Has anyone else seen the Locomotive Wiki? It's a central WIP database on all famous and lesser known locos, from all over the world. It's already 3 years old and has 308 articles. Problem is, there's not very many active users, and they are not nearly enough to know enough about all locomotives to sustain a wiki like that. That's why I'm here to ask for your help! We need anyone who can add information on diesel-electrics, electrics, steam, direct diesel, turbine, and all other types of motive power. Once we complete enough locomotive articles, we will also grow to include info on the great railways of the world. Come on over and make a name for yourself in this growing community! Link: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Locomotive_Wiki
DemoRunner Have anyone else seen the Locomotive Wiki? It's a central WIP database on all famous and lesser known locos, from all over the world. It's already 3 years old and has 308 articles. Problem is, there's not very many active users, and they are not nearly enough to know enough about all locomotives to sustain a wiki like that. That's why I'm here to ask for your help! We need anyone who can add information on diesel-electrics, electrics, steam, direct diesel, turbine, and all other types of motive power. Once we complete enough locomotive articles, we will also grow to include info on the great railways of the world. Come on over and make a name for yourself in this growing community! Link: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Locomotive_Wiki
Have anyone else seen the Locomotive Wiki? It's a central WIP database on all famous and lesser known locos, from all over the world. It's already 3 years old and has 308 articles. Problem is, there's not very many active users, and they are not nearly enough to know enough about all locomotives to sustain a wiki like that. That's why I'm here to ask for your help! We need anyone who can add information on diesel-electrics, electrics, steam, direct diesel, turbine, and all other types of motive power. Once we complete enough locomotive articles, we will also grow to include info on the great railways of the world. Come on over and make a name for yourself in this growing community! Link: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Locomotive_Wiki
I made the link live for you (all you have to do is hit "Enter" after you paste it in the text box)..
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Might be 3 years old but the information on it is so woefully bad it needs to be shut down and started again by people who know what they're talking about....
ML
GDRMCo you are too kind. Why should that site be restarted? My Norton's Anti-virus software gave two warnings while looking around that dump of a site.
GDRMCo Might be 3 years old but the information on it is so woefully bad it needs to be shut down and started again by people who know what they're talking about....
There aren't enough hours in the day to fix this thing, I suspect, even with Forum member participation on a fairly grand scale.
Someone with lots of time on their hands, and perhaps no outside life, needs to go in and rationalize the organization, if it's ever going to be of any practical use, and then go into the individual articles and fix them. Some of them are more woeful than others.
Once that has been done, some of the 'experts' in particular locomotives can go in and add or change specific detail information (or go back to posts on the subject and transfer the information).
I have not seen any warnings yet, but Ghostery sure does block a lot of tracking!
Thank you SSW9389 for that virus warning, I was JUST about to go to that site for a peek. Hopefully other people see it and "down brakes."
Hey, guys, I know how poor some of the info on diesels is. There is only one person responsible for that, and we've kicked him off the site. However, I do not agree with the bogus virus warnings. I've been on the site from 3 different computers and never gotten any virus warnings. I don't appreciate that. In conclusion, the source of the bad info is gone, and you can expect future articles with your help to like more like this: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/PRR_K-series_4-6-2
and this: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/Camden_&_Amboy_4-2-0_"John_Bull"
Helpful and knowledgeable contributors include C-643DH and AltoonaRailfan. If we don't get this website up to par, there's no other we this kind of thing could possibly be achieved. A database of locomotives from around the world would be such a nearly impossible task that starting over really isn't an option.
I spent a considerable amount to time looking through the site. I didn't receive any virus warnings; however the site was significantly different from any Wikipedia site that I've used previously. My understanding of the Wikipedia concept is that a Wikipedia site contains content that is verifiable against published reliable sources and that is edited by anonymous contributors. This site seems more like a cross between a Wikipedia site and a discussion group. The encyclopedia portion consists of "articles" about locomotives which must have been based on some outside sources; however those that I read contained no references that would enable me to verify the content; and as others have mentioned, a significant amount of the content is simply incorrect. The discussion portion of the site consists largely of four "administrators" who use screen names to communicate among themselves about site administration, locomotives, Star Trek, and other subjects. Unlike the other Wikipedia sites that I've used, this site contains large numbers of photos. However almost none of them are credited to any photographer; and I suspect that many of them were lifted from other Internet sites. I'm impressed by the amount of effort that must have been made to establish the site; and I think that it has the potential to become another of the many sites where people post photos. However I can't envision it being viewed as an encyclopedia unless it not only attracts knowledgable contributors but also shifts more toward the standard Wikipedia format.
Even so many of the locomotives that have been written about there have also got articles about them on normal wikipedia with actual sources, not foamer garbage like most of the 'info' on loco wikia.
