As we enter 2015 the FVHRS has completed a 1000 ft by-pass track that will allow our operation to reach its full potential beginning this year. Up until now our operation has been affected by a grain business that in 2014 reduced our heritage interurban operation by 50%. The loss caused undue frustration with not only the volunteers but also our customers who didn’t know if we could operate that particular weekend. Working with our Corporate partners: City of Surrey, SRY(Raillinlk), PNR, BC Hydro and others we were able to construct this new track. A great effort by all!

Gentle reminder: Not all of us--even those with somewhat geeky encyclopaedic knowledge of heritage operations and rail museums--know you by just your initials/reporting marks.

Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society

http://www.fvhrs.org

Fraser Valley HRS owns 3 cars and 1 steeplecab from the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER):

48 seat interurban coach #1225 (StLLC, Lot #923, 1913)

60 seat interurban coach #1304 (BCER Westminster Shops, 1911)

Streetcar #30 (1905, operated in Victoria)

Steeplecab #961 (ex-Oregon Electric #21, GE, Order #51069, 1912, later Edmonton Transit System #2001)

Thanks, Rainier Rails. Since I have placed a number of articles on this board I presumed many knew who we are, silly, I guess; but also some readers are selective as to who they read. BTW Car 30 never ran in Victoria. It was brought to North America from Portugal by Paul Class for a person in Portland, Oregon. It was then sold to peoples in Victoria and that did not work out. The car was then donated to the FVHRS. Since it does not fit under our collection policy it was put up for sale. It will be moving back to the USA this summer.

First rule of public-relations communication:
Never assume everyone to whom you are speaking knows everything you do, be it abbreviations, acronyms, or who you are and your mission.

Such a mentality is why an entire industry arose writing "how-to" computer books for those who couldn't get through manuals written by computer engineers/code writers.

Abbreviations or acronyms are fine several posts/paragraphs down, once everyone is "on the same page" and those still reading are of a similar mindset.

A simple "FVHRS" in google solves the problem of at least our acronym.

If a poster can't take the time to spell out their groups name in the first post....I probably won't take the time to go to Google and look it up.

When you are trying to develop interest in your group....you want to make sure that who you are is obvious to even the most casual reader.

FVHRS,

Sandy is absolutely right, while I hate to admit that :-).

It is only natural when you know your organization intimately that you assume everyone else does.

In my day job I was a technical trainer for 4 years and that was one of the basic thing your taught is don't assume your audience knows what you know.

I went to your webpage and some of your info is not clear there also. I should not have to continue to Google to learn about your organization. Heck, I had to Google that you guys are in Canada, aye! Now I know BC means British Columbia.

The general public is stupid! On our website, Black River & Western RR, we still have people call us to ask for direction and insist it is not on our webpage. Honestly I could go on and on about things that folks swear it is not on our web page when it is. It is a constant work in progress.

You guys are doing great things up there, nice to have a 1000' of new railroad.

I'd Love to get out to the North West some day and visit the great RR museums and tourist operations.

Scott

OK, not only need need your name, but need more explanation of why there was a problem and how this track solves it.

When writing a press release or news article is it always proper form to spell out the full name the first time you use it, then it is acceptable to use the abbreviation when citing that name further down the article. Same with people's names. Read any news article and you will see this in practice.

Just mimic what you see in professional press releases and news articles and you will be good.

So anyways, on this bypass track, what are you bypassing? Do freight trains interfere with the tourist operations?

FVHRS, thank you for your post, its typical board chatter like any other forums like that, just help fill us in with more details, looks like a great idea to solve an issue and hope both the freight line and museum find great cooperation with this effort.

ok kiddies ...8-P

No one wants to insult their target audiences. But, honestly, at times they deserve it.

Today, while working "behind the scenes" at my Friendly Neighborhood Railroad Museum, we received:
1) a phone call asking for local transit help;
2) an e-mail from someone who apparently sent his query to completely the wrong museum in completely the wrong field; and
3) opened a handwritten letter from someone who apparently wrote two places and put the letters in the wrong envelopes, asking about history and rolling stock at a local station museum in another state (they have no rolling stock, and near as I can tell they're closed due to financial difficulties).
The guy who read the letter couldn't even read the name of the place he was asking about. He brought it up to me; I instantly figured it out (a very oddball name, to be sure), and in 15 seconds had photos and a history of the building--because I had the right websites bookmarked. Thank you again, http://www.rrshs.org/.

We forwarded the latter to the address of the museum in question, because we're just that nice.

The Railroad Museum of New England occasionally gets the "when is your next train to Bridgeport or New York City" call.

Comes with the territory.

Abbreviations are OK by me, if I don't know what they mean, I ignore them & promptly forget what the article was about other than "new track for museum operation .... blah blah blah". If that is the message you want to convey, it works for me.

Highest Regards
etc, etc, etc

First, congratulations on extending your operation. Now, if only you could get wires- - -yeah, I know why you can't (freight service on the line), but one can still wish now and then--best wishes, I hope!



Ho, ho, ho, you're not alone!

The city of Martinsburg, W.Va. has two railroad stations. One is the former B&O station on the main line between Baltimore and Cumberland, and hosts MARC commuter service and Amtrak's Capitol Limited. The other is the former Cumberland Valley (PRR after 1922) station. Both have been restored, the ex-CV station by an architectural and engineering firm.

Shortly after this station was restored, employees at this architectural firm noted people outside with suitcases. The employees went outside to ask why the others were there. The suitcase people asked, "Is this where we get the train to Chicago?" Mind you, this was on a line with some of the rattiest looking track you ever saw (and which has been fixed in the last couple of years by new owner and operator Winchester & Western).

I understand they just made it to the other station. . .