Dear Readers,

This idea started with Dave Norton's story "B-29". We're using it to add content to my old story "Steam Locomotive" as well. I hope the idea is catching. A word about what this is all about is in order.

It all started with correspondence from readers and friends about stories and articles at Summitlake.com. It struck me that we were gathering a growing body of insight and experience which added greatly to the original content. In the case of these two stories, both are basically chronicles of historical fact -- in subject areas that fewer and fewer readers know much about first-hand.

But, when I would write back and say "let me publish that", people would generally reply "Oh no, that is not good enough for publication", or the like. You could tell they were not comfortable with the idea.

In one case, I was privileged to read a first-hand recollection of the monstrous and perilous complexity of some of the old aircraft engines. The author declined to allow publication, in the belief that his observations were of "no value". Now, it is too late to ask for permission again.

The letters we post in the "Comments" sections will read like the e-mails they generally are, with little or no editing. We are after the first-person experience and content (though of course we would consider other kinds of letters) -- and not the literary style.

As I wrote a friend today,

About credits: nothing gets published without the writer's permission (except intentionally abusive flames). If it gets posted, we'll generally credit it any way you want it to appear, including first name, first name and last initial, screen name, or full name, with or without an email address. We respect your privacy. Do be sure you send from a valid email address, so we can use it to confirm your contribution.

We're not going to push anyone, kicking and screaming, into publishing remarks intended for casual exchange amongst friends. But we do encourage you to write in. Sure, the usual common-sense rules apply: we're not after flames, rants or "me-me-me" opinion pieces. We do get our share of what look like "box letters" (half a 4-liter wine-in-a-box). We do reserve the right to edit what we publish, but if we have to edit it a lot, chances are, we won't. We're after your first-hand experiences and contributions to content.

The theme doesn't have to be "serious", just authentic. What does it feel like to grow up in the era of the old local railroads? Exciting? Ask the kid who put pennies on the tracks. This is an area of life where style doesn't count.

Alex Forbes December 27, 2001