My introduction

[BlakeTyner]

Hi everyone. I've made a post or two over in the Amtrak discussion forum, but it occurs to me that I haven't introduced myself.

I'm Blake. I work as an English professor for a small community college in NE Texas. For about 6 years before I started this gig, I was the engineer of the Historic Jefferson Railway steam train (got me through college and graduate school.)

My interest in trains and railroading goes back to childhood. I suppose I never outgrew the trains. I've done some modeling in the past (HO scale) and hope to do some in the near future (N scale, probably.) I've railroaded on the full scale, of course, and have decent enough steam locomotive experience. I'm newly married (found someone that will put up with my crazy train fascination) and now that I've finished graduate school I'm beginning to get involved in several railroad safety and advocacy groups. I'm presently assisting in Operation Lifesaver presentations and will train as a presenter myself when the next class in my area begins. I'm in the very, very early stages of getting involved with the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO) as well as the East Texas Corridor Council (for high speed rail.) On top of that, I'm starting to get involved with the City of Marshall's wonderfully restored T&P depot.

All of that means little, of course, in the way of my having much inside knowledge of operations or policy, but I'm happy to share what I do know (and what I can say publicly.)

Look forward to many good conversations!

 

[MrFSS]

Hi everyone. I've made a post or two over in the Amtrak discussion forum, but it occurs to me that I haven't introduced myself.
I'm Blake. I work as an English professor for a small community college in NE Texas. For about 6 years before I started this gig, I was the engineer of the Historic Jefferson Railway steam train (got me through college and graduate school.)

My interest in trains and railroading goes back to childhood. I suppose I never outgrew the trains. I've done some modeling in the past (HO scale) and hope to do some in the near future (N scale, probably.) I've railroaded on the full scale, of course, and have decent enough steam locomotive experience. I'm newly married (found someone that will put up with my crazy train fascination) and now that I've finished graduate school I'm beginning to get involved in several railroad safety and advocacy groups. I'm presently assisting in Operation Lifesaver presentations and will train as a presenter myself when the next class in my area begins. I'm in the very, very early stages of getting involved with the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO) as well as the East Texas Corridor Council (for high speed rail.) On top of that, I'm starting to get involved with the City of Marshall's wonderfully restored T&P depot.

All of that means little, of course, in the way of my having much inside knowledge of operations or policy, but I'm happy to share what I do know (and what I can say publicly.)

Look forward to many good conversations!

Welcome - we look forward to your participation on the forum!

 

[the_traveler]

Welcome!

Any fan of steam railroading is OK in my book!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hi everyone. I've made a post or two over in the Amtrak discussion forum, but it occurs to me that I haven't introduced myself.
I'm Blake. I work as an English professor for a small community college in NE Texas. For about 6 years before I started this gig, I was the engineer of the Historic Jefferson Railway steam train (got me through college and graduate school.)

My interest in trains and railroading goes back to childhood. I suppose I never outgrew the trains. I've done some modeling in the past (HO scale) and hope to do some in the near future (N scale, probably.) I've railroaded on the full scale, of course, and have decent enough steam locomotive experience. I'm newly married (found someone that will put up with my crazy train fascination) and now that I've finished graduate school I'm beginning to get involved in several railroad safety and advocacy groups. I'm presently assisting in Operation Lifesaver presentations and will train as a presenter myself when the next class in my area begins. I'm in the very, very early stages of getting involved with the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO) as well as the East Texas Corridor Council (for high speed rail.) On top of that, I'm starting to get involved with the City of Marshall's wonderfully restored T&P depot.

All of that means little, of course, in the way of my having much inside knowledge of operations or policy, but I'm happy to share what I do know (and what I can say publicly.)

Look forward to many good conversations!

Welcome Blake to the crazy and kooky and wonderful world of train nuts/railfans/foamers etc.! Its great to have someone else in Texas be involved

with things rail especially the Eagle and the Flyer. (Im sure that saxman will be glad too, hes our man re things Eagle so the more the merrier!)

Dont think any of us got over trains from our childhoods, whether model (Lionel was BIG back in the day!)or real so enjoy the forum, we look forward to learni ng/sharing with you! Im a huge fan of Steamers, the Texas State Railroad is close to you, were still waiting on our rebuilding steamer for the Hill Country Flyer, probably the Sunset East of NOL will be running before we get it, but such are things in rail affairs!

 

[BlakeTyner]

Welcome Blake to the crazy and kooky and wonderful world of train nuts/railfans/foamers etc.! Its great to have someone else in Texas be involvedwith things rail especially the Eagle and the Flyer. (Im sure that saxman will be glad too, hes our man re things Eagle so the more the merrier!)

Dont think any of us got over trains from our childhoods, whether model (Lionel was BIG back in the day!)or real so enjoy the forum, we look forward to learni ng/sharing with you! Im a huge fan of Steamers, the Texas State Railroad is close to you, were still waiting on our rebuilding steamer for the Hill Country Flyer, probably the Sunset East of NOL will be running before we get it, but such are things in rail affairs!

Thanks for the welcome (thanks to the_traveler and MrFSS, too.)

I'm happy that I have the opportunity to be involved. I think all of us understand the desire to take the knowledge and passion that we have for trains and apply it to advocacy, safety, or the exchange of information and ideas. I'm blessed with a wife who supports all this crazy (and unpaid!) stuff I do, and with a job that encourages community involvement and provides ample time to do it. In fact, the newest thing at Kilgore College is a program called "Service Learning," which we are encouraged to promote to our students. It doesn't have a specific focus other than community service and involvement, so I use my bully pulpit to teach rail safety and hopefully promote some activism--even if it's just writing letters.

I've worked on a steam engine enough to know that they can be vile, temperamental beasts...but they're personified enough that you can't help but love them in spite of it. As with so much else in railroading, there are a lot more times that you're cold, buried in grease and mud and cussing the pipe fitting that you have to use a cheater bar to break loose than there are times when the temperature is perfect, you're ahead of the power curve, and the train is behaving. But it's those good times that make up for the bad. Well, mostly, anyway.

I've ridden your train, albeit not with the steam locomotive. My best friend lives in Copperas Cove and we did the Bertram Flyer last summer. Even the wife enjoyed that trip. Hopefully we can make it a yearly thing...we try to get down there to visit regularly, but with wives and babies and careers...who knows?

~Blake

 

[the_traveler]

I've worked on a steam engine enough to know that they can be vile, temperamental beasts...but they're personified enough that you can't help but love them in spite of it.

Sounds like you're talking about me! :lol:

 

[Phila 30th St]

Welcome!

I joined the forums a bit over a month ago and I've been really really happy to be a member here. In fact, I look forward to each day around 10 when I pop over to see what's new. I think you'll enjoy it very much as well and I think I can speak for all of us when I say we welcome your contributions.