Trains.com

Who have you actually met here?

8429 views
58 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 234 posts
Who have you actually met here?
Posted by chad s thomas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 5:56 PM

Lately here there seems to be a lot of folks that think we are all just a bunch of faceless posters that only know one another from the forum. That is not the case. Several of us have been here for a while and have had oppertunity to meet face to face from time to time. Even me, a left coaster, has met a few. It's not that we are 'an eleetist' crew. It's just sometimes there is more than meets the eye.Smile, Wink & Grin

I have personally met:

BHannell

CShaver (and his lovely wife Pat)

CopcarSS

Zgardner

CColt

ElRojo (?sp)

and a couple others I can't remember there screennames (wont front them out on real names... to protect the innocent ya know )Smile, Wink & Grin

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 6:02 PM

So far, no one from this forum. On an aviation forum I participate on I've met folks from all over the country.

Norm


  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 234 posts
Posted by chad s thomas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 6:14 PM

My list would be much bigger if I included other forums, especially SoCalRailfan, but I limited my list to Trains.

It's a great thing technology has done for the railfan community (mostly). Back in the 80's when I first started seriously railfanning it was a rare event to meet a fellow railfan out in the field.Wink

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 6:19 PM

Kisses  A lady never tells.

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 234 posts
Posted by chad s thomas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 6:23 PM

Mookie

Kisses  A lady never tells.

Well I'm not going to front you out, but I know you have probably met more of the 'crew' then anyone else I know of here YesCool

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
Posted by Ulrich on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 6:43 PM

I've never met anyone from the internet. Would it really make a difference?...I dunno.  

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 7:57 PM

No - Carl probably has the longest list.  He travels to people.  I just sit here and let them find me!  Mischief

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 234 posts
Posted by chad s thomas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 8:18 PM

Ulrich

I've never met anyone from the internet. Would it really make a difference?...I dunno.  

If you have to ask.....it probably wouldn't.

  • Member since
    October 2012
  • 234 posts
Posted by chad s thomas on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 8:19 PM

Mookie

No - Carl probably has the longest list.  He travels to people.  I just sit here and let them find me!  Mischief

Word....Smile, Wink & Grin

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 8:47 PM

   I've met Coburn35 and 2 others whose handles I can't remember at the North Shore Railroad in Duluth MN, and I've met Spokyone when he was passing through the area.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 10:20 PM

Ahh, I have choices (font, type size, paragraphs, smilies, etc.) again. Perhaps Portland is kinder to me than Sacramento is?

I continually invite Mookie to come to the station when I am going to pass through Lincoln, but she won't come. Crying Mookie, I expect to pass through Lincoln on #5 after leaving Chicago on 1 October. I don't know which side my roomette will be on, though. 

I have met Carl, and a man who posts on the Classic Trains forum (he does read posts on this forum)

Johnny

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,900 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 11:03 PM

I've met Carl and Brian Hanel.  I've been in the same room (Ottumwa train show IIRC) with Spokyone and (Mason City yard office) with RRKen.   Both were busy engaged with others at the time, so I didn't introduce myself.  I've met two or three others that used to post here, but haven't been around for a long time.

I've even worked trains with Larry, who IIRC, went by cnw51fan, who hasn't posted on here in a long time either.  Imagine, a class one freight train crewed 100% by Trains forum members!  

Along with Larry and Ken, there was another engineer (out of Des Moines) from our seniority district who was on here for a short while.  Four people, three of them engineers, from the same district, although different terminals.  Maybe it's some kind of record.

I don't know if it means anything, but some of these people who dropped out seemed to do so right after a forum upgrade.

Jeff.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 11:25 PM

no one, granted I'm nowhere near as active in railfanning as I used to be

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, September 11, 2014 9:43 AM

The only place I have met people for a form is one where I was racing with them before the forum was created.

I have never met anyone from this forum.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,019 posts
Posted by tree68 on Thursday, September 11, 2014 1:04 PM

Carl & Pat - twice, once here, once on his home turf

Joe and his family (including Matt) - several times on my visits to Deshler.

Mudchicken - in this area to teach some surveyors about railroads.

TrainmanTy, who I haven't seen here of late, and who introduced himself at the big Springfield train show.  

I've met Jim Wrinn, however briefly, and I doubt he'd single me out from the hundreds who probably introduced themselves that day at Owosso.

Randy (rvos1979) has been up in this area several times, but we haven't managed to connect yet - he's usually trying to get where he's going, never mind taking any time to socialize.

It's possible there have been others (Springfield is a big show, Syracuse is fair sized as well) where we've passed as "two ships in the night."

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    June 2002
  • 20,096 posts
Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, September 11, 2014 2:07 PM

8000 MILES AWAY

BUT THAT IS OK

EVEN THOSE THAT DISAGREE

THE LD AMTRAK IS HERE TO STAY

ARE STILL MY GOOD FRIENDS

SINCE ALL WANT THE GOOD OF THE INDUSTRY

DAVE

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Thursday, September 11, 2014 3:16 PM

I continually invite Mookie to come to the station when I am going to pass through Lincoln, but she won't come. Crying Mookie, I expect to pass through Lincoln on #5 after leaving Chicago on 1 October. I don't know which side my roomette will be on, though.

