Re: D&RGW 464 question

BodieCalifornia Wrote:
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> It was a simple question, that's all it was. You
> guys rail on people who don't spend all day on
> here and turn them away from this interest. In my
> opinion, the more interest, the better. He didn't
> tell anyone to do something, he just wondered why.
> People her need to back off and not start wars.
> It's ridiculous.

Bodie,

I didn't see anyone here start a war. Even the most "intense" response to the OP didn't jump down the person's throat....certainly not like what you might see on TrainOrders or some other boards. I think the majority of the responses were quite civil. And by the way, unlike some other boards, many of us sign our real names to our posts.

The "simple" way to ask the OP question would be to ask: "Has there been any discussion or effort over the years to return 464 to Colorado?" That would have taken the OP's personal opinion completely out of the discussion. In such a case, a typical response might have been to post a link to a previous thread in which the topic had already been discussed to death. In this case, the OP's choice of words could have been better.

"I would ask a question I have had for years. Why isn't there talk of "returning the 464 to its home rails" from Michigan? Doesn't it more so belong here and not there?"

In asking it that way, he clearly implied that he thought 464 belonged in Colorado and was wondering why others didn't have strong opinions to that effect. Fortunately, I think everyone immediately recognized that the person didn't have a strong background in the history of railroad preservation for the last 50 years and might also be a young person who has yet to figure out that it is money that makes steam locomotives run....and airplanes fly.....and really makes the world go around in general.

/Kevin Madore