Vote - Amtrak location and consecutive posts

[~Z~]

There's been a few posts and many PMs lately about a couple of subjects dealing with two subjects:
Amtrak Train location updates - should posts about Amtrak locations be on the host railroad forum that the sighting appears on, such as Amtrak P371 on CSX trackage in Hudsonville and added to the CSX monthly update thread, or should the Amtrak post go onto the Amtrak Location updates. Same with Amtrak trains seen on CN trackage in Durand or in Pontiac.

Consecutive postings by the same poster in an update thread. Example is Bob Smith posts about CSX Q326 passing New Buffalo at 1:50pm. Posts about L302 at 2:10pm into a separate post. Posts about Q326 again at 2:45pm. All in which they were the last person to post, and had been within an hour of their last originating post.
Should you post a new reply each time you have an update about a different train, even though you were the last person to post, or set a limit on the time between posts? Example being post at 1:50pm, then edit the original post to include L302 and Q326 postings. If it's been more than an hour since your last post and no one else has posted, feel free to start a new reply at that point?


Please vote below for how we should move forward. Any additional comments - add them below. I very much appreciate everyone who does participate on the update threads, and their tracking of the trains as they head around the state is very helpful for those out in the field that want to see these trains, or just enjoy hearing about the current happenings of our railroad movements. I'll evaluate the voting and comments and we'll move forward from there. Vote for as many choices as you agree with. Thanks all!

[LansingRailFan]

If I make a post about a train at MP 205 on the CN Flint sub and then ten minutes later a completely different train going thru Mount Clemens or somewhere else, do you want all of those listed in one post and if so, what kind of format would you like them to be in? By the minute? By location?

[GRHC]

If I post about a train at multiple locations I try to keep it in one post even if somebody post after me. However if I post about a train and then somebody else post about a train and then I see a different train and post about it I’ll start a new post.
And lastly if I see two different trains and I post about the first one and nobody post after me then I’ll post about the second train in the same post.

Note: 95% of my reports are live sightings I use the Holland cam for about 5% of my reports. I do not use a scanner I don’t have Spotify I have no real technology that I use in reporting trains.

That’s how I try to do it.

I hope that makes sense.

[Ypsi]

I like the current way with P370/371 in CSX, and then Wolverine/ Blue water/ CL/ LSL all in Amtrak. On the east side of the state the trains hit Amtrak, MDOT, Conrail, and CN rails so having their own thread is fine (and not for on the host railroad threads for the wolverines/ blue waters). The PM travels exclusively on CSX rails on the west side in Michigan, so thats also probably fine. What would be confusing to an outside person is looking for NS in "Amtrak updates" because MDOT or Amtrak owns the tracks or what not. If you don't see P370/371 in the TLU it's not like you can't fine the location through other means. As long as users understand what they are looking for thats fine. Frankly you can get better updates on the Amtrak app or Amtrak dot com anyway, so Amtrak updates other than for consist info are not as necessary. If you already missed the train for that day you are looking for it to come back on its flip you would use Amtrak, 1800 USA Rail, or other sources before these threads in most cases.

As for the posts, editing posts does not "bump" threads and makes it hard to "track" a train from the TLU page. I know there have been instances where I have looked for a bump to see if a train like an OCS has a new update, and if we edit posts the bump will never happen. Even if the post is every 10 miles for a train like the CSX OCS, it is better in that case to have more information that. Even if it's the same poster, the thread shows up with an unread post (not sure if edits do that), but the unread post can indicate that you have a new train on the line you are looking for. Personally I wouldn't look at a post that has 2-3 posts below it in TLU normally as I would assume I have already read it, and it makes it way harder to know what has been added or not just from a glance.

[Tom49801]

Hourly Clock Format: I'd like seeing posts arranged in a clock hourly format, where posts are made based on, for example, from 13:00 to 14:00, then 14:00 to 15:00 would start the next "block" of hours, etc. There would be times a train could be posted just a few minutes later from the end of the previous hour & the start of the next hourly block.

