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Re: (erielack) Trains Screws up Again -- Anthracite RR Map



On Fri, 1 May 2009, Ronald wrote:

8<---
> Unless you have gone thru this experience, you have no idea how much time, 
> effort, research and energy must go into producing these maps. We had to 
> balance our final product with the time available and the size of the map. 
> When I finished with this map, I didn't want to see another map for months.
> 
> There were a couple of changes we could have added but no one in the Buffalo 
> area has pointed out any errors to me. I think we got it right. After the 
> great experience we had with the TRAINS' staff and their dedication to 
> getting it right, the statement "TRAINS Screws Up Again" is perhaps a bit 
> harsh.

I have to echo Ron's sentiments above. I don't know how many hours I spent
studying their maps and then drawing corrections for each revision, but it was
certainly a lot of them. Ron and I wanted it to be THE authoritative map of
Buffalo area railroading in the early trainsition era and I think we came very
very close. Like Ron said, nobody has yet pointed out any errors :)

I had erroneously assumed that the deadline was a couple of weeks longer than
it turned out to be. I was pretty stunned when I found out that we had three
days left as I had planned to do a lot of small additions and annotations in
addition to the remaining major ones. My biggest complaint in the whole
process was that they didn't provide a drop-dead date up front as I would
have put in a few more late nights to polish the Buffalo MoM.

Their Map of the Month (MoM) is usually my favorite feature in each issue. I
usually find errors in areas with which I am familiar and while I know I am
rivet-counter when it comes to maps, I am usually disappointed that so many
map errors get published. IMO, they should significantly increase the lead
time they give their local experts and maybe bank a couple of accurate MoMs to
replace ones that cannot be brought up to snuff before the deadlines.

"Trains Screws up Again" might be a little harsh, but many of us highly value
accuracy in published material.

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr.    Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator
www.bluemoon.net       Internet Access & Web Hosting
www.railfan.net        Railfan Network Services


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