Steam & Excursion > Novel idea

I do not know how to make this happen, but we ( the rail fan community) need to produce a book, or series of books. The information inside would be interviews, stories, photos with some of our famous engineers and firemen of famous locomotive or trains. Example, a book about 4449, text of interviews with Doyle, Hot Water, others. One about the UP Steam, interviews and stories by Bob Krieger, Steve, Hot Water, any one left alive who retired the locos. A Book about AFT, interviews with Ross, Wes, anyone involved.

The shear volume of railroad history with these elder statesmen of the rail community should not be lost when, God forbid, they pass on to the great rails in the sky. Just saying.

Posted from iPhone

Putting a book or books together today sounds good; however, with more and more folks going on line to read stories, and remember there are tons of stories not only here on TrainOrders, but on lots of other railroad sites including various museum and NRHS sites.  So much has been covered with interviews of many of the folks you are speaking about that in today's environment I cannot see books being put together like in the bygone years.  So many book stores have closed and others are having a difficult time staying in business.  This is just my opinion, that's all.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

If not something in print, an effort could be made to do a series of recorded interviews to have the stories and experiences archived straight from the source.  Picture and extensive MP3 archive preseved somewhere.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

I like it...

And, there’s a whole “2nd Generation” of steam guys ...Scott Lindsay,, for example.
Lynn Moedinger, Strasburg, etc..

It could be costly to do it RIGHT,  but would be worth the effort.
A couple of us could do it, but, we’d need cost coverage both for the travel and the ‘technological’ support —- to do a professional job of interviewing, editing and cataloguing the stories....

If you’ve got leads on generating the financial support, we could get it rolling....
Its not a LOT of money,  but, I am not in a position to just go wandering with a tape recorder...
it would require a small staff of dedicated, compensated folks to do the credible work, professional, archive work.

There might be University sponsored grants, Go Fund Me efforts, etc.

There's also the stories from the various organizers of the multitude of trips ( around the nation), the train volunteer staffs, the support structures, and in-depth interviews with the Corporate Officers and staffs of the supporting RRs, who took tremendous political risks in backing steam excursions..

Its “worth a shot”,  putting this together.

W,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/18 14:58 by wcamp1472.

Here are some of the folks who should be interviewed for this effort, whether in print or other media.

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I remember when Doyle came to the Roundhouse in his hometown of Conneaut, Ohio., seeking to help with restoring the 759.
Back in June, 1968.

Definitely, was fortuitous event...

​W.

Just received my copy of the NKPT&HS quarterly Magazine —- a whole magazine about the 759’s rebirth...
GET IT, while they last and JOIN the NKPT&HS Society ...

W.

The key is to gather the info and put it into the form of a book. Amazon has a deal where your send them your manuscript and they will only print the book when there's an order.
Of course, you can always publish it as a digital book.
 I do most of my reading on Kindle on my IPad.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

I talked to Doyle about doing something like this once, I guess when I was doing my AFT diary a couple years ago. He said no, if he were to do a book he’d probably be facing litigation for the rest of his life.
SR

And Doyle checks TO fairly often, so I imagine he’s changing his phone number right about now....

Doyle Who??? "I see Nothing, I hear Nothing, I know Nothing!"

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/18 05:51 by Bob3985.