Arrow

[NW Mailing List]

July-August-September Arrow
Geese only 4 times a year! Really?
Couldn’t resist a jab or two to the heads of state, Ken, for picking on me. Makes me feel good that we have a group of people that listen to the members.
     Seriously, another fantastic Arrow as always. The article on the Cincinnati district is just fantastic. I is great to see items from the archives in there to help explain the everyday running’s of such a fantastic route with a long history behind it. I always liked articles with maps and this one delivers for fans of the Peavine!!! If I sound bias, GOOD, because I am. I love the Peavine.
As Ken stated, I did feel like I was getting something less for my membership when the Arrow went from monthly to bi-monthly to 4 times a year. It was a hard pill to swallow when something you waited impatiently for every month to go bi-monthly then quad-yearly? I got over each change and just waited impatiently a little longer.
     One thing that did not change was the quality and content of the Arrow, and as Ken stated grew in size. There was always something it seemed that would grab my attention, though I read every page, I could find that little something just for me.
I had joined the NWHS in 1996 after we moved out to Brown county Ohio south of the Peavine. First thing I did was write to the NWHS to see what trains were running then, then started keeping track of when I saw them, where, direction, type and so on. I even kept track of the signals I could see and what traffic I could pick up on my scanner. These things I still do to this day with the Cincinnati East Terminal, now Cincinnati Eastern, minus the signals and scanner parts.
I had submitted some stories to the Arrow during Mr. Greever’s time in office. I did not hear anything back and eventually forgot about even submitting them. Then there was the bit about the N&W in the Virginia’s and that was all there would be. I did voice my opinion on the web list, and got the same response back. The N&W was more than just Virginia and West Virginia. There is no denying the N&W roots, but do not cut off the branches because they are above the ground, it is all the same family tree. The N&W itself did not start out as the N&W, there were marriages along the way and family members were added each time. I also never was a big fan of the all color Arrow. There is too much history in the B&W days to go all color.
2014 was my last year as a member and I left my membership in the dead line, as the changes just didn’t seem right with a railroad with such a vas history through 2 centuries and multiple states. There did not seem to be any real connection between the members and the higher ups then either. No one seemed to care if you had something to share, and getting help on something was even farther out of reach.
Then in 2016, I received an email from Ken about printing my story “The News Is Never Easy” for the Jan-Feb-Mar issue of the 2017 Arrow. After all this time, I hear from someone from the society. I had always kept up with the web chat list even during the dark years. I went to the NWHS site and started poking around and saw changes that were diverse in what the society was offering. I had joined a facebook group that follows the Cincinnati district even today, with old and new content. With that and seeing the NWHS had some great items that sparked my interest, I renewed my membership. 
As Dean Taylor stated in his article of The Second Section, Enjoyment, Involvement and Growth, I had found the first two now in the society. Enjoyment in the items the society offered to help spur my interest even more than before, books and the unbelievable archives to learn more, and raise more questions to get answers that raise even more questions round and round we go. 
Involvement. The new leaders seem to be more approachable and personal than before and this is what has made me want to get more involved in the society and submitting stories for the Arrow. I do not feel like what I have to share does not mean anything because there are people who know more, have more knowledge and you have not put your time into this thing. Dean has been very helpful on some of my projects I am working on, and that is what makes a society stand apart from other and helps it grow.
As for growth? I had the privilege of sponsoring a new member who lives on the Peavine and has a great interest in its history, and I share with him as much as I can to help him with it. I am in touch with several others who have a great interest in the Cincinnati district and its history, which makes the want to know and research the want to join the society.
I do not know the everyday ins and outs of running the society, but I know we have a group of people in charge that makes me want to swim in the deep end a little more, and share my end of the pool with others.
Many thanks to Ken Miller, Dean Taylor and our President Todd Arnett for the work they have done and are doing for the NWHS/VGN society.
 
PS I am still in the process of reading the Arrow, so to the other authors, please do not take offence because I did not mention your article. I will read it with as much enthusiasm as I did the Cincinnati district article.

Jeff Wood