benjaminfrank_hom wrote:

This thought-provoking editorial is posted on a Scale Modeling
website, but its premise certainly applies to the study of steam-era
freight cars: http://modelingmadness.com/stanseditorial.htm

Of course there is a clear and simple explaination for all of that: One side
is clearly in the wrong.


Just kidding.

Sort of.

The serious comment I want to make is to express my thanks to all that this
list has managed to avoid almost entirely the subject of what one **does**
with their knowledge of freight cars, as such conversations always seem to
slide into subjective opinion and personal tastes. Indeed, about the only
time "doing" comes up is when somebody falsely assumes we all "do" scale
models and/or "do" model railroading. FWIW we all don't.

I do hope everybody has lots of fun with the knowledge they gather here.
And that you share how you've used it subjectively to advance your personal
tastes on some other list. Not because I think you are wrong. But with
1000 other people here SOMEBODY is surely going to think you are wrong and
once that stuff starts flying back and forth... well, from experience it
spoils everything for everybody really quickly.

Dave Nelson