Railways Illustrated monthly website guide: Railways and the Internet

摘要

Having been out and about quite a lot recently at a couple of the preserved line galas and also following some railtours, it has become apparent that our hobby is enjoying something of a purple patch. Whether it has been on the Dawlish sea wall during the summer getting pictures of Bradley Manor, or at the recent Severn Valley Railway Gala, the number of enthusiasts I feel has grown. With this in mind, I also note an even greater quest for information, which comes with the society in which we live today. Gone are the days when we relied on the local 'grapevine' for information, as today most people rely on computers. Probably a bit too much in some cases, where some people are taking for granted the information available, and more or less expect information to appear. This can be seen with the numerous 'Gen Lists' which are on the Internet today. A handful of these have been listed in the last two issues of Railways Illustrated, but if you have not come across these vet, there are numerous 'Groups' mainly based within the Yahoo group's family which concentrate on a specific locomotive type or area of the country for information sharing. Whether it is an area or a specific class of loco, a group will almost certainly exist. Of course this is not only restricted to the UK rail scene, but extends throughout the world with numerous sites devoted to USA and European railways.