ADMIN: Please pardon  the following set of rules which governs the operation of the STMFC…both the Yahoo form and that of Groups.io. I would have preferred to have simply sent the rules to individuals requesting membership in Groups.io but the time to respond became a problem and requests were canceling because of the 14 day response time. To those requesting membership in the RealSTMFC that have been cancelled due to timing out, I would ask ypu to apply again and I promise that you will be approved immediately. Transition to groups.io has not been as “smooth” as I would have liked….and there will likely be changes as we go forward.

Therefore, the set of rules will be sent to the entire RealSTMFC and those applying for membership will be approved regardless of their reading of the rules. However, I will emphasize that the reason for sending the rules to the group is for members to follow them.

“The STMFC operates a bit differently from some groups so I urge you to read and study the following information before implementing the steps needed to join. The objectives include the sharing of information about North American, standard gauge railroad freight cars in the period 1900-1960 inclusive including their operation, distribution and the various techniques of building models of them. Discussions about the cargos of freight cars are permitted but only as they are directly associated with freight cars. Emphasis is to be placed on the study of the prototype with a goal of producing models of them with as great a degree of accuracy as possible. It should be noted that discussions by the group's members includes questions and answers regarding the group's subject. However, it should also be noted that the group is not to be considered necessarily as a library with its members prepared to respond to questions or acting as sources for information. Such responses are entirely voluntary and at no time is any group member obligated to respond to a request for information.

In fact, the group is not a good vehicle to transmit large amounts of information. The group is a good vehicle, however, to provide guidance as to where a member might find information. Announcements about prototype modeling events are within scope but such announcements will be made no sooner than 3 months prior to the event. Personal attacks about other members, manufacturers or prototype modeling events is expressly prohibited and may result in expulsion from the group. Members are expected to conduct themselves in a gentlemanly manner. Personal attacks on anyone including non members is not permitted. Members are permitted to criticize or praise manufacturer's products free from criticism from other members. Criticism of a manufacturer's business practices is, however, not within the scope of the group. ALL SUBJECTS OTHER THAN THOSE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH STEAM ERA FREIGHT CARS ARE PROHIBITED FROM MEMBER MESSAGES. Thus, all admin, security, or "policing" functions will be conducted only by myself or my representatives. Warnings about virus activity is strictly prohibited. Threads or subjects may be terminated only by myself or my representatives. When threads/subjects are terminated, members are expected to avoid sending messages associated with such threads/subjects. All references to politics or political views are prohibited.

 Placing photos in the file space involves issues associated with copyright and property rights. Members are allowed to upload photos into the file and/or photo spaces but only those photos that the members took themselves or those for which they have permission from the photo seller or other source to present on the internet for public consumption. Members are expected to obtain by themselves the necessary permissions. Failure to do so could result in the member being excluded from using the file and photo spaces. All photos placed in the file space are for personal use only by members of the STMFC and any rights for other usage must be negotiated with the party holding rights to the photo's usage. Photos placed in the STMFC file space must include in the description the source of the photo. The STMFPH is an associated group used to provide additional storage space and the same conditions apply to photo activity in that group. Announcements of steam era frt car related items for sell are permitted BUT actual lists of items should be made available from the seller upon request rather than in the message. Announcements of such sells should be kept at a minimum. The primary objective of the group is to exchange information concerning the subject.

Messages regarding the selling of products associated with freight cars as part of a commercial enterprise must be sent during the period of noon Friday EST and Sunday midnight EST.

Each seller is allowed one message unless a correction is needed. Seller messages MUST include OFF GROUP addresses for replies. Replies by members to seller messages MUST be OFF GROUP.

Selling messages MUST include a statement that replies MUST be OFF GROUP and must include an Email address to which responders can reply to. This address should use the term "AT" instead of the "@" sign to ensure that the address is not edited by Yahoo. The reply must be sent to the email address including the "@" sign and NOT to the STMFC.

Repliers are free to use any reply technique as long as it replies to the message writer's email address and not that of the STMFC.

Members must sign messages with their full names. If the member's address IS their full name exactly [ to the left of an @ sign ] or simply their full name, that is acceptable as a signature.

Members may at any time bring any matter relating to the STMFC to me privately for consideration.

I hope you enjoy participating in discussions with the group. The study of frt cars and the modeling of them are ongoing processes and while pursuing them remember that no question or observation is unimportant or "dumb".

If the group appears to be a good fit for you, please send me your name, Email address and primary areas of interest.

Also, if you don't mind, how

did you find out about the STMFC? Thanks.”

Mike Brock

STMFC and RealSTMFC Owner