open letter to all forum members

to all
i ve recently joined this site after getting divorced, i thought it would be good to get back to the interest that i had when i was single,namely steam railways. All the time i was married i couldnt follow my love of steam because of bringing up a family etc. Also i wanted to placate my wife who thought that all railway preservation was a waste of time and only done by nutters. after being on this website for about a month im starting to think she may have been right.
In the last month ive seen threads slagging off people nr Stoke because they dont like trains, ok, but everyone has a right to free speech, but it doesnt make sense to slag off people if you want them to come round to your way of thinking. Then we had the comments about women drivers on the P&BR, and the possible conection with the derailment. Totaly unaceptable. and now we have people slagging off the NYMR about the derailment theve had, without any facts being shown.
When i was a youngster, spending weekend after weekend crawling in to the smokebox of the Black 5 that use to be at Bitton (AVR), helping it to come back to life. I never thought that railway preservation would become a group of people more interested in slaging off groups that dont think the same way as them, rather than working together for the good of their hobby.

Now i know that i might be totaly wrong and out of order by posting this thread, but i found this website by chance as any member of the general public can. I just feel that if people have issues that they should deal with them in private and not air their dirty washing in public.

before anyone says to me, if you dont like the content get out. I would like to say that i find all the fotos and FACTUAL info very good. I just feel that some people on here arnt doing our hobby any favours and showing the bad side of railway preservation.


PS To Moderator, pls place this where you think is correct, even if its in the bin


regards


D

 

..opens a Bud, breaks out the popcorn...

 

Hi D,

Wecome to the forum.

Unfortunately anywhere you get people you are likely to encounter such negativity, so I wouldn't take it too seriously myself.

The flipside is of course the volume of information and expertise here.


Cheers,

Anna

 

lol, already on the stella, waiting for the replys

 

anna
thanks for your reply, what worries me most is that this site is open to everyone, railway lovers and haters, I think that if we are going to advertise our hobby we should do it as one positive voice, and keep the arguments to behind closed doors. Dont give the antis any ammo at all

D

 

Del1965

People actively involved in Preserved Railways and Mainline Steam are of relatively sound mind and judgement. However, internet forum addicts are complete nutters.
So, don't worry about the vitriol and bad feeling you read on here. If you've got any spare time, I am sure your local Preserved Railway would welcome you into the fold.

 

hi twr 12
thanks for ur reply, im still waiting for two local LARGE railways to comeback to me after 18months. I use to be a qualified STEAM guard on BR, I ve got a ground clearence business that could help these railways, and to date, even after chasing thenm up, ive still not had any contact from them. Ive got to the stage that i feel that some (not all) railways are private clubs that you can only join if you know someone!
I do hope im wrong

D

 

thank you sidmouth
i just worry that maybe we (at times) air our dirty washing in public.
D

 

Welcome del1965,

I think that you could find similar behaviour on every similarly large forum on the web. To be fair, and admitting that I have been in the thick of some of the more controversial threads on here, although I hope always in a reasonable manner, I feel that generally this forum is more interesting, and fun, than negative and that the Moderators do a good job keeping us all in check.

That being said, sometimes comments get lost in translation, as I think was the case regarding the P&BR women drivers comment (a poor attempt at humour in my opinion, but not malicious), and sometimes you are absolutely right and people post daft and insulting things on here that they would never say to someone face to face for fear of a well deserved smack!

I think generally though that we're not bad at sifting the wheat from the chaff, and when someone does say something silly you can usually depend on everyone else to point it out. I think that a non-enthusiast chancing upon this forum for some reason (assuming they stayed around for more than 30 seconds!) would realise that we're generally an ok bunch

 

Del1965

There are far too many people on this forum, and others, that like to think they know it all. They wear rose tinted glasses and think that their view is 100% correct. They dont listen to the facts and wont accept them.
Problem is that they dont work or live in the real 21st Cent railway, be that the main line or preservation.
There are a few on here, and other forums, who do know what they are talking about and they deal with the facts be it on main line or a preserved railway. Sometimes they know about both.
Stick with it and you will be fine. Just keep a look out for those who like to hide behind their keyboards rather than get their hands dirty on helping out at preserved railways

 

Del -

There's more to preservation than getting your hands dirty, or even just railways.

