Topics

1

General Discussion / Quentin Bethune ?

« on: July 19, 2023, 12:30:55 PM »

Reading the Newsletter I was really surprised to see that in the article Build 11 project a few photos were taken by  a volunteer called Quentin Bethune because Béthune is my hometown. That town is located in Northern France and has around 25000 inhabitants. I don't mean to pry  but Quentin do you  know the origin of your last name ? I know that a small community named Bethune, 315 inhabitants ,is located in the county of Kershaw North Carolina.

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General Discussion / English vs French. Languages words colloquial expressions and such like

« on: June 23, 2021, 09:40:04 AM »

While railway /railroad is my long life passion, it's not the only one anymore because for over 15 years I've been practicing American (?) English everyday and since then this has become my second passion. Joining the WW&F has been a boon for it has made it possible for me to merge my passions. I start up this topic in order to discuss these two languages with you if you're willing to of course. In France, students at large learn actively English for 7 years in highschool but when they leave most of them doesn't go on practicing it unless English is essential for them to follow some university education, which was not the case for me at law school so I've almost forgotten English for 40 years. I know that some people still speack French in Maine and maybe some of you but I wonder if it is still  taught in highschools nowadays. In this topic I wish we could talk about words and colloquial expressions. For example on this forum you mostly use  the word railway and not the American word railroad I wish I knew the reason for and if there is a difference of meaning between them. Something else, in French the word pacesetter when it is related to an economic activity like sightseeing fo example is translated into "locomotive",which way be a bit funny when one speaks about tourist railways ,mind you we often say leader. As regards running a pacesetter or in British English pacemaker is "un lièvre" in French, hare in English, but now we mostly use the word pacer. To finish with, is a bell cow a byword for leader ?

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General Discussion / THREE YEARS AGO PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

« on: November 27, 2020, 10:03:03 AM »

Hello. When I woke up this morning, I thought I had joined the WW&F three years ago today. Still lying in my bed I went htrough all the brillant and exciting feats of engineering and wondrous events and re-creations I had been looking on since then. To only quote those that came up to my drowsy mind, clearing the ROW and lying the track from TOM to Road 218, reassembling the bridge and spanning it over the Troot Brook, insulating and heating the shop, new west parking lot, pavillon in AC, #10 new boiler, boxcar #67, flatcar #34, tankcar #14, then partnership with MNGR museum that led to the building of a ramptrack and the carbarn extension, partnership with MLMW and the building of a spur. As regards the events, Victorian Christmas Specials, Spring 2018 Photograhic Excursions, The Grand Reunion. Of course I don't forget the all-important backstage work such as writting and implementing the new Rulebook, the Five -Year Site Plan, and the Fossel purchase at TOM. The task you have achieved in only three years is downright fabulous and absolutely reflects the endless enthusiasm,eagerness, dedication and amazing skills you all display to bring back to life those endearing and historical twofooter and thus make your dream come true.
I would like to thank you heartily for all those memorable moments of pleasure and happiness you have given to me ,your faraway friend, everyday over those three years through the very active fb team and this lively discussion forum. In the here and now, numerous outsanding achievements are underway that will definitly keep on giving me lots of great and thrilling times. After those pending achievements will be over, I do know there will be others and others  and that, one day, the Jason's Fictionnal Day on the Railroad will be the everyday reality. I pray to God to live  old enough to reach that day.

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General Discussion / US vs. France - Taxation Representations

« on: March 19, 2020, 09:49:44 AM »

 Hello! As a French IRS retired inspector  I would like to know where I can find on the net the US IRS rules about the deductions from  income tax you can get when you donate to non for profit organisations and especially to tourist railways like WW&F.  In France  no deduction is technically allowed in that case but most of the French tourist railways can get subsidies from the national or local authorities.

5

Work and Events / Trout Brook bridge and the thawing

« on: March 21, 2019, 12:24:54 PM »

Hello ! What is it whith Trout Brook bridge? On the  last pics I saw the brook was awful high and iced over, there were helter skelter big blocks of ice covered with a thick sheet of snow. Now it's Springtime the thawing is starting and I'm worrying a bit about what is going to happen when all those blocks of ice are flowing down the brook and hit  continuously the wooden stakes that sustain the bridge.

6

Museum Discussion / #9 max steam pressure

« on: February 17, 2018, 12:59:07 PM »

I've caught on a notice put up in the cab that the maximum steam pressure in the boiler is 140PSi. I'd like to know if it was the same pressure when it was built in 1891 or if it is the mandated pressure required by the authority that checks the boiler.

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Two Footers outside of the US / AMTP in Pithiviers, France

« on: December 06, 2017, 06:12:41 PM »

Thank you for your explanations. I'm not only a newcomer to the WW&F but to a discussion forum as well. Hoboes were part of the railroad in the thirties  quite a lot of songs were written and movies shot about their lives .Maybe there were any that rode the trains  of the WW&F Railroad before it was closed down. I guess you don't have any hobo on your trains now.
In Pithiviers every passenger buys their old style tickets at the station window before boarding the train and during the return journey the conductor ask for the tickets "Controle des billets s'il vous plait !" and punch them. It's part of the the"folklore" and I have never found a faredogger. Kids love that and me too.  Does the conductor punch the  tickets on the train during the journey ?

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General Discussion / Engine wiper

« on: December 05, 2017, 01:20:39 AM »

I'm proud on my new position on the railway. I wish I could be there and wipe your lovely locomotive. In Pithiviers it was my job when I started out a long time back. By the way what does a hobo  do ?
Picsous Alain Delassus