I CAME ACROss A WEBSITE www.freightrrofnyc.info and found some interesting pics of ny city. i have a mdc boxcab deisel [which runs very slowly] and didnt really know much about boxcabs. the website schooled me in the use of boxcabs as switchers.Check out the hundreds of pics of how railroading once was back in the day. Busy ports, packed rail yards ,loaded whse storage,commerece flowing from barge to barge. ONgoing offloading ..hundreds of workers...............TODAYS POLITITIONS SHOULD SEE HOW AMERICA ONCE WAS AND STOP BEING SO STUPID AND CHANGE TO IMPROVE .WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE ELECTED A PRESIDENT THAT DID SOMETHING INSTEAD OF FIXING SOMETHING THE LAST ONE SCREWED UP ?:tb-embarrassed:
There are a lot of people unfortunately including railfans who get quite offended when one contrasts today versus 50 years ago or more. And they're quite right to be offended because they're part of the problem and in many cases - know it. That being said, that's one of many reasons I chose to model the era that I do. An awful lot of people have no idea of what life was like "back then." True, it was before (or at the start of) what I'm certain future historians will refer to as the "Great Inflation." It was also before the era of entitlements, the very idea lack of which seems to full some with terror. True, we had half the population that we do now, but most of the increase has been to support the theory of what I call - endless exponential growth. And, most American have bought into that idea. So endless immigration, dilution of the dollar and complete abandonment of particular American ideas. Trouble is, we've spent our great grandchilrens wealth and starting on the great-grandkids. It is a great joy for me to relive in miniature one of the passions of my childhood. If FTs are the power that comes up, for me it's 1957-62. If not then it's 1962-67, possibly. I attempt to pull my motive power by chance. The scenery and structures didn't change that much and while the cars did, I ignore that. So while a GP-9/FT combo might switch a car without roofwalks, I don't let that bother me. Then too for the most part there were a lot of small industries with sidings that might only receive 5 or 10 cars a year. In my recreation of that reality, that becomes more like 50 to 100. Also, while I don't have much in the way of roads or streets on my layout, they are filled with what I consider American icons - our automobiles of the 50s/60s. Here again, anachronisms both ways appear - I can ignore them. Don't know if it'll work for others. I do the above, read a lot of history, and refuse to vote for a "master of the universe" who promises to right every wrong, wipe each tear, and kiss every boo-boo.
Too much politics, not enough trains, IMHO...........don't know about everybody else, but I come here to get away from all that partisan crap!!!!
