you to decide if this is an April Fools joke or not)"

To sum it up in 3 words: "get a life!"

The happenings in the real world these days tend to be more outlandish than anything fiction can create.

Hmm ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT9Lm4Y886k

So, to prove my point:

Who in this audience saw the various joke posts by everyone from WW&F to Verde Canyon, from J&L to UP, and found them stupid, tedious, and unfunny?

Show of hands, please?