Re: PC: those care free 70's and the future

[rastaff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> From:          "Roger P. Hensley" <rhensley -AT- ecicnet.org>
> Subject:       Re: PC: those care free 70's and the future
> To:            penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
> Date:          Thu, 9 Apr 1998 11:21:20 -0500 (EST)
> Reply-to:      penn-central -AT- smellycat.com

I also have fallen to not taking photos any more, I worked for the 
Erie Lackawanna and took a buch of slides, then after getting 
Conjobed after Conrail went to work for the Burlington Northern out 
of Alliance, NE. Took a buch of BN photos and lost interest. Was 
looking at some stuff the other day and it dawned on me that I have 
not taken much in the last 10 years. What it boils down to is I have 
lost interest in the new stuff. The days when you could keep a unit 
going by sticking a broom handle in the electrical cabinet to hold a 
relay down are gone. Now everything is run by a computer. If the 
railroad could replace you with a computer you would be gone also. 
     Also 1985 is when the new union agreements went into effect that 
elimated train orders and us operators, the new crew consist 
agreements took efect that did away with brakeman and the caboose. 
Also the whole effert to replace everyone out on the road with a fax 
machine also made the railroad less enjoyable. So railraoding is not 
fun anymore and when something is not fun you stop taking photos of 
it. One person today does the job that 6 or 8 people did 10 years 
ago. It just kills your wanting to spend time trackside on your days 
off. By the way I am 45 years old now, still do some model 
railroading and am now trying to write a book about the Bangor and 
Portland Branch of the DL&W/EL/CR
 Bob Stafford

> >Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 10:27:57 -0400
> >To: penn-central -AT- smellycat.com
> >From: Christian Axsiom <rcaxsiom -AT- maxwell.syr.edu>
> >Subject: Re: PC: those care free 70's and the future
> >
> >To the undergrads I teach, I think 26 (my age) is old.  But I don't think
> >35 is old at all.  Kelly asks an interesting question.  How old are all
> of us?
> 
> >
> >Christian Axsiom
> 
>         I am amazed at the ages that I am seeing here. Under 35? Great!! 
>         I am 58 and I date back to the NYC and PRR which were very
>         busy in my area of Indiana. Suddenly, there was PC abandoning
>         track as fast as they could get rid of it. My memories of the
>         PC are somewhat less than fond.  :-(
>         
>         It is interesting that the CID NMRA meet that I attended two
>         weeks ago had a slide clinic on the PC. I really enjoyed it.
>         I sat there looking at poor trackwork, painted out reporting 
>         marks and roadnames and grungy locomotives.  I was  seeing 
>         equipment that had been an everyday sight, and many with a 
>         historic background and story. They're all gone now captured 
>         in a fleeting moment by the click of a camera shutter. 
> 
>         There was a time that I stopped taking pictures of any kind. 
>         I only wish...        
> 
> Roger 
> 
> Roger Hensley - 00rphensley -AT- bsuvc.bsu.edu - rhensley@ecicnet.org
> Information Systems Specialist - Ball State University  - Muncie, IN
>                              
> === http://bsuvc.bsu.edu/~00rphensley/cidwelco.html ================
> === The Railroads of Madison County, Indiana =======================
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