Why This Blog Exists

It doesn't take long for any railfan to realize, as a community we are a crazy bunch (crazy in a good way most days, but crazy in a bad way sometimes). It seems we get into petty arguments over bygone mergers, steam locomotives, etc. on a regular basis in our online interactions with other railfans regularly. Names such as E. Hunter Harrison and Ed Dickens are taken in vain as if they were some swear word regularly in railfan chats. When we get into scale modeling, we aren't much better. For example we argue over what layout directions are better (prototype or freelanced?). The internet has propelled our hobby to a new crowd, yet also made it a site of flame wars and vitriol that previously were only privately held sentiments in local railfan circles. 

Some of you may know me for the blog posts, photos, and research I am doing elsewhere in the railfan community. A few months back an article I helped research that was published by a friend of mine, was heavily criticized by the railfan community. We set about to make amends, redacting the article and later writing a formal apology; but in the process I and my friends were called several names; "college kids with no sense of journalism,""a libtard who wants Robert E. Lee statues removed" (made even funny considering I am actually moderately conservative), "fake foamer news," "you guys need to get a clue," etc. About a month after the article another railfan went around calling me out by name in random Facebook topics; "Jake Lyman is a LIAR who knows nothing about trains." It was then I sort of began to look at the complaints and trolling (and being the sarcastic dork I am) decided to start using the #FakeFoamerNews in online discussions where I either found something newsworthy to talk about (lampooning the fact I had done research and knew the subject matter I was discussing), or when I was expressing an opinion so ludicrous I hoped people understood I was speaking from personal bias and not factual research.

So in the spirit of #FakeFoamerNews I'm creating this as a personal blog to rant about the hobby, both expressing my opinions on some of the controversial topics which I feel aren't appropriate to discuss in my research based writing; and also to indulge in a bit of railfan satire. While I will probably approach discussing controversial public railroad figures such as Ed Dickens or E. H. Harrison, I don't want to cause any flame wars here. I will also be discussing some of my opinions on some steam locomotive controversies (C&0 1309 anyone?) so again, I am trying to keep it civil (with my tongue planted firmly in cheek sometimes). Most likely I will keep comments turned off for the most "sticky" subjects. Just because I am using this as an opinion board though doesn't mean I intend to have it be all negative opinions either, I might use this occasionally to praise those who I think are doing good right now in the community and why what they are doing matters. Imagine this all as a sort of "newspaper editorial" type of thing, if you disagree with my random musing then feel free to ignore them. Its as simple as that. ;)

-Jacob Lyman