[kd_1014]

I think each train should have a separate post, but updates for the same train should all be in one post by editing it. That way you don’t have up to 60 pages of train updates by the end of the month.

[bluewonderrails]

After learning that you did prefer having one post by user about every hour sone time ago, I tried/try to be sure to keep to that but sometimes still see some faithfuls not abiding by that and not being asked to merge their posts while new users would. I'm trying to tell myself that editing a post if needed shouldn't be a bad thing. I'm just not sure how many people take the time to scroll up to see if anything was edited.

As for the Amtrak updates I think it's best to have a host forum (CN = P364/P365, CSX = P370/P371, CP/NS for Amtraks not along Flint/GR subs, just to give opinion) for those updates as many people including myself have posted in such anyway. The last time I made a post about Amtrak P365 I did it in the Amtrak thread maybe for the first time and because it's not as used or browsed, a new post was made about it in the CN updates minutes later, suggesting to myself I'd made a pointless post.

[donnieland]

hi zack
1. i feel amtrak trains should be posted in the existing rr they are running on.
2. i feel if you post about 327 etc trains , keep your 327 posts together on one post,
there is no need to post a train passing a detector or station on a seperate posting.
this is happening on reports from both sides of the states.
3. sorry tom, but anything i post will be in am and pm, don't have a 24 hour clock in
the house. last time i had to use a 24 hour clock was 66 to 68 wearing army green,
and they also used a Julian calendar for certain reports.
4. check the posts to see if someone has already os'd at a certain location, no need to double report
a train passing the same location, if you don't see a post and you type up a report and then hit enter to post,
then see a post the same as you, just leave it posted, that will happen due to typing time.
take care everyone
donnie

[J T]

I think each train should have a separate post, but updates for the same train should all be in one post by editing it. That way you don’t have up to 60 pages of train updates by the end of the month.

What's the monthly threshold for too many posts? Can you imagine how big these threads would be if Michigan had the same frequency of trains as 25 years ago?

But yeah, new post for each new train and edited post for repeated updates of same train makes pretty good sense.

But then...

I'm just not sure how many people take the time to scroll up to see if anything was edited.

Agree with this.

[~Z~]

I'm just not sure how many people take the time to scroll up to see if anything was edited.

Right-o, but let me try to clarify one bit in this following example:

Tom posts at 1:10pm that CSX Y106 is eastbound out of Wyoming Yard, passing Godfrey Ave downtown. Next, SD80MAC posts at 1:30pm that Y106 was by him at MP146 with CSX 2044 and 13 cars, doing an Elmdale turn today. If Tom then hears Y106 go by Thornapple River at 1:45pm, he's more than welcome to post a new reply and not edit his old post. I was meaning this more for when the person posting was also the last person to post on the thread. If someone else posted last, by all means, just make a new post.

People were mentioning and I was often seeing that someone would post at 7:15am about a train that ran through hours ago, then make another post at 7:17am about another train, post at 7:21am with a quote about a previous person's post and give another update, etc. Just trying to consolidate posts when possible.

[AARR]

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

[DaveO]

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

Unless your posting about it's progress on the AML/MDOT/Conrail segments which the CN thread would be inappropriate for.

[GTWChris]

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

I agree. Makes no sense to me. Confusing and disorganized to have posts about the same train on the same day spanning multiple topics. Lose all context that way.

Following "the host railroad" methodology, I suppose we should start posting about CN on the Conrail topic while they are operating over Conrail. Makes no sense.

[AARR]

So, if GLC is spotted between San Jct and North Durand or between Durand Station and Pit Jct. it should be placed in the Short Line or CN threads respectfully?

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

I agree. Makes no sense to me. Confusing and disorganized to have posts about the same train on the same day spanning multiple topics. Lose all context that way.

Following "the host railroad" methodology, I suppose we should start posting about CN on the Conrail topic while they are operating over Conrail. Makes no sense.

[SD80MAC]

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

I agree. Makes no sense to me. Confusing and disorganized to have posts about the same train on the same day spanning multiple topics. Lose all context that way.

Following "the host railroad" methodology, I suppose we should start posting about CN on the Conrail topic while they are operating over Conrail. Makes no sense.

Yes, that's exactly what you should've been doing the whole time.

[SD80MAC]

So, if GLC is spotted between San Jct and North Durand or between Durand Station and Pit Jct. it should be placed in the Short Line or CN threads respectfully?

So, if putting Amtrak on the Host Railroad ends up winning should I be putting Amtrak Pontiac posts in the CN thread?

That just doesn't make any sense to me but if that's what you guys want, I will try to remember to do so.

I agree. Makes no sense to me. Confusing and disorganized to have posts about the same train on the same day spanning multiple topics. Lose all context that way.

Following "the host railroad" methodology, I suppose we should start posting about CN on the Conrail topic while they are operating over Conrail. Makes no sense.

If it's on CN, then CN. This isn't hard!

[Saturnalia]

So, if GLC is spotted between San Jct and North Durand or between Durand Station and Pit Jct. it should be placed in the Short Line or CN threads respectfully?

Either one works, in this case.

Traditionally, MQT updates have been both in Shortlines and on the CSX thread, especially Z151. Even if it's a "Z151 south at Sparta" it usually gets put on the CSX thread because that's where it is headed for interchange, and most people who would be able to see it look at the CSX page anyway. Same thing with the Michigan Shore in Grand Haven or Muskegon...should work either way.

Don, you have to think about how people actually use these threads. I know you really don't actually use them for railfanning, but those of us who do like it the way it has been because that's what works best for us. That's why putting P370/371 updates in Amtrak is annoying: because now I have to look at two threads when I only used to have to check one. Yeah, there are a few borderline cases with the shortlines and stuff, but typically host railroad makes the most sense!!

Basically, do it exactly the way it was done up until GRH&C randomly decided it should be different.

[J T]

I think all Bluewater and Wolverine Amtrak trains should have their own dedicated thread since there are so many of them. Leave the Pere Marquette in the CSX updates thread as it has always been.

[Tom49801]

So, if GLC is spotted between San Jct and North Durand or between Durand Station and Pit Jct. it should be placed in the Short Line or CN threads respectfully?

Either one works, in this case.

Traditionally, MQT updates have been both in Shortlines and on the CSX thread, especially Z151. Even if it's a "Z151 south at Sparta" it usually gets put on the CSX thread because that's where it is headed for interchange, and most people who would be able to see it look at the CSX page anyway. Same thing with the Michigan Shore in Grand Haven or Muskegon...should work either way.

Don, you have to think about how people actually use these threads. I know you really don't actually use them for railfanning, but those of us who do like it the way it has been because that's what works best for us. That's why putting P370/371 updates in Amtrak is annoying: because now I have to look at two threads when I only used to have to check one. Yeah, there are a few borderline cases with the shortlines and stuff, but typically host railroad makes the most sense!!

Basically, do it exactly the way it was done up until GRH&C randomly decided it should be different.

You can toss me into the blame game, too, and not just GR H&C. I had given the idea some thought, too, about moving my Amtrak posts over to the Amtrak thread & maybe it would generate interest in the Bangor Rail Cam where people could actually "see" a couple of Amtrak trains a day. Again, read the thread's title, does it say "Michigan Line Amtrak (only)"?? No! And, if you think about it, you're only talking about 4 or 5 posts in the morning for Amtrak 371 & then nearly 14 1/2 hours later on the same day maybe another 4 to 5 posts for the evening Amtrak 370. Me, basically, it's fine with me to post Amtrak where ever it's decided to be. But, maybe, some thought should be given to re-naming the "Amtrak Train Locations/Heads Up - 2022" Thread to something that makes it clear that it's an exclusive thread that is reserved only for the Amtrak trains traveling on such & such territories only. But, I must say, some of the rude & "not so nice" based comments I've seen aimed mainly at GR H&C & some aimed at me seriously has me wondering.

[JBaxter]

I think people just don't like change lol. I think the old system has been working without major complaints so I see no real reason to change it