Murphy Siding I meant link to the the Facebook page with the photo.
https://www.facebook.com/TrainsMagazine/photos/a.488987150049.302711.386595470049/10153033722415050/?type=1&theater
(Note that the picture that accompanies the 'commentary' appears to be a stock picture of a CN locomotive and not the photo 'evidence' concerned in the discussion.)
When I loaded this page, it displayed some of the comments without requiring a Facebook sign-in or registration.
Quite correct, that picture has nothing to do with the discussion apart from showing the same railroad. The picture was taken a thousand miles away near Jasper, Alberta, probably by the camera of the more mature and very professional Jeff Robertson.
That isn't the photo of concern. Dig deeper into the comments and you should find it. it's the profile photo of one of the respondents.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Zuggman, since you know where the link is, or whose profile photo it is, could you please give it to us? I scrolled through all 176 posts in that facebook page, and nothing jumped out at me that said "here's the picture of the conductor giving the photographer the finger".
Patrick Boylan
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gardendance Zuggman, since you know where the link is, or whose profile photo it is, could you please give it to us? I scrolled through all 176 posts in that facebook page, and nothing jumped out at me that said "here's the picture of the conductor giving the photographer the finger".
https://www.facebook.com/brian.beschta?fref=ufi
No fingers appear to be in play.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
If that's typical of the offending photos which ruined the photographer's repeated tries to get his shots, then I'm going to lump him with the above mentioned rivet counters who want no human presence to show in any of their train photos.
BaltACD gardendance Zugmann, since you know where the link is, or whose profile photo it is, could you please give it to us? I scrolled through all 176 posts in that facebook page, and nothing jumped out at me that said "here's the picture of the conductor giving the photographer the finger". https://www.facebook.com/brian.beschta?fref=ufi
gardendance Zugmann, since you know where the link is, or whose profile photo it is, could you please give it to us? I scrolled through all 176 posts in that facebook page, and nothing jumped out at me that said "here's the picture of the conductor giving the photographer the finger".
Zugmann, since you know where the link is, or whose profile photo it is, could you please give it to us? I scrolled through all 176 posts in that facebook page, and nothing jumped out at me that said "here's the picture of the conductor giving the photographer the finger".
Now that the conductor in question has been positively and unequivocably identified:
There has been considerable discussion in at least three separate places (the blog, the Facebook page, and here) regarding the text of "The Letter". In all three places there have been requests to see the actual text of the letter as sent. Why has someone not provided this, especially since there are said to be so many copies on so many lockers?
Aside from that, I'm solidly with schlimm about the 'equum mortuum verberans' aspect of this ... in all three places.
Well let's not say "positively and unequivocably identified", after all we have only a facebook userid that purports to be the questionable conductor. :)
When I have absolutely nothing better to do I'll reread the blog. I thought it had the text, or at least a summary, of the letter.
gardendance If that's typical of the offending photos which ruined the photographer's repeated tries to get his shots, then I'm going to lump him with the above mentioned rivet counters who want no human presence to show in any of their train photos.
I guess you could ignore everything I said, thats fine.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
coborn35 I was given a front row seat when this letter was written in 2010. I had a few very good friends who worked for the CN when this happened. Please stop saying "he got in trouble because he waved". You sound so stupid. That could not be further from the truth. The conductor repeatedly opened the door at crossings, engineer turned the lights off at crossings, middle fingers and other etc. The letter was sent to the Superintendent, who in turn attempted to discipline the employees. If anyone is familar with their investigation system, I need say no more. This letter (attempt to get guys fired to the guys up here) was posted behind a locked glass case in the Proctor, MN yard office (AND REMAINS THERE TO THIS VERY DAY!!!) and inspired an entire generation of railroaders that hate railfans. Thats not even close to an exageration. Crews now commonly fly toilet paper out the windows, shut lights off and flip railfans off, mostly because of this letter. It created an us vs them mentality. Those are the facts. Why TRAINS decided to stir the pot 5 years later and make things even worse for those who railfan up here is beyond me but I can attest that all the guys up here are aware this was posted again and are just as mad as they were before. Good job ESPN, er, I mean TRAINS.
I was given a front row seat when this letter was written in 2010. I had a few very good friends who worked for the CN when this happened. Please stop saying "he got in trouble because he waved". You sound so stupid. That could not be further from the truth. The conductor repeatedly opened the door at crossings, engineer turned the lights off at crossings, middle fingers and other etc. The letter was sent to the Superintendent, who in turn attempted to discipline the employees. If anyone is familar with their investigation system, I need say no more. This letter (attempt to get guys fired to the guys up here) was posted behind a locked glass case in the Proctor, MN yard office (AND REMAINS THERE TO THIS VERY DAY!!!) and inspired an entire generation of railroaders that hate railfans. Thats not even close to an exageration. Crews now commonly fly toilet paper out the windows, shut lights off and flip railfans off, mostly because of this letter. It created an us vs them mentality. Those are the facts. Why TRAINS decided to stir the pot 5 years later and make things even worse for those who railfan up here is beyond me but I can attest that all the guys up here are aware this was posted again and are just as mad as they were before. Good job ESPN, er, I mean TRAINS.
I'm not sure why you feel you need to tell me to ignore what you said. I hold your prior statement in as high a regard as I do any other unsubstantiated internet comment.
Yes you said back on page 2 that from your front row seat, while the photographer wrote the letter, that you could see that the conductor did many awful things. So why didn't you ask the photographer to send something more damning than the photo that we see on some facebook resident's page, who purports to be the fingery conductor?
And the photo at https://www.facebook.com/brian.beschta?fref=ufi looks to me to be nothing more than somebody giving a friendly wave.
Did you notice my prior posts where I said "If" and asked how we know what the conductor's intent was? I'm looking for evidence, your and anybody else's statements are testimony, which can get entered into evidence, but I don't believe anybody should accept testimony as true without more to back it up.
Why didn't the photographer send a photo of one of the times the conductor had his middle finger out? He should have had much opportunity to get those shots. If the beschta's facebook photo is the one this professional photographer decided to send, why is it so grainy, far more than I'd expect a photocopy of a photocopy to be.
And something I haven't noticed discussed: how is it that a main line freight train goes back and forth past the same spot, with the same locomotives and crew, frequently enough that anybody waiting at trackside gets several chances in one session to have their photos ruined?
In any event this post makes me realize how lucky I am to be living here... where life is so good that frustration over a lousy train shot is worthy of a lengthy analysis. I much prefer that problem over what I'm seeing on the news these days.
It all seems like manufactured "buzz."
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Nevermind.... not worth it.
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