[PRCo] Re: Santa Barbara Siding

[Ken & Tracie]

Hi Mark,

Remember Lesson Two of being a traction fan (Lesson One is "Don't Cross the Photo
Line!")

Lesson Two is "Don't Believe Everything In Print."

Well intended volunteer work, or even corporate records can be incorrect. Once in
print, the errors become "factual." I had a falling out with a very well known
Chicago area traction fan during the 1970s over whether or not the South Shore
Line was 1200 VDC or 1500 VDC. The fact is, the line uses 1500 VDC. A usually
reliable publisher and/or author missed an error and a well known book referred
to the SSL's power supply as being 1200 VDC. Thus the error became "fact.' (Guys,
please don't challenge me on this. I've spoken to line crew members of the
railroad and have seen the volt meters in the cabs of the current fleet of cars.)
;-)

My experience with the Chicago area fan (when I was a stupid teenager) leads to
traction fan Lesson Three:

"It takes a big man to admit an error, but it takes a bigger man to keep his
mouth shut when he knows he's right!"

Since most us on this list (if not all of us) aren't resistant to learning
something new (and have Ed, John and the Freds, to name a few, who steer us right
when we are wrong) this is a safe place to discuss errors.

Just don't tell the technocrats you clocked a  PCC streetcar at eighty miles per
hour. ;-D

Fred the Third and I were told by a couple of young and enthusiastic TRAX crewmen
their LRVs could do 160 mph with the right gearing. I wonder now if that SSL line
crew I spoke to was wrong, too......

K.

Macmarka at cs.com wrote:

>   Then the PERC map (1859-1959) is incorrect. If you look at the Drake line,
> it shows the siding on the left. I like to know if a car is inbound or
> outbound when labeling photos. I incorrectly labeled that photo of yours Bob
> because I looked at the PERC map. I was watching the TGM South Side video(for
> the umteenth time) when I noticed a difference. Thanks!
>
> Mark