Johnny - one of these times I am going to sneak down there and peek in all the windows until I find you.  You will know it is me because of the amount of noise the police make arresting a female window-peeker.  Shy

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, September 11, 2014 3:27 PM

If I try and list everyone I've met from this Forum, I'm pretty sure I'd miss a few.  There are some who have become lifelong friends and confidantes, and some I'd just as soon forget about.  But let's try:

Chad (and Dad), in California (at the time).

Ed Blysard (and Aimee), from Texas.  

From Utah (really from all over!):  Johnny Degges The Younger, and his late wife Ricki.

Colorado:  Chris ("CopCarSS") May, Mudchicken and Boss Hen, as well as the three Boyz (two of which are sadly no longer here but are memorialized in a quilt Pat made for them). 

The Nebraska contingent:  Mookie (and Driver), Willy (the meteorologist) and parents.

In Iowa:  Brian Hanel (and Joanie), and Jeff Hergert (and Becky).  

"Downstate" Illinois:  Bob ("Spokyone") and friend, Jay and Linda Eaton.

Wisconsin:  When I first met Jay, he was from Wisconsin.  But there's also Jim ("Zardoz") and his wife Kathy, Dan ("CNW6000") Braun (we didn't meet his wife, but I got to hold Aedan once!), Dave Nelson, Brian Schmidt, and Randy Vos. 

Wisconsin also has to include the Kalmbach crew, past and present, who have posted here (some of whom are no longer with Kalmbach):  Erik Bergstrom, Mike Yuhas, Kat Kube, Lorie West, Angela with the long hyphenated name (whose birthday it is today, by the way), Mark and Tina Hemphill (not together), Jim Wrinn, Matt Van Hattem, Kevin Keefe, Andy Cummings (and Sherry, when she was still his fiancee), and David P. Morgan (or maybe just his ghost).

Chicagoland:  Jim ("Eolafan"), Matt Adams (I wish I knew how he was doing now!), Colin ("MetraKid 2"), who's now an engineer on BNSF but was in middle school when I met him. 

Indiana:  Quentin "Modelcar" Mong, and Ed "MP173" Mosser.

Kentucky:  Walt ("Locomutt") and Paula ("Cherokee Woman") Garriott, one other guy, and Sarah "CSXRules4eva" Warner (who's now with CSX).

Ohio:  JoeKoh(nen), as well as Momma and Matt (to whom I offered some fries once).  I've met a bunch of people through Joe, but don't know if they're on the Forum or not.

Pennsylvania:  Nora (and her boys); she's now working for NS (she held on long enough!), and Paul North (with his wife, amid perhaps the strangest get-together involving Forum folks and others).  

New York:  Tree68 (as he said, once here, once there) and Nance ("Wmnb4thrtl"). 

I count 39.  Did I forget anyone?  There are a few other folks I still want to meet; and nearly anyone's welcome to come to Chicagoland and look us up.

It's interesting to note that six of the seven Class 1 railroads are represented here by people currently working for them, or having them in their resume.

There are several people here with whom I've visited in more than one state.  The record-holder is four, but we won't go there.  The people with three states are CopCar, Willy, and Nora's family.  Going the other way, I don't think we'll ever have a gathering more memorable than the one we had at Camp Mookie one October (was that 2005, or 2006?).  Mookie and Driver, Ed and Aimee, MC and BH, Willy and parents, and Brian Hanel, along with Pat and me.  'Twas a fantastic day in Lincoln, all around (I wish I could conclude my post with a picture from then, but I don't have those skills; perhaps someone else can do it).

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 11, 2014 4:00 PM

I've had the pleasure of personally meeting both Zugmann and RRKen.

Our friendship dates back to the days of the old Trainorders Chatroom, which was closed in 2003.

I'm also friends with several other posters on Facebook.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • 1,307 posts
Posted by Falcon48 on Thursday, September 11, 2014 4:01 PM

I've probably met several of you from my rail industry and tourist railroad activities.  But I don't know who most of you are, and you probably don't know who I am.  It's probably better that way.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, September 11, 2014 10:31 PM
Mookie

I continually invite Mookie to come to the station when I am going to pass through Lincoln, but she won't come. Crying Mookie, I expect to pass through Lincoln on #5 after leaving Chicago on 1 October. I don't know which side my roomette will be on, though.

Johnny - one of these times I am going to sneak down there and peek in all the windows until I find you.  You will know it is me because of the amount of noise the police make arresting a female window-peeker.  Shy

Mookie, be sure to wear your stilts. My next time through, I will be in a roomette in the hired help's car, right behind the baggage car.

Johnny

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, September 11, 2014 10:38 PM
Reply Quoting Carl:"Ohio: JoeKoh(nen), as well as Momma and Matt (to whom I offered some fries once). I've met a bunch of people through Joe, but don't know if they're on the Forum or not." Did Matt really want, and like, your fries? xxx new paragraph xxx I don't know why it is that sometimes when I am using my laptop I can choose my favorite font and size, and at others I cannot. I'm in Everett, Washington, now, and will go up to Vancouver, B.C., tomorrow morning--and leave there for Edmonton that evening.

