Forum Inactivity

[BlockLine_4111]

Very minimal activity in this forum. Any suggestions for soliciting more feedback?

Perhaps this forum should be deleted if it does not pick up soon.

[The S.P. Caboose]

I have to admit I'm on the guilty side. Living in the Los Angeles area I haven't been very active here as of late. Will work on it.

[Rockingham Racer]

Perhaps this forum should be deleted if it does not pick up soon.

You might be right, unfortunately. And note the forum doesn't even have a moderator.

[CNJ]

I'd say to feel free and jump in with anything you may have.

Aso soon as we have people consistently posting, the forum will start to grow.

[CNJ]

We have a new moderator!!!!

I know there are people form the west out there...Come on now....Lets start making this an active forum!!!!!!!!

[Otto Vondrak]

This forum is as active as you make it. And for those of you out west, tell your friends. Post on some other newsgroups? Tell them we have a site ready and waiting for them right here, free of charge. See something? Say something. Only you can prevent forest fires. Never say never again. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Oh and one more thing. I HATE threads that are titled "Forum Inactivity."

-otto-

[LCJ]

Things out here in the west are, in two words, s-p-r-e-a-d o-u-t. The posts are as well.

Unless you're right in a major metro area, you have to drive many miles to get to see action on the rails -- although in my opinion it's often worth the effort for what you can see.

When I moved from Austin to St. George last year, we flew by private plane so we could transport three housecats. What was neat about that was that we were at a lower altitude (about 10 thousand feet) and we followed the ATSF main line west from central NM to almost Flagstaff before heading north to Utah. We made a fuel/lunch/bio stop in Gallup, NM, too, which as you probably know is right along the ATSF main. We saw a lot of traffic on this line both from the air and on the ground in Gallup. Lots of trailers and containers on the move out here!

An interesting thing about out this way is the role the railroads played in popularizing the National Parks. ATSF built the line up to the South Rim, and took many thousands of people there over the years before autos took over the job.

Union Pacific built a line to Cedar City, UT, and transported people to the lodges around the area at Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim, and Cedar Breaks. Read about them here: Great Lodges

For about the first time in my life, I live in a town with no rail lines nearby. I have to either drive to Nevada to the UP Las Vegas route, or to Cedar City to see the little-used branch line there. There's plenty to see in Salt Lake, of course, but that's 4.5 hours away.

[pennsy]

Hi All,

I see your problem. You need to be somewhere near a big town, or better yet, a big city. I am 40 miles from Los Angeles, and so have my pick of the litter, including Cajon Pass.

I also have some hump yards, marshalling yards (Colton), and Good Old Metrolink. I have spent some time in Ogden, UT and you have some great spots there too.

[espee]

Same problem for me. It is a 2-3 hour drive for me to get to any rail lines since Tennessee Pass shut down. I wish I could take more time but its not easy!

[BlockLine_4111]

There's a few folks who I found online out here on rr.net that I have been pushing their buttons to get more active and post here and in the BNSF forum but it seems they could care less IMO.

[TB Diamond]

Will have to plead guilty of abject inactivity. We live about 25 miles as the crow flies from Hermosa (on Sherman Hill), and I haven't been there since 1974 which was prior to my moving west. By the way, has anyone else noticed the Ames Monument in a recent Toyota TV commercial? Don't
blink, however or you will miss it.

[LCJ]

There's a few folks who I found online out here on rr.net that I have been pushing their buttons to get more active...

What does that even mean?

You see, this is all free will here. People obviously don't respond to "button pushing." They more often respond to interesting discussion -- that's if it's interesting to them.

If I'm going to do this, it's because I enjoy it, not because I'll feel guilty because I don't do it. Heck, we've all got plenty of those kinds of obligations.

Post things I never knew before. Ask intriguing questions. Challenge assumptions.

Here's a neat western railroad link: Tehachapi Loop Live Cam

[BlockLine_4111]

You see, this is all free will here. People obviously don't respond to "button pushing." They more often respond to interesting discussion -- that's if it's interesting to them.

Pushing buttons on the east coast theads nets many solid responses.

If I'm going to do this, it's because I enjoy it, not because I'll feel guilty because I don't do it. Heck, we've all got plenty of those kinds of obligations..

Guilt was never implied at least on my part.

[pennsy]

Hi All,

Some additional possibilities; I often take the 35 mm camera around my neck, hop on the Schwinn, and chase the trains. It does give you a chance to get "friendly" with the Bulls.

I have also been known to place the Schwinn on the back of the car, drive to an out of the way spot. and do the Schwinn routine from there.

Remember, a bike can go where a car can't. And it is less obvious.

[Rockingham Racer]

I'd post more to this forum if there was more action going on down here, but alas, with 8 trains per day, this is not exactly UP Prime Territory.

One little thing operationally here, though. The Border Patrol routinely stops trains and checks them out [along with a dog]. They get on the UP road channel and set it up with the engine crew. Usually happens in a place about 33 miles north of the border.