I think its about time I finally add myself in here. I'm 18, been into trains all my life, yet it's been only a year and a half since the "Traction Bug" bit me, and I've been hooked ever since. First is me filling up the water tank on our S2 Fairmount speeder a few weeks back (goofy face intentional), and second is from November, myself operating our 1909 Brill #122 Inbound to our downtown end of line, passing the Dallas Museum of Art.
(Pictures are by Gregory Ceurvorst, and Dean Andrews respectively)

On my honeymoon, April 2011, on the LK&P in Maui. Yes, the engine sports a three-chime PRR passenger whistle which even I could not escape, even in the middle of the Pacific!

Here's a shot taken several years ago; I don't look much better now. This is in the cab of ex SP 2353, on display because of firebox cracks.

Now that this thread seems to have wound down, I thought I'd post a little information. First of all, 85 different RYPN-ers have furnished photos, or had photos furnished for them. Of these 85, I've broken them down into subjects they were posted next to, or actually in, which may (or may not) give a little idea as to their interests. Here is that breakdown:

Steam - 43
Electric - 9
Diesel - 17
Machines or machined parts - 3
Railroad related displays - 1
Photo (or drawing) only - 10
Freight cars - 4
Depots - 3
Self propelled passenger - 1
Track - 2
Live steam/steam traction - 5
Railroad signs - 1
Passenger cars - 3
Cabooses - 2
Cameras - 3
Maintenance of Way - 4
Airplanes - 2
Boats - 1
Other non-railroad vehicles - 2

Please note that this does not total 85. The reason is that some folks posted (or had posted) more than one photo. Also, there are a few photos with more than one RYPN-er shown. There are also some photos where more than one subject was shown. In that case, I used the one that was the more prominent. Obviously, this is not scientific, but thought it might be of some addtional interest. A final comment, although there are 85 individuals noted, I have no idea as to the percentage of RYPN posters, although my guess is that it probably is a low percentage. Anyway, this was a very interesting thread and I applaud Jeff Liskowski for starting it.

Les

Wow, Les, I bet that took a few minutes to put that together, huh?
Maybe I shouldn't have posted shots of myself in non-RR stuff but I thought it might be important to show that people into trains are often into other things at the same time.
For example, I have noticed that many railfans and people in the industry are into airplanes and sci-fi. I recall a spirited discussion I overheard at the NRHS convention in Tacoma about the merits of the recent Battlestar Galactica series (I almost posted a shot of myself standing in front of the 'Viper' mockup built for that series but thought better of doing so). I've also had many discussion with people trackside and on trains about WW2 aircraft.
A few months back, I had a discussion with several NASA employees and a couple of astronauts about steam locomotives at Johnson Space Center. One astronaut (who asked to remain nameless) even had a current copy of "Trains" magazine with him at the time, which sparked the discussion.
Currently, I'm looking to combine my love for the WW2 era and trains by designing a model train layout that takes place in 1943, allowing me to build models of Jeeps and trucks and GIs to occupy the same places the trains do...

The forum has 3452 members, per the front page. A standard rule of thumb for forums is that 10% of members will actually participate, the other 90% simply read, as if the forum was a magazine.

So, using that rule of thumb, there would be about 345 "active" members. This thread got 85 of them to respond, or just under 25%. Not bad, not bad at all...

Actually Lee, I started the tabulation when the thread was on page 2, so that part was rather easy. And adding up the figures to this point, did not take long. The actual typing of the report however.......

Les

I was toying with the idea of posting a photo of me at work at a railroad library computer, next to a stack of inbound railroad books I was cataloging..... how would that muck up your statistical analysis?

It wouldn't:

On computer, inspecting railroad books - 1


Post it!


Les

Late to the party but this was in Williamson, WV back in August during the NS Employee trips. Talk about fun!!!

Greetings

From Karl Johnson
Superintendent (acting)
Cameron Beach Yard
SFMTA (or MUNI to most of you)

Just because my photo was taken while I was working on a contemporary Class I as an engineer, does not make dismals my major point of interest. Those who know me know there are few bigger steam fans under the age of 60.

Paul -

When I compiled the list of subjects with photos of the RYPN-ers, I certainly did not mean to imply that this was definitely their major point of interest. If you took the list that way, I apologize. And I have slightly revised my comments. Hope that the revision makes that a bit clearer.

Les

Ok, just to be different. One of my hobbies, amateur astronomy and telescope making:



I'm under the blue ball cap, jeans and in the U-505 sweat shirt, beside my home built 20-inch f/6 dobsonian telescope. Tuckahoe State Park, Maryland.

Bob

One of many shots of me in 1225's cab.