It is with substantial sadness that I find myself in the same spot that Bobyar did and have come to the same conclusion he did.
Effective immediatly, I am ending active participation on RyPN as I've had more than my fill of defending myself against the constant barrage of rumors&innuendoes as posted by an active participant whose name ends in a number!! I will always be a staunch defender of everyones absolute right to speak their mind and have evidenced that throughout my postings. As a matter of fact the "dust-up" that occurred last year was all about premature erassure of postings and thread locking.
However, it is in my view a great waste of time to be constantly having to respond to rumors/innuendoes particularly when they're the product of one disgruntled poster. Please see the recent Ross' legacy thread and AFT1 thread to find ample examples of what I speak.
I recently re-read the RyPN guidelines and the posting of rumors&innuendoes is clearly against those rules as I read them. Before I made this decision I asked both moderator Gillespie and Chairman Bassett to take some action on this and both refused, thus leaving me no choice but to stop wasting my time.
I have enjoyed being an active participant and hope that I've added some value while here?? I shall miss the chance to share and wish everyone and RyPN the best going forward.
For anyone who would like to stay in touch please feel free to email me at....ross@yellowribbonexpress.com
Should RyPN decide to take action against the posting of rumors/innuendoes or should the serial offendor leave I will gladly reconsider this decision.
Regretfully, Ross Rowland

It's our loss, Ross.

Not to diss anyone's decisions... but I simply don't read or respond to threads that look like they've deteriorated into a bunch of BS. I don't think I've ever gotten publicly scolded here, but I certainly have on other forums. My mother told me when I was a kid that the best way to deal with jerks who attack you verbally is to ignore them. That lesson struck home, and that's pretty much what I do now. It's not always easy when they attack your character, but actions speak louder than words, ya know?

I will miss your comments and insight. I watched with fascination, your expoits with the ACE project. As far as I am concerned, you have done more than many on this board when it comes to "preservation." And while there are many here who seem to thrive on casting negative comments on your every post, remebre there are those of us who also thrive on your advice as well. It is sad that the administrators of this site do not uphold their own regulations on posts. Makes you wonder why, doesn't it?

Later!
Mr. Ed

It is a sad day indeed to lose two valuable posters on RyPN. I am sickened by a couple of real grade school jerks whom seem to derive great pleasure from flaming certain key individuals. It is time for these idiots to GROW UP, and also time for the moderators to step forward to address this issue. This has bothered me for some time now. I am sincerely hoping Ross and Bobyar will reconsider as I have always enjoyed their input. Ross and Bobyar, I applaud you, and I hope others in this forum will respond in kind and demand that the moderators clean up the schoolyard.

Everyone has their own opinion on just about anything. But
some of us have more experience and knowledge than others
and even when they are downright wrong (and Im not saying
either of our two departing posters are) the board loses
in not hearing their comments.

I will say Im sort of surprised that either of them are
bothered by anything somebody posts.

Ross,
You've posted your share of bombast.
I've always found your strong opinions on every subject under the sun very entertaining. Your posts never fail to lighten my day.
You're experienced steam hogger. I find it surprising that you requested protection from aspersions. Me, I never met an engineer who couldn't dish as well as he got, without making too many enemies in the process.
Everyone on this board might want to take the advice of a few of the posters in this thread and learn to 'take the best and leave the rest' when it comes to 'nabobs of nattering negativity', to quote the 55th Governor of Maryland.
Good luck, Godspeed, and keep your arms and head inside when the window is open.

And, no matter how hot it gets in the cab, never use the window armrest as a seat cushion!

Personally, I find Mr. Rowland's contributions valuable and will miss his input.

yes it does make one wonder. I for one already miss Bobyars pictures, and will miss Ross's input for sure.

