Is the forum dead?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
21

They have the 12 banger…

http://www.thedieselshop.us/PTRR.HTML

is a list of the locomotives, and what frames they were built on.

So far, they have been pretty good locomotives.

On their 10th year, and entering a rebuild/overhaul program here…in a lot of cases, the diesel is pulled out, refurbished and re-installed…while the prime mover is out, they are cleaning and inspecting all other system, replacing worn wires, ducts and such, repainting all the interiors in the long hood and the cab.

For what we do with them, they have held up quite nicely…because the majority of our work is flat switching and industry, they get pretty banged up, but they seem up to the task.

The only major failures have been a head on collision with a loaded grain train, which bent the frame beyond repair, and the 9601 got speared by a piece of drill stem(pipe) that rolled off the top of a gondola in the next track, and stabbed the locomotive as it was passing by.

Managed to go through the cab floor under the engineers seat, the A/C unit, then the back wall, alternator and out the other side by ten feet.

The head on was sent back to Bosie(MK) for a new frame, they swapped all the rest, cab, long hood, diesel and alternator over, and it was back in service within a year.

The 9601 was repaired here, at our shop, after a lot of photos were taken!

Ed

22

The forum is hardly dead, it has just morphed into a slightly different shape, as it has in the past and will probably do so again. Some of the threads have gotten a bit repetitive, and some are a bit juvenile, but there are enough interesting threads that allow me to share what I know with others and learn something from others who are much more knowledgable than me.

Don’t give up on the forum, Gabe. When your kids get older and you get a little free time, we’ll be here waiting to hear from you.

23

Speaking strickly for myself, I think the timing of this transition to a more restrictive access of format in the midst of the summer lull broke the continuity and general community feel of the old forum. I re-registered more out of curiousity than anything else and log on to read posts out of habit…not much of interest to respond to, and not much of interest to me to care enough to post about. Maybe it’s just a phase…

24

Gabe, You should know how this forum has its little cycles. I hope you will still drop in from time to time as I always enjoy your posts.

25

Sorry if my talk of leaving made it sound like an ultimatum or something like that. It wasn’t. It was just that it seemed as though NO ONE was really on here with good topics recently, and it really wasn’t the forum anymore.

I understand Mookie’s point about the I’m smarter than you stuff. But, I think often those threads produced some of the most interesting comments. Some of the things Greyhounds has said in response to some of those threads have really increased my knowledge.

In any event, as long as there is a forum to stay around, I will always try to come back. My only point was, there didn’t seem to be anything to come back to as of late.

Gabe

26

Not the same since the changes. I don’t look forward to coming here like I used to. I also find things a little more confusing. I don’t even know how to negotiate my past posts to look for replies. I wasn’t sure I was the only one who thought things had gone downhill somewhat, I hope things improve over time.

27

Gee, thanks for the compliment…I…guess…[%-)]

Of course, you do get it apparently. There is a method to my madness, in that such can elicit responses that otherwise would go unposted. But yes, the forum has lost it’s edge in terms of liveliness. I blame it on the transition from the old red-orange background to this new calming earth tone background.

As for the “thread for everyone” outbreak, I pin the source blame squarely on Murphy, who started a “everyone” Milwaukee thread in response to the rancor on the usual Milwaukee threads, and pretty soon every third topic was an “everyone” thread. But I’m sure he did not envision it getting so out of hand.[oops]

BTW - It’s never too early to start the young 'uns on cultivation of railroad minutia. Surely you can type and babysit at the same time?

28

[:O][(-D] I believe I started a non-confrontational Milwaukee Road thread.(Which, by the way, no one seemed interested in[B)]). The oscar for the best impersonation of Pandora’s box goes to a Conrail fan. Oh, well. Q-Sara-Sara[:)]

29

Bingo!!

Plus, the growing “this is MY forum, and I’m going to decide how others here must behave” mentality of a few of the core members seems to be dampening creativity here.

Between Chad’s “eating popcorn” smiley, JHHTrainsPlanes efforts to channel independant thought into pre approved master threads, and the handful of ‘class tattletales’ always threatening to “snitch to Bergie” whenever fun threads popped up that they disapproved of , I think that a lot of what used to make this forum fun has gone on to greener pastures…

Not that the members mentioned are not themselves great contributors, because they are.

But if coming in here as a n00b I see that one member thinks that all “recently I saw” topics belong in one thread only, and that all generic questions belong in another, you get the feeling that you are gonna get jumped on if you fail to ask your question, properly. So my suspicion is that such perceived rigidity, sends people looking for a forum with a less military mentality.

By the same token, if member A and member B have a disagreement, (people DO disagree, and if you’ve ever seen one of those quarreling married couples where they aren’t happy unless they are at each others throats, you know that some people just like a good fight) why not let them solve it them selves? why must 3rd parties interject with their smart alec tauntings of “hey, you’re not getting along, lets sell popcorn” etc. ?

There are a lot of people here who seem to assign

30

Well said, Anti. The Ilks drove arbfbe off of the forum with their constant bitter attacks on Sol and FM, can anyone find another CMO to replace him ? Several other posters stopped posting so they would not become targets. One is an engineer running steam in western Canada.

31

Thanks for backing me up, I stuck my neck way out saying what I thought needed to be said, and wondered what kind of response might result. Glad to see I’m not the only one to feel as I do.[;)]

32

Aw admit it AG, You just love to stick your neck out.[;)]

33

LOL, I’ve been blessed with the “medusa’s curse”

34

And a welth of funny images to post.[(-D]

35

I’ve always thought of some of those “master threads” as a way to gather like-thinking people into one place. I care little about XYZ Railroad, but some people are passionate about it - let 'em go, I’ll spend my time elsewhere. I may read it for the amusement it brings, but…

Probably one of the most productive threads ever to visit the Forum was the silly-sounding “Stupid Question Thread.” A lot of people learned a lot there, and, since more questions were asked as time went on, the thread stayed on page one for a long time. Eventually, though, the new questions petered out, and the thread sank out of sight.

I’ve asked questions in “new” threads from time to time, and the thread went to page infinity, along with any answers, within days.

As I mentioned before, however, we’ve asked a lot of the questions, and talked over most of the issues, sometimes ad nauseum. Sometimes those threads brought out the worst in people, and maybe we don’t want a repeat.

36

My comment was not intended as a condemnation of JJHtrainplanes, or of his intentions in creating them.

What I was trying to point out is that by their very nature, they lend an aura of rigidity, an amost militarylike obsession with order. Which to a n00b coming here for the first time, could be interpreted as intimidating.

Do people come here to have a good time? or to be reprimanded for failing to find the proper pigeon hole before contributing?

Me? we’ll I’ve got thick skin, If I ask a question and someone elsetells me where to put it, I usually return the “favor” [}:)] and that is that. [;)]

But, the more easily intimidated might not fare so well.

(KEY POINT----->) Especially if they have to worry about first looking for a possible “all questions for oil fired steamers may only be posted here” thread, …before asking their question. and facing possible ridicule if they don’t.

In a nut shell, policy designed by a few and intended to make their experience more to their liking, may have unintended consequences…And I think this might be one such area.

37

Agreed.

38

Which brings up the question, do you look like your avatar ? [;)]

39

Sure - but I’d be one of the guys on the engine - not one of the horses… [:D]

40

I have the same haircut as his avatar. Shaved my head to the skin a few days ago. It’s just too hot for all that hair these days.[;)]