Important: We can shut off the flow of false information now! All you have to do, even if you don't plan on staying with the wiki, is to vote Corbin out of adminship at this link: http://locomotive.wikia.com/wiki/User_b ... ter_future Simply vote "Support" in bold, and help end this headache and salvage the project.
From what's been posted there it looks like it's best off gathering up everyone there and starting a new wiki, 'Corbin' just looks like he wants his little website to stay as his and that's that.
Corbin has officially been demoted, which means the next time he reverts an edit or swears like an idiot, he's banned. Now the site will have true facts whether he likes it or not! It would be great if you guys could help build the new database!
One thing you're going to want to do -- and I mean this -- is run through and get credit for photos used on that website where it's needed before the owners of the photos cause trouble and maybe even get your site shut down.
I looked at the GE U-boats page, and noted a photo of one of the U25B demonstrators. Now look at this page on my site:
http://railroadlocomotives.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-ge-pictures-and-cab-shot-as-well.html
You'll see a photo of red and white GE 753 part way down. GE did distribute this photo as an 8 x 10 print separately -- but look closely! I used a camera to shoot a photo of the photo page in the binder, and the rings of the binder are visible in the very far right hand side. This is thus my photo, ripped and used without permission and certainly without credit.
So that's step one - give credit where credit is due for work that the authors / Googlers did not do. I'll bet you a thousand dollars I could find other photos on there lifted and uncredited. Maybe some by people I know. Few people mind photos used with permission. Some mind photos used with credit but without permission. ALL OF THEM mind uncredited use of photos obtained by right-click-n-save, which is the 'content generator' of the 'quick and easy' crowd.
I'm very much against Wiki - anything, and always have been because of exactly the types of things discussed in this string. I still don't see the utility over existing websites and books.
NOT to curb the enthusiasm of those genuinely interested in preserving locomotive history --- far from it. I'd ask the simple question as to whether this sort of thing is what the contributors want their time and effort poured into. There are many other venues if one wishes to preserve locomotive history and is capable of researching and developing quality content that adds to the historical record instead of repeating it -- or worse, inserting errors into it.
-Will Davis
Railroad Locomotives - My Blog
Thank you very much for your concern. Corbin was the problem with that. He had a habit of using whatever was on the first page of Google images. Now that he's gone, this WILL end. Your photo will be removed by me, personally, from the page, and then an administrator will permanently delete the image from our databanks. One strange problem we've had twice now is people who think we are an image hosting server for them to dump photos they like on to. We'll have to delete these users and the images they upload.
Thanks for your prompt reply .. but remember that the other choice, if you think you need that photo for historical purposes, is to just give me credit for it. I can even describe to you what it's bound in.
Story time!
Years back, I found a photo on one particular site that gave links to the owners. I wanted to use the photo on my own (now gone) locomotive site. (It was on GeoCities.) Anyway, the person I contacted actually told me that the photo was owned by J. Parker Lamb. I contacted Mr. Lamb who not only gave me permission to use that photo but very kindly sent a bunch more that had never been published anywhere, giving me express permission to put them on my site.
Point is.. sometimes it PAYS to ask! You never know when someone might have something extra to share that adds to the discussion.
(Mental note: I still have that website on the server. I should go fix the html so that the photo links work.)
Hello, and I apologize for such a highly belated response, but as you can see, the website in which this kid is speaking of was originally mine, but has since become a complete and total "train wreck" (if you will) as a result of a huge dramatic viral "war" that occurred around the time this whole thread was posted. Ever since him and a bunch of other kids joined the site, it became into what it currently is now, and is no longer a useful, reliable source that is actually literate.
But, if any of you are interested in joining my newer, updated (albeit under-construction) wiki, click the link below!
http://trains-and-locomotives.wikia.com/wiki/Trains_And_Locomotives_Wiki
Thank you. And any help would be appreciated!
You're HenryDuckFan?
Where do you get your information from?
Can't seem to edit my post.
Only reason I ask is because of some of the laughably bad information that is still on there despite the efforts of the 'kid' and the other members there who are trying to right the wrongs. Things like on the SD90MAC page:'The EMD SD70ACe prototype, which was kit-bashed or originally rebuilt from an SD90MAC.' Where did you get the idea about this?
"GE, developed a slightly more successful, popular, and more light-weight AC-traction diesel locomotive; the AC6000CW" The AC6000CWs on CSX were at first (600-602) 420,000lbs later orders were 432,000lbs. The SD90MACs were only ~415,000lbs. Another load and still the same page!