While I can understand the feelings both Ross and Bob have about these matters, this forum is relatively tame compared with many of the railroad oriented internet discussion groups. In a lot of the larger groups, posting absolutely correct information in response to a question from one individual is likely to result in argumentative responses from a half dozen more people who sometimes are truly clueless on the subject. In some cases I wonder if the participants are using the family computer while their parents are out at the store.

MX

I am very sorry to see this happening. I am a new member to the forums, a young member who has no long term experience with steam save for a lifelong love of it. From the short time I've been here its already become clear that Ross is a vital member of the community and that, whatever you think of his efforts, he has managed to achieve amazing things in his lifetime. He has experience and skill most of us can only dream of having, and I am sad to see that he is being forced by the actions of a few to leave this community, a loss which will affect us all.

Thank you for your efforts in the steam preservation community Ross

I have not agreed with Ross Rowland's opinions and statements on a number of topics, but there is a difference between people who dream and do things, and those who simply put down every effort as being ignorant or unworthy of consideration. Ross's words are sometimes bitter medicine, but this has been the voice of a man who has done as much for main line steam revival as the Claytors or Doyle McCormack. Whereas some simply complain, Rowland has combed his share of cinders out of his hair. Looking back at his mainline steam career, apart from consulting, Rowland has brought life to ex-CPR 1278, ex-NKP 759, ex-RDG 2101, and ex-C&O 614. I'd call that a fair track record.

Having "gotten into it" with Ross many times here, I have noticed a concerted effort on his part since last year's near demise of RYPN to be more polite, more factual and to avoid those irresolvable topics that just seem to inflame passions. In recent weeks, his posts on the AFT and Port Jervis were very informative. What would really be informative would be a dissertation on how the ACE project got started, organized and was ultimately shelved. While technically not "preservation", getting a class 1 and a large company Foster Wheeler to participate in research was a unique coup and certainly obtaining mechical and thermal data with 1980's technology in the real world service of the times-was significant.

Also, I miss Bobyar's scanning of the internet for pictures of the long gone and oft forgotten.

So gents, here's the thing. If you didn't matter, nobody'd care. As a rather wise clergyman told me one time-the opposite of love isn't hate-its indifference. The internet is an open forum. We all know its a double edge sword. Its openness is its strength and its weakness, there's tremendous information and incredible depravity. Any attempt to ensure that everybody plays by the rules of an eigth grade cotillion will doom interchange to irrelevance.

That having been said, I know others have been fatigued by the occasional calumny. If everybody who does something or has a strong opinions leaves, this will be a forum of milquetoasts and dreamers and that would be sad.

By the way, I write this watching "The March to Hinton". Its an interesting thing to see Ross ponder the opportunity costs of 85 cent/gallon diesel and 40 dollar a ton coal. Ahh, the good old days.

Call me a cynic, but I hope this isn't some sort of scheme to have a bunch of people post "Oh no! Don't leave us Ross" so Mr. Rowland can "graciously" decide to repost again on RYPN. After all, the man who almost single-handedly brought down RYPN as a valuable tool in railway preservation has "come back" before, again and again.

In my opinion, if Mr. Rowland wants to take his ball home and not play, he is certainly free to do so. He has often expressed strong opinions, and evidently did not expect that the sharing of such opinions would have consequences. Strong opinions often generate strong responses.

Mr. Rowland's posting are different from those of Bob Yarger, who often posted photos and other links which were more informative and less opinionated.

To paraphrase Harry Truman, if one cannot stand the heat, the heat they often generate themselves, than they should keep out of the kitchen.

Oh for crying out loud!!!!

I would concur except I am personally aware of others who used to post and no longer do. One in particular would rate 100 on good (and efective)guy list and we are the lesser for his absence. Another was a locomotive owner who had much to tell about the pitfalls of leasing. They aren't here any more.

There have been times where the discourse becomes ridiculously ad hominem. I remember a rather protracted, vitriolic thread a couple years back about the use of a 251 prime mover in the PA restoration.

Only RR knows the sincereity of his offense.