Stay Tuned . . .

Thanks to all of you that took the time to weigh in on the previous post. I really appreciate the thoughtful feedback as well as the many reminders of why I started this blog in the first place: to be a journal ("[we]b log") of the construction of my layout depicting railroading in the southern Connecticut River Valley during the late 1940s.

While Facebook admittedly (and aggressively/intentionally) makes it super easy to post and get feedback, many of you reminded me of what irritates me most about FB (in addition to the usual complaints :^) - I ultimately do not own or control the content. I'm creating content for FB. Of course, there's some "payback" in the comments, "likes", and the community that it creates - but ultimately it's not designed to be what this blog has been: a documentation of my layout's "journey" (as Marty put it) and a nicely archived encyclopedia of techniques that I can easily find and refer back to.

So, having checked in with the folks here - and again, my sincere "thank you" for the input - I'll be refocusing my efforts here. While I'm tempted follow the example of many in totally getting off FB (even the thought of that makes me smile %^), maintaining the Valley Local group there does have some value (e.g. it's great for posting a quick question during construction and getting instant answers and feedback).

But I'll be posting here primarily going forward, so stay tuned for more content coming your way. Hopefully it doesn't become too much - but as some others commented, the blog should ultimately be for my benefit and archive. If others get some value out of it, that's awesome but not necessary.

And it looks like I have a lot to catch up on - I can't believe that my last substantive layout-related post was about layout skirting way back on August 28(!). And for those of you who aren't on FB, you may be surprised at the amount of progress I've made (heh - and the rabbit holes I've gone down) over the past couple of months.

I'm looking forward to sharing it here with anybody that's willing to come along for the ride!

Thoughtful Thursday: Continue with the Blog?

First and foremost, I want to make it clear that this post isn't some lame trolling for compliments. I'm sincerely interested in some honest (even brutally honest) feedback and (hopefully constructive) criticism.

The combination of a few things have caused me to reassess whether to continue with this blog. In no particular order:

• Google is making some changes that will require me to revamp/rework things
• Blogger no longer appears to be sending out email notifications to folks that have "subscribed" to this blog (notices of new posts used to be sent out & aren't any longer)
• As much as I hate to admit it, Facebook is a much more convenient platform to post on - and posts there receive exponentially more feedback & comments than posts here. Unfortunately, there are a lot of folks that will never get on FB - even to follow the Valley Local %^) - and, frankly, if I didn't have the Valley Local FB group I'd likely delete my personal account and interaction with FB entirely.
• While I continue to maintain the Valley Local website, Google will be shutting down that platform soon so I'll have to rebuild the site somewhere else.

So all together, I'm feeling a lot of headwind. Even the blogs over at Model Railroad Hobbyist (heh, you may not even know that I have a presence there too) have become pretty cumbersome to use, IMO.

Anybody that's done a blog will typically tell you two things: 1) it requires work, and 2) the work is worth it if you're getting responses and feedback. With Blogger no longer sending out email notices, folks need to remember to check in here on their own and - with all the other things competing for time - that can sometimes be a heavy lift. I get it. There are a lot of layout blogs I forget to check in on - especially if those layouts are on FB. It's just easier to subscribe and get the notices pushed to your FB feed.

But if folks aren't checking in & leaving comments/feedback, there's no way to know they're out there. You start to wonder if there's anyone left reading what you're posting & whether your time is better spent doing something else.

So if you're still here and are willing to take the time, let me know - even just to say "hey! I'm still here!" :^) And if you have a little more time, let me know whether the blog is helpful, something you'd like to see continue, or if you're getting your content elsewhere. I've read in a bunch of places that blogs are becoming a thing of the past. Maybe it's time for this one to close up.

As I said at the top - any/all feedback/criticism/suggestions are welcome and will be super helpful in evaluating next steps.

Thanks much for reading this far - and here's hoping you have some fun modeling planned!

Wordless Wednesday #415: Double-Headed Steam on the Valley Line

Ghosts of Railroads Past

(In the "spirit" of the season, and because it's All Hallows' Eve ;^) I hereby repost this from last October. I think you'll agree it's especially fitting this time of year...)

A big part of my motivation for recreating the Valley Line is to keep alive the memory of the men & women who were responsible for getting the stuff of life delivered to you, each and every day.  From coal for winter heat to a bicycle to ride in the summer, for over 100 years in this country the stuff of life was delivered almost exclusively by rail.  And sometimes, if you're lucky, your historical research will unearth a ghost or two.

Given that it’s Halloween-time, here's a question for you:  Do you believe in ghosts?

The answer for me depends on what kind of ghosts you mean. I don't believe in the creepy un-dead or goulish wanderings of departed souls. But I do believe in the ghosts of the past - the hauntings of a place by the memories of the people who were there. Who were they? What were their dreams and plans? Were they anything like us? While dead people don't actually haunt us, the spirits and memories of the past can - and often do. Especially if you're paying close attention.

During this time of year especially, if you keep your eyes open and know where to look, you can see some of these ghosts of the past materializing.  You have only to slow down, pay attention, and keep your eyes peeled.

This is a bridge on the old line between Middletown and Berlin, CT. The railroad was abandoned and torn up years ago, and the trees have long since reclaimed much of the right-of-way. But this bridge remains - a monument to the memory not only of the railroad, but to the spirit of the men who built it.

If during your travels you stop at a spot like this and imagine, even for a few minutes, how those men lived, what their hopes were and whether they ever achieved them, you might see some ghosts.

And if you're especially quiet, you may even hear in the sound of the leaves floating by on the breeze a whisper of thanks from those men for not letting them be forgotten.

On the Valley Line Today - 0901 Northbound at Connolly Drive

 

Wordless Wednesday #414

 

On the Valley Line - 100 years ago

Well, technically, 100 years ago yesterday...

Just came across this from friend Bob Belletzkie... It's a clipping about the abandonment proceeding for the Saybrook Junction to Saybrook Point portion of the Valley Line. IIRC, last service on this line was in 1917 and the New Haven was petitioning to pull it up.

The Chapman Brothers Company had a coal dock at Saybrook Point where they received their product by ship, but they and the railroad eventually reached an agreement whereby the railroad would create space at the Junction and Chapman's would move their operation there.

And the rest, as they say, is history...

Chapman's coal dock at Saybrook Point - on fire, date unknown

Chapman's at Saybrook Junction

Chapman's at Saybrook Junction, c. 1943

Chapman's as modeled on the layout