Our Book

Im All ears on this one. I really like the idea.

Joe (Emfinite):

Thanx for the kind words about me, your visit and my books.

And, just to correct you on one point, I personally printed ALL the photos. I didn't send the negatives out. That was where all my time went! (and angered my wife!)

Otto:

Terrific rundown on what's in store to publish privately. P.S. As I mentioned to you when Bang's NYW&B book came out: TERRIFIC JOB with my 2nd favorite railroad!!!! AND your interlocking maps were terrific. An overall classy-looking book.

Dave

Mike,

A great idea. I'd contribute also. One thing I've found about photos, they may look great at first look, but then when you check one for proper lighting, etc, it's not as good as you thought & probably won't print good enough in a book. Besides picking a subject or theme, that's probably the hardest part, picking the best photos for publication. Some that I've scanned for the web look good from a slide projector or as a print, but on a computer screen they don't look as good. Maybe Dave or Otto can comment on this.

Otherwise it sounds like a good project to get us members together on.

The quality of the photo is, indeed, important, however, sometimes the subject matter governs using the shot in the book.

If you have a not-so-good roster shot of a G5s laying up at Oyster Bay, then you dump it for something better.

If you have a not-so-good roster shot of, say, H6sb #304, of which only one known photo of said engine is in existence, or a passenger train operating along the Central branch at Bethpage Junction station, then you use it regardless of it's quality.

Dave

Hi all,

This sounds like a superb idea! I don't have many great photos with the possible exception of the old Pennsy power plant in LIC coming down, but I would be glad to contribute whatever I can. I've already compiled many stories of my friends and I using the LIRR to commute into school over the past four years, so I would be more than happy to add those to your project; I originally intended to have them published myself, but a bigger project like this has much more publication potential than simply LIRR-related stories. Although a lot of them are more simply good stories rather than good railroad stories, there are a good number of the latter, such as the LIRR on 9/11, an engineer blowing a signal and bringing a Penn Station train to Hunterspoint, being in that M3 car that caught fire near Merrilion Ave. a few years back...and that's just naming a few of the better ones.

Also, as some guys here know, I spent last year working as an editor for Amnesty International, so I could offer some pre-publication advice on that front, though I am sure whatever publisher you guys find will want to put their own big gun on the project, not someone like me who worked for a non-profit. After all, Joe's going to make whomever the editor is earn his paycheck this time, hahaha, just kidding Joe.

Again, awesome ideas guys, I look forward to seeing how everything unfolds.

-Kyle

Dave, thanks for the kind words on the NYWB book. It was definitely a labor of love.

ALCOAL- Photo quality is hard to judge- it depends on the source- print, negative, or slide? then it depends on how it is processed... scanned on a desktop scanner? use a high-quality pre-press house? send it off to the publisher? etc. A good designer can also help you process images, but that's another kettle of fish.

Folks, the offer always stands- if anyone wants to do a story for RAILROAD.NET, send me an intro letter and let me know. I'd love to see some vintage LIRR stuff... orange-and-grey is one of my favorite eras on LIRR. ;-)

-otto-

Otto,

Maybe we could try a RR.net article first and every member wishing to contribute can do so? We could do a story on the LIRR and all of its aspects, see how it goes over, then possibly think more about a book... A book that's somewhat along Dave's suggestions, using Arcadia. I mean, if we wouldn't have to lay out money, that would be great. I worked at a print shop for 4 years and have plenty experience in page layout, computer design and printing. I would be more than willing to scan, copy, touch up and lay the book out.

Joe

emfinite wrote:Maybe we could try a RR.net article first and every member wishing to contribute can do so? We could do a story on the LIRR and all of its aspects, see how it goes over, then possibly think more about a book

I like the idea, I'd be willing to contribute an article. Unfortunately, I do not have experience with submitting materials to an organization like railroad.net. If Otto could answer a few questions...

-What kind of articles are you looking for? Only technical and historical type things, or also memoir-type anecdotes?

-What would the ideal length be?

-Would you like the author to provide his own pictures?

-What are the submission guidelines? I know that in submitting my short stories for publication, a cover letter outlining the piece as well as providing some background on me (i.e. the author) is required.

Thanks in advance for your help.

-Kyle

You can get a feel for our other articles here:

http://railroad.net/articles/index.php

Check out those articles- some are longer, some are shorter. The photos don't have to be taken by you, but you must have persmission to use them. Look over the articles and see what we have... what kind of story do you want to tell? You can tell an anecdote... a historical review of a branch, yard, station, series of equipment, etc... you can simply present a photo essay like these:

http://railroad.net/photos/index.php

Here are some more article submission guidelines:
http://railroad.net/contribute/submissions.php

-otto-

lirrmike wrote:Ok, before you all start groaning and laughing hear me out.

I was thinking of assembling a small group of people from here to produce a book of pictures and stories of the LIRR.

Mike
With the help of Emfinite Joe, only he doesn’t know yet.

In the event you actually initiate this project, and you want to to include a chapter on LIRR parlor cars, please let me know.

Ed Frye in Santa Clarita CA has a very extensive collection of his own photos of parlor cars' exterionr/interiors ... primarily the lightweight cars acquired "used" in the 1968 - 1970 era ... I think he would be interested in participating.

Steve Hoskins gave me his images of LIRR heavyweight and lightweight parlor cars ... I have used them on my LIRR parlor cars website.

Richard F. Makse, Richard Glueck and Tim Darnell would surely have something to contribute ... they also allowed me to use some of their pics on my website.

Dave Keller has written stories of his summer work as a LIRR Special Services Attendent working parlor cars in the early 1970s.

All would make for a good chapter on premium fare reserved seat parlor car service on the LIRR.

Jack:

Since you brought it up, feel free to use my Special Services Anecdotes on your parlor car site as well, if you'd like.

And, guys, regarding my friend Ed Frye in California, he's got some great "mood" shots of the parlors, interior and exterior, with special care taken in lighting, angle, shadows, etc. Not your typical 3/4 roster view shots!!! Nice stuff!

Dave

I'm just in amazement with all the responses! Thank you everyone. I'm now going to gather my ideas with those of the ones from here and put some sort of outline together when I get a chance to sit down with Joe. I do believe this project will start out on a smaller level only because, well I think you just can't jump in with something too big. Let's get our 'feet wet' first with a smaller project.
I don't know if anyone here belongs to the Twin Forks Historical Society, but I wrote a short story for them on how my late father got me started in railroading when we lived in Brooklyn. If any of you have read the article, you'll see where my passion comes from, I have so many great memories
from those early years, and also from later times, but you guys get my point. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks.

Mike

Hey Mike,

Sorry for the late response to this thread but please add me to the list of contributors. I wish I had a scanner to show you guys some of my images from my "Golden Era" of LIRR photography (1975-1995) but I don't.

Not to toot my own horn too loudly ( ) but I and my photographing partner ALWAYS used to (and still do to this day!) scout out locations first for compositional value before the train came along. I would like to think we often succeeded.

I think this project is a great idea in that many of us wouldn't be able or even wish to do this on our own but together, well, as they say, many hands make little work.

No problem. I believe there is so much material out there, I just don't want it to go to waste.

Mike

I would gladly accept some quality material for RAILROAD.NET... I bet Paul in Redlands could easily come up with 10 or 12 vintage color images that would make an excellent article for this site.

Sure. How do I start, and what am I supposed to write about thirty plus years after the fact?