"Almost from the start the EMD SD90MAC's 6,000hp 16-cylinder 265 "H" engine (known as the EMD 265-H) began to reveal some of its numerous flaws. Such as "teething" issues with the cylinders, crankshaft failures, as well as having the entire engine shut down due to overheating the entire cooling system (although the cooling system was originally guaranteed to be successful for the "H" engine; but wasn't. " Just what....
From the SD80MAC page:
"The EMD SD80MAC is generally considered successful, but high cost, unique controls, and competition from the AC6000CW caused to generate few orders." Care to expand on this? The SD80s cost ~$2million each, about the same as the SD90 and other AC traction locomotives of the time, the electrical system is shared (albiet slightly more prototype) with the SD90s also.
"They were also known by railfans as the "Middle Mac";" Never heard this term.
From the doesn't make sense files on the AC6000CW page:
"Thus, the early AC6000CW units being dubbed "convertibles": a type or model of diesel locomotive capable of being fitted with different parts or engines able to easily be modified; hence, making the engine's horsepower rating editable by adding an additional turbocharger and/or changing the output through the advanced microprocessor controls. " Please explain the last part....
"Though, their production was short-lived; however, due to being non-energy efficient (having a large fuel-consumption) and they eventually had numerous "teething" problems with the prime mover or engine like with the SD90MAC (and it's Phase 2 "H" counter-part), furthermore the locomotive's prime mover could not be produced after 2004, becuase of heavy pollution and having such high fuel consumption. The unit could not be made Tier 2 compliant. " Some emissions figures would be nice, along with fuel consumption, this just smells of foamer rubbish.
"Few AC6000CW's were exported to Australia to work the immense ore trains of the Pilbara, and have upgraded 6,250hp engines and different controls. " If you did research you'd see there was only 8, 'different controls'? Oh you probably mean the slow speed creep function to load ore trains. But hey, that's more important than referencing the fact they units were the only AC60s with the CN style cab and GEN-2 Steerable bogies. All AC60s produced 6250hp gross, 6000hp for traction.
"Some have been downgraded to having 4500, 4400, and 4450 horsepower from CSX and UP due to the US EPA's "tier 2" policy. " Derated to reduce wear and tear and save fuel, unless you have facts to back this up?
"When GE promoted the AC6000CW, the prototype and several demonstrators were painted green as part of GE's "Green Machine" campaign. Yet, the AC6000CW ironically wasn't even energy-efficient. " Only one AC6000CW wore the Green Machine livery, there was no campaign. The Green Machine name came from it being a large and powerful locomotive and being painted green.
"The downgraded versions of the AC6000CW are often known as the "AC4460CW", "AC4300CW", or the "AC43W". " What is this.....
"GE recently upgraded several of CSX's AC6000CW units to have GEVO microprocessor controls and features to be compatable with their fleets of ES44AC (designated "ES44AH") units. " As far as I'm aware they only got the GEVO-16 engines.
"The AC4400CW is simply the AC-powered version of a GE C44-9CW or "Dash 9", which is a type of DC-traction diesel locomotve, yet it was one of the first GE diesel locomotives to have an advanced microprocessor control system (better than what was offered or featured with the Dash 8 and Dash 9) and wasn't even considered to be part of the Dash 9 line from GE." I've seen the AC4400CW referenced as the CW44-9AC, tho I suspect GE didn't bother keeping the name as AC4400CW makes more sense.
"The AC4400CW was also one of the first diesel locomotives to be equipped with self-steering "steerable trucks" (which were first offered with the AC4400CW's DC-traction counter-part: the C44-9W, besides first being invented or introduced with the AC4400CW's competition: EMD's SD70MAC; previously on the preceeding SD60MAC" GE never offered the Steerable bogie on the C44-9W.
"The type of locomotive also included "controlled tractive effort" (CTE), which helped provide better tractive effort for whenever a wheelslip were to occur; similar to what was originally included with EMD's SD80MAC. CTE reduces the tractive effort when in DPU service, the SD80MACs never had CTE, only DPU.
Where do you get your facts because this site despite the well intended efforts of the 'kids' is still a mess of foamer rubbish.
I didn't write any of that! LOL They actually added that after I attempted to delete it numerous times! The information that I usually get either comes from THESE forums, railroadpicturearchives.NET, or the various books authored by Brian Solomon!
Now, the original versions of my articles in which I've authored did contain SOME errors, but that's typical for an average wiki site (considering that everyone makes mistakes and that people are smart in their own ways, have their own individual knowledge, and so forth). Everything else was added once Jacob and the other annoying kids "ratified" the wiki and turned it into the mess that it is now!
Though, Jacob basically copies articles from Wikipedia, while Gavin (Starfleet Academy, the Star Trek guy) uses improper grammar and often claims that he's "wikifying" everything!
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