www.railfan.com/departures


www.railfan.com FOUNDING PUBLISHER


HAROLD H. CARSTENS (1925-2009)


PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER HENRY R. CARSTENS


VICE PRESIDENT JOHN A. EARLEY EDITOR


E. STEVEN BARRY


ASSOCIATE EDITORS WALTER C. LANKENAU OTTO M. VONDRAK


CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JAMES D. PORTERFIELD


COLUMNISTS WANT TO BECOME AN EXPERT? BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR... PHOTO BY OTTO M. VONDRAK You’re the expert!


IN THE BEGINNING, YOU KNEW NOTHING. Don’t worry, we all started like that. There was a time when even I thought a “helper” was a just an extra pair of hands, and “dark terri- tory” was just what became of every railroad at night. But we all learn. This is not really unexpected. But somewhere along the way, you will experience a really strange phe- nomenon: you will become an expert. There are, of course, many kinds of ex- perts. For example, there are the self-ap- pointed


experts. Actual expertise and


knowledge is not required for this position, only a large mouth and the ability to formu- late quick assumptions and pronounce them as fact. You can find these sorts of experts at nearly every trackside train watching spot. You don’t want to become one of these. Then there are the Big Name Experts. You recognize them from their many pub- lished exploits over the years. These are the folks who, when you first entered the hobby, everyone mentioned their names in hushed reverence, and you would just nod along. The Big Names seem to know every fact, track down every photo location, and have acquired a fervent number of fans who take their words as


gospel. There’s nothing


wrong with this sort of expert, but this is a reputation that will take years or even decades to develop.


Far before you become one of those vaunt- ed names, you will achieve a much quicker kind of expertise and reputation. Some peo- ple don’t try to become experts, it just sort of happens when you’re not paying attention. For example, say that modern General Elec- tric diesels interest you. You buy all the ma- jor books on them, read all the published ar- ticles, and have drawings and schematics of them hanging on the wall over your bed. In the course of your research, you start com- paring resources and digging deeper. Before you know it, you’re connected with retired employees and other sources that help fill in the blanks and satisfy your curiosity. You start sharing your new found information with others, and yet more connections devel-


4 NOVEMBER 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


op. Soon, your fellow railfans will begin to treat you as a kind of human encyclopedia of all things locomotive from General Electric. Your passions make you a resource of knowl- edge. Congratulations, you are now one of the Experts. The same is true for really any subject specialization, whether it’s obscure Texas short lines, Erie Railroad depot de- signs, or interurban timetables, tickets and transfers.


There are several prices for this expertise. Because you are now a resource, you are ex- pected to know everything about your sub- ject. Being stumped is almost like a crisis of faith. Beware of the temptation to make up an answer! There’s also a relentless pattern of questions you will soon be fielding. You will get them not only when you meet an- other railfan trackside, but randomly via email, phone calls, even text messages. Sometimes you will wonder how these peo- ple even know who you are, or got your phone number.


Of course, there is a great joy in research- ing your favorite topic and sharing your findings with others. There’s a sense of sat- isfaction from this, a sense of accomplish- ment. And while many will ask you question after question, you will also find a good amount of those who share your interest, and who will share their knowledge with you. The random encounters with those who were there and share their experiences with you is something to treasure. There’s a kind of companionship you cannot foresee that grows out of those quiet moments in a his- torical society’s musty archive, or buried in a stack of books in a library, or poking through the remains of a railroad buried in the grass. So congratulations on your pend- ing expertise: it’s one of the most rewarding parts of being a railfan.


Alexander B. Craghead is a writer, photog- rapher,


watercolorist, and self-described “transportation geek” from Portland, Ore. You can reach out to Alex on our web site at www.railfan.com/departures.


ALEXANDER B. CRAGHEAD THOMAS KELCEC GREG MONROE GEORGE M. SMERK WES VERNON


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