One would guess not an action to emulate, but it is good to see old technology win once in a while:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLwf1a0aU1U

Bob Bunge

*** My apologies to all. John is exactly correct and I had regretted my submission as soon as I had pressed the submit button. Bob ***

Please let this thread die.

Perhaps I'm missing it, but could someone explain how this post relates to preservation?

Let's leave "content" (and I use the term very loosely) like this on the foamer boards, please.


JAC

John,

I respectfully disagree. It comes under the heading of adaptive re-use for a purpose her builders never imagined! After all this board has been through in the last few weeks, I think a little laughter is good for all of us.

If you had seen some of the account applications I have rejected in the last few days promoting pharmaceuticals and many other things I won't mention on a "G" rated site, you would concur that this one is withing bounds.

Best Regards,
Kevin

It actually held up better through the first couple drivers than I thought it would... I figured it would be squashed flat under the first driver.

I also like the whistle from the short blast at the end...

There was also another 5 minute "flick" of PRR 643 referenced, and that one was REALLY kind of interesting. It showed a young man running the 0-6-0 and really doing a pretty decent job! If some of us are worried about getting young people involved, this was one to see! One thing I wondered in viewing that segment though; I seem to recall from when I was a youngster, that the Pennsy used two longs and two shorts for road crossing whistle warnings instead of the standard two longs, a short and a long. Am I getting that right? Or is my memory just failing me?

Les

Guess I referenced the wrong movie to make this relate to preservation. Professionally, I'm spending a fair amount of time educating management in the use of "Web 2.0" and "Social Media" systems and the related policy issues that arise. The flick referenced above is a nice example of using "Social Media" to spread your message and product. This nicely demonstrates what you can do and how to do it. And it targets the younger generation. FYI, part of the appeal is the casual approach, that it isn't slickly produced.

Do you know if your museum has an entry on Myspace or Wikipedia? Have you checked? Someone might have done it for you. These and other Social Media are an interesting approach to finding young people who might be interested in what you do. For the youtube challenged:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3gTg0A8B0

Bob

The young fellow running 643 in the second video clip is one of the regular posters (and I believe a moderator) on the railfan.net "tourist railroad and museums" forums. A good number of the forum "regulars" over there are young people that have a strong interest in railway preservation in general and steam locomotive in particular. Anyone concerned about the future of railway preservation need only to look over there.

Groups like the WGHSEA offer a place where young people can get actual hands on experience with vintage machinery (of all kinds, not only trains). Beyond visitors doing the guest engineer sessions, memberships are available and if you are willing to work and learn, they most definitely will find a place for you. Often groups like these attract families with some or even all of the family being involved with the organization. It's not uncommon to a see young folk (boys AND girls) running the family's restored vintage tractor under their parents' watchful eye. And not only old John Deeres and Farmalls, but steam traction engines as well. These young people learn at an early age to respect the dangers of machinery and every one I've seen are safe and competent operators. At the Rough & Tumble Museum in Kinzers, Pa there are two teenage sisters that have been through R&T's "steam school" and are fully certified to run these 10-ton steam tractors around the show grounds.

In terms of PRR 643, members of the WGHSEA railroad who are "working up the ladder" to engine service are often given a chance to run the locomotive before or after a day's regular operations. Certainly a nice way to make everyone a welcome part of the group and a nice reward for someone starting out with trackwork, mowing the grass, whatever. As for any restrictions on "guest engineers", I'll have to let someone from the WGHSEA give a firm answer, but I believe last year it was if you were old enough to have a driver license. Such was the case with the young man in the video.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

I have a Verizon that should meet a like fate, just wish I had a steam locomotive to do it with!!!

Ryan

Les,

I couldn't resist! I looked it up in my great-grandfather's PRR rulebook from 1925. On page 19, Rule 14(l) it lists two longs and two shorts when approaching grade crossings. For as long as I've had this book, I somehow overlooked that rule! Thanks for bringing it up.

Bob Barcus

"After all this board has been through in the last few weeks, I think a little laughter is good for all of us. "

Amen brother! One of the good things about this board is that it shows something interesting to the point of being amusing once in a while.

Its the only operating PRR engine (at the moment). Case made!

And, having watched a steady parade of paying customers lose their minds from choo-choo excitement, I''d like to use it for a safety video "This is your body, this is your body under the wheels-any questions?".

(Thanks to the fact I'm too cheap to pay for broadband, I'm guessing as to what happens to the phone.-but I'll still thank the original poster)

Thanks for the sensible moderation Kevin.

So much for being the STANDARD railway of the world!

Don't be hard on John.

Moderation of any good discussion, be it electronic or live is an art. All of us are trying, very hard to keep it lively, while also keeping control and focus. We recently had a crisis of moderation, which nearly lead to the end of the board. The moderators do talk privately among ourselves, discussing posts which make the hair on the back of our necks stand up, but are not (yet?) over the line....

You Tube and other video sites are edgy and challenging to all in a position of authority... Currently at my place of employment we are discussing the use of video sites for promotion. It scares the H@%& out of our City management, yet, we need to explore... I am on the side of exploring, my boss who I respect has not (yet) come to that opinion.

When moderating, there are some things which are simply over the line. They are the easy stuff. If you use certain language, or say something derogatory about another person, a list member or not, it will be deleted...
More often moderation requires a judgment call.

There are some of us who make our living running museums, which generally are considered places of education. We therefore start to follow the rules which academic and educational organizations tend to follow. Others of us are more nuts and bolts, or belt and suspender oriented (assuming the suspenders are US made.... , its a joke, really, no, it wouldn't fly on a academic site, but might here.) Its the junction of the academic and the hands on that makes the site wonderful and unique.

Things like this, which don't follow our normal discussion style are the most gray of gray.

Work with us.

Thanks, Randy, sometimes your friendly moderator, but other times,

Reminds me of when a brakeman I was working with used his radio for a chock...

I personally don't see the controversy that some people are trying to stir up here. The focus of the video was on a preserved and operating steam locomotive - with a twist. Sometimes I feel that some people in the preservation field go to extremes and forget about the simple pleasures that make our hobby enjoyable. The people involved in this video were obviously enjoying themselves. I'm sure that they went back to work or school and talked about how they destroyed their crappy ol' cell phone - and someone surely listened.

The discussion delves into the fact that most preservationists are 'getting on in years'. I don't know how many times I've seen young people be turned away by the older guys. If this is how you get more kids interested in preservation, then so be it! Although most people will deny it, creative marketing techniques are at the heart of any museum's operating plan. You can only do so much with steel and paint.

Bob Barcus

Folks,

Who can remember when David Lettermen ran a bunch of stuff over with a little switcher many moons ago, what RR?

Scott
www.prrllc.com