Johnny

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • 9,265 posts
Posted by edblysard on Thursday, September 11, 2014 10:40 PM

CShaveRR

If I try and list everyone I've met from this Forum, I'm pretty sure I'd miss a few.  There are some who have become lifelong friends and confidantes, and some I'd just as soon forget about.  But let's try:

Chad (and Dad), in California (at the time).

Ed Blysard (and Aimee), from Texas.  

From Utah (really from all over!):  Johnny Degges The Younger, and his late wife Ricki.

Colorado:  Chris ("CopCarSS") May, Mudchicken and Boss Hen, as well as the three Boyz (two of which are sadly no longer here but are memorialized in a quilt Pat made for them). 

The Nebraska contingent:  Mookie (and Driver), Willy (the meteorologist) and parents.

In Iowa:  Brian Hanel (and Joanie), and Jeff Hergert (and Becky).  

"Downstate" Illinois:  Bob ("Spokyone") and friend, Jay and Linda Eaton.

Wisconsin:  When I first met Jay, he was from Wisconsin.  But there's also Jim ("Zardoz") and his wife Kathy, Dan ("CNW6000") Braun (we didn't meet his wife, but I got to hold Aedan once!), Dave Nelson, Brian Schmidt, and Randy Vos. 

Wisconsin also has to include the Kalmbach crew, past and present, who have posted here (some of whom are no longer with Kalmbach):  Erik Bergstrom, Mike Yuhas, Kat Kube, Lorie West, Angela with the long hyphenated name (whose birthday it is today, by the way), Mark and Tina Hemphill (not together), Jim Wrinn, Matt Van Hattem, Kevin Keefe, Andy Cummings (and Sherry, when she was still his fiancee), and David P. Morgan (or maybe just his ghost).

Chicagoland:  Jim ("Eolafan"), Matt Adams (I wish I knew how he was doing now!), Colin ("MetraKid 2"), who's now an engineer on BNSF but was in middle school when I met him. 

Indiana:  Quentin, and Ed "MP173" Mosser.

Kentucky:  Walt and Paula, one other guy, and Sarah "CSXRules4eva" (who's now with CSX).

Ohio:  JoeKoh(nen), as well as Momma and Matt (to whom I offered some fries once).  I've met a bunch of people through Joe, but don't know if they're on the Forum or not.

Pennsylvania:  Nora (and her boys); she's now working for NS (she held on long enough!), and Paul North (with his wife, amid perhaps the strangest get-together involving Forum folks and others).  

New York:  Tree68 (as he said, once here, once there) and Nance ("Wmnb4thrtl"). 

I count 39.  Did I forget anyone?  There are a few other folks I still want to meet; and nearly anyone's welcome to come to Chicagoland and look us up.

It's interesting to note that six of the seven Class 1 railroads are represented here by people currently working for them, or having them in their resume.

There are several people here with whom I've visited in more than one state.  The record-holder is four, but we won't go there.  The people with three states are CopCar, Willy, and Nora's family.  Going the other way, I don't think we'll ever have a gathering more memorable than the one we had at Camp Mookie one October (was that 2005, or 2006?).  Mookie and Driver, Ed and Aimee, MC and BH, Willy and Parents, and Brian Hanel, along with Pat and me.  'Twas a fantastic day in Lincoln, all around (I wish I could conclude my post with a picture from then, but I don't have those skills; perhaps someone else can do it).

Carl,

Here is the Mookieville mob.

23 17 46 11

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Thursday, September 11, 2014 11:37 PM

Yup, that's us...everybody but Mookie (and I'm sure she prefers it that way!).

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • 3,231 posts
Posted by NorthWest on Friday, September 12, 2014 12:26 PM

Deggesty. (Very recently, in fact...)

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Saturday, September 13, 2014 2:59 AM

Murray
I've had the pleasure of personally meeting both Zugmann and RRKen.

C'mon... I'm not a real person.  I'm a A.I. program invented in the basement of MIT designed as a psychological study in measuring tolerance levels of other forum posters.

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

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Saturday, September 13, 2014 11:26 AM

I see 4 weeks in "Hot-lanta" hasn't altered your programming much . . . Mischief

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Saturday, September 13, 2014 12:22 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr

I see 4 weeks in "Hot-lanta" hasn't altered your programming much . . . Mischief

Oh, it was eye-opening.  Not in a good way, either. 

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

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
Posted by Ulrich on Saturday, September 13, 2014 6:48 PM

Meeting in person is a good idea when possible. It is sometimes easy to forget that there are real people posting here... the guy on the other end may be some 85 year old pushing a walker.  Any poster who happens to be in Toronto area by all means feel welcome to contact me... coffee on me. 

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Saturday, September 13, 2014 8:36 PM

Ulrich

Meeting in person is a good idea when possible. It is sometimes easy to forget that there are real people posting here... the guy on the other end may be some 85 year old pushing a walker.  Any poster who happens to be in Toronto area by all means feel welcome to contact me... coffee on me. 

Tempting....especially the coffee.  Coffee 

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy