Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Fourth anniversary of this blog

I began this blog about Southern Pacific modeling on December 8, 2010, a date chosen not for any reason other than I was ready to begin. And once again this year, as has been the case on each of the three prior anniversaries, I am surprised and impressed with the viewership this blog has enjoyed.
     I have remained fairly consistent in presenting about ten posts per month, and about 120 or 125 per year. These have varied widely in how many comments they receive, but as was true last year also, increasingly those with questions, corrections or comments tend to email me directly. That’s not a complaint, just a description.
     Page views have continued at a high level. The first year there were about 50,000, a number which seemed impossibly huge to me when I saw it, and far beyond anything I had ever imagined would happen with this blog. The following year there were almost 100,000 more, bring the total to 150,000 after two years. Even more impressive to me.
     The third anniversary in 2013 brought to light even bigger annual viewing numbers, reaching almost to 300,000 views total, thus almost 150,000 additional views in that one year alone. Since then, the viewing has continue to increase, though the rate of increase has flattened out; totals continue quite substantial. The total has now passed 468,000 views over the four years, meaning that there were almost  170,000 new views this past year. I can’t say it enough times: I am just amazed—and also very gratified.
     The original goal was to present a perspective on modeling the SP, and to add historical as well as modeling information where possible. I believe I have been doing that, and have been able to cover a number of modeling projects on my SP layout as well. That makes it fun, as I would now plan any project, whether rolling stock or layout, with photography in mind, to document in a future post. This has probably increased my percentage of completed projects, if nothing else!
     There have been new features too. These include increases in the number of documents posted on Google Docs and available to anyone on the Internet, and also now reference pages, accessible by the list at the upper right of the blog page. I combined eleven posts about my method of freight car weathering using acrylic washes, into two reference pages, one on the basic method, the other on specifics for individual car types and additional details.
     What lies ahead? Obviously to some extent, more of the same, but hopefully more than that. Here is a teaser. It’s from the Richard Hendrickson photo collection, in the process of transferral to the California State Railroad Museum, and the print was entirely unmarked on the back, so I don’t know source, location or date. But it clearly shows ICC 104-type tank cars being loaded.


What is this a teaser for? You’ll have to wait and see.
Tony Thompson

8 comments:

  1. Dear Mr. Thompson;

    Very much enjoy your blog. Used your post to model a AHM Helium Car and sent to Jerry Glow for the decals but never received them. Do you know of any other source?

    Joe
    buccieripuckrin@gmail.com

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  2. No, I don't. As I mentioned in response to a query on another post, I have been TOLD that Jerry Glow's artwork is to be purchased, so the decals could become available again, but I don't know that for a fact. I hope to talk to Jerry at Cocoa Beach next month and perhaps find out.
    Tony Thompson

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  3. Congratulations on your very informative blog, Tony!

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  4. Tony, The image is from the Library of Congress and depicts a facility in Institute, WV. I think Ted Culotta used this image on a calendar several years ago. Here's the LoC link.
    http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8e01317/

    - Eric Hansmann

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  5. Thank you, Eric. The LoC page clearly shows it to be an Office of War Information photo, and Richard may well have gotten it from Ted. The material being loaded is butadiene (synthetic rubber), and the date is stated as 1943. The cars, with DPX reporting marks, were owned by the Defense Plant Corporation under the Depression-era Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The plant at Institute, WV was built by the government for war production, and sold after the war to Union Carbide. The plant shown is still in existence, owned today by the Bayer Corporation. Institute is an unincorporated area west of Charleston, WV, downstream on the Kanawha River, in the heart of West Virginia's Chemical Valley.
    Tony Thompson

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  6. I mentioned Jerry Glow's decal business in this post, and have received a couple of gripes about Jerry's business practices. In my view, those gripes are not directly relevant to this blog. I have neither defended nor attacked Jerry here, nor will I. Any issues which have arisen are between the complainers and Jerry himself.
    Tony Thompson

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  7. I'd also like to congratulate you. Thanks again for your tireless work sharing and helping others.

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