SP3778's comment are well taken. When I first began as the SP editor for FLIMSIES magazine, it was when Steve Sloan was the boss. I didn't have an Internet connection, and my ancient computer was a wood burner. I had to put my column on a floopy disk and Express mail it to Steve, and later to Bill Farmer. I depended on phone calls, letters, and friends (both in and out of railroads) to send me news. We did well due to the fact our issues came out twice a month at first. That was about as fast as the average railfan could get the news.

During the short period of time when the Internet just started to become popular and had few railfan groups, editors like myself used the Internet as another tool to go along with our other sources. This was a wild time. I recall one letter I recieved from a man calling himself "Jack Straw from Omaha". Among several news items he said the Southern Pacific was soon going to add more double track to the Sunset Route. This was something I, and others never heard a peep about before. I called some friends and sources and it was also news to them, although a few SP friends had heard SP wanted to do this work earlier, but lacked the resources.

Haven't never before received a letter from Jack Straw I was beginning to think the story wasn't true. However, more conversations later made me go with the story, which we published in SP REVIEW magazine. (Remember that magazine?) As my hunch turned out we scooped other publications by as much as six weeks. Today it's probably six minutes! It was a great feeling to get something right before your competition, but that's far different than today's "me first" attitude.

Another thing I miss are those everyday railroad jobs and structures that have disappeared. I loved those many hours I spent in control towers listening to stories and watch how they did their job. MofW Speeder (motorcar) sheds were everywhere. You'd see MofW speeders everywhere. Now highrail trucks do the same job in much larger territories. Another memory were SP pensioners supplementing their income by being crossing guards at busy crossings in San Francisco. I'm not knocking the system for eliminating those jobs through technology. I just miss more of the personal touch.