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e-Passes (electronic or virtual rail passes)

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  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Anderson Indiana
  • 1,301 posts
e-Passes (electronic or virtual rail passes)
Posted by rogerhensley on Sunday, June 16, 2002 9:52 AM
In days gone by, when the passenger train was the way to travel, the railroads issued passes allowing people to ride free. They were issued to certain employees and their families and to some politicians and officials who may have been able to do the railroad a favor. Having a pass was a real asset.

Passes varied from railroad to railroad as did the restrictions and limitations as to division or trains to be taken that were printed on them. They were designed to fit easily into a billfold or wallet with the name of the railroad and authorizing agent and the word Pass.

As the hobby of Model railroading grew, many model railroaders created a pass for their railroad. Some were very inventive and humorous in the restrictions and/or rules being printed on both sides and even folded allowing 4 sides. The NMRA created a Pass Exchange for its members with a number of the 'better' ones being printed in the NMRA Bulletin. Today, there are pass contests at many conventions with first, second and third place winners.

I told you that to tell you this. Not to be outdone, model railroaders on the Internet have created an Electronic Pass or e-Pass to exchange with other modelers. As an example, most of the e-Passes are about 550x350 pixels in size and come in jpg and gif formats. They are as varied as the person (and railroad) that designed them. You can see examples of the ones that I have received on my East Central Indiana web site at http://cid.railfan.net/eci_new.html or directly at: http://cid.railfan.net/passlis1.html

It is likely that a number of people on this forum have a e-Pass available. In any event, I invite you to join in the enjoyment of this part of the hobby.

Roger

Roger Hensley - madisonrails@railfan.net
== http://cid.railfan.net/eci_new.html ==
== East Central Indiana HO Scale Railroad ==

Roger Hensley
= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html =
= Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/

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