Has anyone picked up The Meteor since Richard has passed? If not, are there any plans to continue publishing it? I see there was an issue with Richard having enough content, but perhaps some of the recent acquisitions can help fill out the newsletter in a gallery section. Just wondering...
I sent Richard an article about ten days before he passed away. So, it is still available to publish. Ken
If there enough articles available or people would commit to write them, I have an excellent idea for how to bring the Meteor back in a different format. Charlie
I had finished sending some stuff to Richard not long before he passed- no telling where it is now (no, I didn't back the stuff up- crud!!) But I can always recompose & resubmit to whomever is doing the Meteor
As I stated earlier, I have an idea for a way to accept submissions for The Meteor. I have pitched this to the staff members and if anyone else is interested I would be happy to talk about it. Charlie
There doesn't seem to be much action within frisco.org regarding re-establishing The Meteor. Why not? Where are we on this? We owe it to all the work Richard put in on it to get it going again in his memory, if nothing else. Anybody seen the MoPac HS's The Eagle lately? Very nice! MoPac lovers are making us look bad, which is a shame as we had the more interesting railroad. Yes, I have an article I had already submitted to Richard. And, yes, I can write another. How about you? Ken (trying to stir up the pot!)
If a series of articles can be developed, I would prefer to present them on the Internet (as The Meteor) in Frisco Archive type blog presentation. It could be something really nice and articles could be published one at a time as completed. Charlie
OK, it that is what is desired. But, I don't like the idea of diluting the articles to a one-at-a-time status. I really envy the various excellent railroad HS publications like "The Streamliner" (UP), "The Warbonnet" (ATSF), "The Eagle" (MP), The Keystone" (PRR), etc etc etc. But, these publications take a lot of effort by several people. I'll certainly support whatever we propose to do, but I'd like to see us do something. Ken
That sounds fun, I could contribute articles on things I have learned on Frisco cabooses, such as how to remove welded window plates, how to remove and restore window frames in the cabooses, and how to build new painting stencils for the "ship it" and the coonskin logos, or describe how to build new caboose doors and steps. I don't know how much interest these would generate since they are not modeling themed but I'm always eager to share info that I've learned.
Several groups have went the way of the wind, the ones that stay have a hard copy magazine. That is what I would prefer although I will be in, anyway. Didn't know of the Meteor, but now I do. Was a member of the one, that went away on Washington St. that soured me, still disapointing
Wonder about a joint publication with the Katy or KCS. I am in the KCS group, but they do not do much with the print shop. Just a thought.
It seems as if we are going over plowed ground here, so let me point out once more that (1) there cannot be a publication of any sort without content, meaning that someone will have to take on the task of being the ramrod to gather or create material, and (2) there will have to be dues collected to pay for printing and distribution. Best guess based on the groups I participate with is somewhere around $35 per year, assuming a quarterly publication. The other alternative is to approach an outfit like White River, which now seems to produce most of the "T&HS" magazines out there, and hire them to do it, but then we are still going to be stuck for content unless there are a lot of members who are willing and able to write articles. Sticking to an on-line format is much less expensive, but then there is that content problem again. Producing a magazine is fun to talk about, but it is a lot of work and will take a lot of somebody's time. GS
I agree totally with Greg's points. Been there, done that. Somehow, though, these many other organizations manage to do it - most of them do it very well. No reason we couldn't do the same - but we need to want to do it. If not, forget about it. Ken
Even by submitting info that was previously covered in the earlier publications (All Aboard and the FMIG pages) plus new input from inside & outside the membership, there's plenty of work that could go into a resurrected Meteor , or whatever the name would be. I'm aware of and sympathize with those who like "hard copy" (paper printed) version of railroad H&TS publications, but sine we are running headlong into the new age of information, with various e-publications coming out (think the model railroad e-mags), I have no problem with our own e-mag. Those who desire hard copies could download & print off at home (and decent printers are fairly cheap these days). Again, I can rewrite & resubmit the article I submitted to Richard before his passing, plus IIRC I have an idea for another article or two myself. With the series "Down at the Depot" from the old Frisco Museum newsletters (assuming we can get permission to reprint them), submitting old photos in black & white & color, the various Frisco-themed layouts out there, etc., there is no reason we cannot come up with material to keep such a publication going. I'm sure this subject may come up at our convention, but I'd rather we work it out before then and either present it online or in person at Joplin. Plus, perhaps devoting an article to Richard Napper and his work. I would think that would be an awesome tribute to an awesome guy (and a friend to me and many others here). My opinion, FWIW........
As for utilizing White River Press, the Priests, good folks that they are, will undoubtedly be looking for payment from us to publish a hard copy of the Meteor. This would require cash donations from us to cover such an endeavor, so there's that to think about. And don't get me wrong- WRP does awesome work in what they do.
I think there really are two issues here: 1) Is there anyone willing to take up the position of editor for the Meteor? 2) Do we want to move towards a print publication or do we want to continue the electronic distribution as Richard was doing? I am personally in favor of keeping the electronic distribution format. Now, the real question, are there any volunteers to do the editing? ( as a last resort, I would consider volunteering, but I really don't think I have time to stick to a quarterly release cycle. ) Paul
The great thing about a PDF is it works on computers, tablets, and if you want a hard copy you can print one.
Folks - Been slowly, slowly giving the thought of this more thought. How's that for the King's English? The idea of trying to cobble something together every quarter is extraordinarily daunting. It's just not a good time for me, personally, between work and family responsibilities. High schoolers/middle schoolers sure seem to have a lot more on their plate than when I grew up in Chaffee, and in addition to my day job, the extracurricular work with fall, winter and spring Mizzou sports puts a significant dent in my free-time allotment. What I do think would be feasible is this, and I'm rather thinking out loud at this point: (1) Perhaps we can generate interest in having folks research/prepare/write up "articles" on topics of interest. I'm still intrigued by Frisco locations that could be easily modeled. Karl's bit on the imagineered Rosedale Yard Office/Scale house would be great as well, with a model built by someone to boot. (2) Once a submission is compiled, it could be submitted to a folder/forum here, where we could perhaps assemble an informal "review board" similar to what many professional journals might have for reviewing submissions. (3) Following any tweaks or revisions, an "editor" or "editorial" board could slick it up, and put it into a consistent format under the auspices of "The Meteor." These could be posted to The Frisco Archive so that the broader public could access. And, anyone wanting to print/3-hole punch and put in a binder could do so. I'd be able to help review/format submissions for publication, so to speak. I just feel that - for me and others - trying to stick to a regularly-scheduled publication is a wee bit much. And, I'm not even willing or able to personally go down the road of a hard-copy journal. So, an alternative is an option that's more realistic and attainable. I think we have a wealth of potential knowledge among our Frisco folk here that should be documented, published and immortalized while we still can. Thoughts? Best Regards,
Chris is spot on. Given the present technology, there is no need to pursue a scheduled publication, be it digital or hardcopy. Since any member can post to any forum at any time, I believe that the need for a formal organ is not necessary. The addition of Meteor Forum, which could be placed under a governance body would be a good way to go. In the past, I have placed items, e.g., articles about the Chadwick Br and the GTW, on the site.
