Wow. Well, we may was well go back in time for a brief history. As previously stated, it is tough to straddle the fence. Active railroaders are in a terrible position. They are usually trying to correct and/or provide accurate information without violating any potential code of conduct rules and/or compromising their identities. That being said, you'll notice a lot of people with direct knowledge have vanished over time as it becomes a tight balancing act. This is particularly true since the previous regime made it clear that dissemination of information for certain sources would lead to dismissal. However, people tend to want information and in a lot of ways I agree. So, how can information be presented without danger? Contrary to belief, I do not crave attention nor am I here to play the "I know something I won't tell game." I am aware of many things, but start very few threads. I am also aware that there are people that have absolutely no horse in the game and will not hesitate to post information from inside sources or documents. As such, one of my things is doing exactly what I did above and that is to drop a hint to nudge people in the right direction. A perfect example has occurred in this very thread. It was a quite a simple statement: Posted 09 December 2016 - 12:34 AM There is rumbling that more maintenance may occur this winter, which will bench part of the fleet. The next post produced the "press release" that people keep referring to. Truthfully, I was well aware of the withdrawal. I knew it was being drawn up. However, something official came out...and it wasn't a press release. That post regarding the removal is not a press release. It is a direct cut/paste from a post on the Amtrak internal intranet. Basically, it is not public information and doesn't really have business on Facebook. The only thing missing is a little information about the meals/attendant and the name of the person that issued the advisory. Now, I would never post something like that but clearly there are people that will (I've seen it many times) or have access to people that will. If there is something that I feel I can discuss without much of problem, I spit it out. Perhaps it is public knowledge. Perhaps it is something that is easily observed. Perhaps it is something that I can voice as an opinion. Examples of these actions exist in Runt Consist and the Capitol Limited - current consist?threads. The passengers were understandably curious as to their consists and the answer may impact their trips. On a personal level, I think such information should be readily available because it is proper customer service. Some people are not interested in riding in a sleeper that is next to a diesel all night. Once the winter plan was published, it is not like it is a wise idea to just post the email detailing the changes (even though people have done it.) So, I waited until the changes were actually being made to nudge the people interested in the Capitol to take a harder look at their plans. Soon there after, AmtrakLK chimed in regarding the eastern trains even though I'd bet real money he or she new about it long before that. Another example is the There are times when I'm not comfortable stating something specific. When that occurs, I either say very little or nothing (an example being the LSL Michigan Reroute Rumors & Speculation thread) or I make what some people call a cryptic post. My intention is to alert interested parties that information or updates may be available so keep a watch. If I I'm able, I'll tell them to keep a watch on a specific area. Otherwise, interested parties can use their contacts or search other outlets (TO,RR.net,Facebook, Amtrak.com, Timetables, etc) for their information More time than not, the information appears and discussion ensues. As indicated, it was not a press release. It is an internal document that was published...and not through official channels. If it has been released through official channels, I haven't noticed it and it isn't on this board. If someone wishes to do so, they can post an update. People use this board for different reasons. Some are trying to find information for their trips. Others are interested in operations while others may be interested in specific equipment. Indeed, there are probably people that just sort of "hang." As for the big whoop, I've never been on the car. However, the absence has resulted in this thread and there have been posts from people indicating they prefer this car. Therefore, I was trying to let people know that they should start looking for the return soon since things are lining up correctly and it hasn't been previously stated. After all, haven't things not gone according to publications before? How many times have the LDSL cars been pushed back? How many times did the return of the BOS-ALB sleeping car get pushed back? At the end of the day, if someone thinks my posts seem to contribute little, make people uncomfortable or make it seem like I'm playing games, that is something each person has to decide for themselves. If someone thinks my posts are helpful, insightful, thought provoking or funny, again that is something that each person has to decide for themselves. I do note that the last time someone whined about my laughter, I did offer to stop dropping hints. While most people did not comment one way or the other, the ones that did seemed to be cool with my delivery. It seems the same has occurred in this thread. If someone want to start a poll, knock yourself out. I will admit that this Ides of March post didn't have the impact I intended. I do agree that it was a turd of hint and it isn't the first time my attempts at humor have fallen flat[/url] However, Babe Ruth didn't hit a home run every time he batted. So, now that we've hijacked the thread, I'll get to the reason that I actually returned to the scene of the crime. Due to a slight change, I think this is an appropriate picture:***ahem*** I hope people have a better understanding of my posts. Ummm, but in case it doesn't and there are still more complaints/comments coming from someone other than a moderator or administrator, allow me to make something crystal clear