There is an undoubted inverse snobbery that if you don't wear overalls that you should not be entitled to comment, whereas without those who run businesses, including those in preservation, and return profits, the wearers of overalls would have no reserves with which to demonstrate and exercise their skills and interests.

I don't believe that forums should be places of solemn unemotional correspondence, or humour. Our enthusiasms stem from emotional attachment, and when we find ourselves at odds with others who's stance is illogical (a railway - common land?) - (a poll manipulated to maximise revenue) then I don't see why appropriately strong language should be out of bounds to express feelings.

I shan't use some of the words that have been applied to me on here, and only on here - but I do reserve the right to return them - with interest, when the situation so demands. Life is for living, get on and enjoy yours after your trials and tribulations - you probably need to, and as for being ignored by organisations when offering assistance - you aren't the first and you won't be the last!

 

TBF....I think I should clarify myself......When I refer to those who get their hands dirty I was referring to those who actually work on the railways, from those who work in the shop, in the kitchens, organise fund raising as well as those who get oil and crap between their nails...as opposed to those who hide behind keyboards etc

 

I tend to agree with Guard_Jamie above on this one. If you are going to have discussion about **anything** (not just railways), using any media, you cannot really expect to like everything other people contribute. Their views, their humour, their tact or lack of it, their logic or lack of it, their reasonableness or lack of it. Everyone is different thank god.

Would anyone rather go to the other extreme and have discussions moderated to a standstill? (Can't make a joke about catfish, the Catfish Rights group will be up in arms. Or in my case, can't use the word pikey, the Pikey's Rights group will be up in arms. That still rankles!).

I'd also add, Del1965, that if you have not already done so it is worth searching for other discussion groups; their tone varies and you might find one more to your liking. (That isn't saying "If you don't like this one then go away", but there are quite a few railway discussion groups out there, some for specific subjects some more general). Or you could continue to contribute here and attempt to steer things by example.

I doubt we get many visitors here who aren't interested in railways already; any non railway people who did happen to trip over the site would click away as fast as I would if I inadvertently found a soft furnishing forum!

Just my two penn'orth.

 

Don't be too negative : in general, discusions on this forum are very interesting, exciting,chuffing informative with a good chunk of banting .slaging is scarce and not often damaging. I have leaernt a lot on this forum (I can compare with the rare and miserable french forums)....we are human after all!
look at the bright side and blow the jolly whistle
best regards
noel

 

Running a forum like this, is difficult, how far can you go before you have to start suppressing peoples thoughts, do this too often, the forum looses it's spark and people become disinterested. Letting it go too far brings legal implications and court action.
I believe this forum, its members and it's staff get this about 99% but there are things we can improve on, learning we can do to make this a better place to be and a fun place.
Most forums, regardless of subjects can be really passionate about their chosen subjects, this shows in posts that can mean well, but can loose their meaning in text. Sometimes members taking offence at something and reacting badly.

Thank you for your open letter and for everyone's replies.

 

Let's not forget that it's not just preserved railways that have their infighting. I'm sure we can all think of other bodies, formal and informal which are heaving with internal disputes. For example various cricket clubs that I've been involved with; and the rate at which various people connected with birds (watching and twitching) fall out around here reminds me of the Python Judean People's Front, People's Front of Judea etc (also with much dirty laundry on Forums such as this). It's human nature.
The main difference, as has been stated, is the possible commercial implications of what may happen on here, with members of the public, not necessarily enthusiasts, reading some of the postings and losing confidence in Heritage Railways, and possibly taking their money elsewhere.

 

National Preservation is by far the most polite, respectful and tolerant of all the railway forums I read. Goodness knows what the original poster might think of some other places. A discussion forum will always have people disagreeing or appearing to be insulting, patronising, snobbish etc etc but that's the problem with communication that takes place without the natural reading of a persons tone, language and facial expressions.

 

There's some truth there!

Anyone want a moderator called Paul on here?

 

We don't always agree but on that one I'm 100% with you.