Yahoo! Groups and List Servs

It may be cliche, but the internet really does have the ability to bring together people who would not normally be able to meet. In many cases this leads to some good opportunities for research.

Back in ye olden days of the internet, that was usenet. Nowadays there are groups and list-servs around for pretty much any topic. One resource that has been particularly useful to the railroad historian and prototype modeler has been Yahoo! Groups.

Yahoo Groups related to railroad history and prototype modeling tend to be fairly heavily moderated. This is a good thing for the serious researcher as it keeps the trolls from taking over and flame wars from starting.

While there are many good people on these groups, one must always remember the need to critically evaluate a source. If someone is just spouting off an opinion or even an educated guess, that won't necessarily be a fact. If someone can provide some back-up either in the form of a citation or collection they used to learn this information, then you as a researcher have something you can work with.

Bearing this need for critical analysis in mind, there are many things people can learn on the various Yahoo Groups related to railroad history. Of particular use is the ability to learn things from retired railroaders or meet people who are on the other side of the country but may have a significant document collection that is of use to your research.

It also is a good way to get into or develop a network of like-minded railroad researchers. I got into the B&O Railroad Historical Society Archivist position because of being on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Yahoo Group. This in turn has allowed me to develop my own network of railroad researchers, archivists and historians. Together we bounce ideas off one another, call for research assistance and just generally share things we happen to learn that may be of use to others.

So, with my earlier words of caution in mind, have fun and happy researching!