Big Blue is two weeks old

[ezdays]

When Mikey and I decided we needed to go back to our roots and revive the intimate and friendly train forum that we once had, we talked about what we might expect to see over the first few months. We thought maybe we'd get 50 to 100 old friends to sign up, we'd have a few mods follow us and we'd see just a few posts every day, with these things growing over time. Well, we initially though we might be a bit over staffed, but we couldn't turn away from the fact that just about all our mods wanted to join us here. Then, none of us expected the rousing success of opening day. We officially opened two weeks ago today. By then we had over 100 members signed up during our "soft" opening. We've had around 150-200 posts over the holidays, but we've averaged over 300 posts a day and we've now got over 160 members, not counting our staff. We are in fact, busier than we were on our "former" forum. There we were averaging less than 200 posts a day, and that included those in the card modeler's forums and a lot of spam junk as well. We saw a steady decline in posting on that forum, each time a new change came about, and we knew that wasn't healthy.

Well, as you can see, we are not overstaffed, and to be sure, we are super pleased that we not only have most of our old mods, but we now have staff with us that we previously lost because of changes on the old forum. to top that, we have many old friends returning that left us because of those same changes. To say that we're delighted doesn't cut it, we are ecstatic over the reception we've had here. This proves three things, less is better, you don't screw around with the basic things that brought people together in the first place, and lastly, we know now that we did the right thing.

We thank all of our mods for having the confidence in what we were doing to come along with us, we thank our many friends and members for joining us as well, and we thank the new faces we see here, all of which tells us we are on the right track. We look forward to this coming new year to us once again having the best train forum on the Net. We had it once, we will have it again.

[Charlie B]

We look forward to this coming new year to us once again having the best train forum on the Net. We had it once, we will have it again.

EZdays You all ready have it again, It will just keep growing over this year.
Sure there are a few bugs, but you guys did one hell of a good job setting this up, and knowing from day one what you (and the members) wanted is what makes this one so good.
I'm looking forward to the new year here. I will not be posting much, not because I don't want to, but this is going to be one of the busiest years I have had here at the KJR.
Charlie

[Trucklover]

I had noticed the steady decrease in members posting on the other forum too. Im just thrilled this place is up and running and we have our forums back, pretty much the way it used to be. We are on our way down the tracks to what Big Blue used to be, and that is as Don said it " The best train forum on the net"!!!

Once again, i thank Mikey, Don, Pat, and all the mods for all there incredible and amazing work they have done and are doing to open this place up for all of us again and bring back our home for many of us on the net

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

[Sumpter250]

Two weeks old........
I would have to say that the greatest measure of the success of this move, is the fact that it feels as though it has been here forever. This is.........as it should always have been. There's "history" here, there's community here, there are friends here, some new, and some who have been gone too long. There is a lasting comfort here, that change, for changes sake, had misplaced, and now is found again. There is far more than nostalgia involved with the maintenance of history. Belonging is one thing, knowing, remembering, why we belong.....that's another thing all together.
I'll leave this year, and go into the next with thanks to Mikey, Don, and Pat, for finding where we left our comfort.......right here.
Happy New Year!

[MountainMan]

Seems a lot longer...

[Cannonball]

I for one am glad to see this new forum.
It feels so much better than the "other" forum did after the name change and everything else that happened following that. I can understand why it happened but things became way to corporate. I'm still posting over there a bit but not nearly as much as here. I think this place will grow quickly and hopefully help give some new life to the hobby as well.

Best of luck to everyone responsible for making this place happen and THANK-YOU!

[sgtcarl1]

Yes and "Amen" to what everyone else has said. I feel like I'm welcome here. I enjoy everyone's comments and pictures. Even though I don't know any of you personally, I feel like you all are close friends!
Happy two week's birthday! And thanks, guys.

[LynnB]

Yep

[Steamtrains]

Best two weeks in RR'ing forums..!!! Thanks to you guys we can feel right at home and continue to be focused on the trains and not on all that other stuff....

[ngauger]

WOW!! 2 weeks already?!?!?! Too Cool!! Yeah - it feels like home to me too!!!

[eightyeightfan1]

Since Big Blue was started in 2008, and its already 2009, wouldn't that make it a year old?


OK....Grasping at straws.

[nachoman]

The funny thing is, I have almost forgotten about the old forum...

[ngauger]

ROFL - It seems Like Don Pat & I worked on it for a year LOL
Still more changes to come, but we promise they will be Good Changes!!

[Spitfire]

Happy Birthday to us
Happy Birthday to us
Happy Birthday dear Big Blue
Happy Birthday to us!


Cheers everybody!!