Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Western Australian Wheatbelt/Railways

Involve locals?

This seems to be based exclusively on rail enthusiasts. Is it possible, and was it considered, to attempt involving local residents of the small towns along these paths? Despite their size, I expect many have a small town archive, historical photos, etc., that could much augment the additional coverage produced by the enthusiasts themselves. Ijon (talk) 18:15, 20 October 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the comments.

Please check the title - it is specifically a sub project about wheatbelt railways.
You may be confusing the project with the larger wheatbelt project.

The project is much larger than what it appears, being at this stage, apparently, simply the photography of rail operations.

The coming and going of rail operations is the major focus of this sub project...

The flow on effect of actually following eccentric rail operations is that the town gets photos of its community, and from that there are many opportunities to then have openers to the various ways of communicating with the locals, in the larger project

Bearing in mind this is not europe, states. The wheatbelt localities in some cases have no residual businesses or operational local history groups, and the process of approaching and or researching who might have local historical material is not as obvious it might be in other parts of the world... Take Brookton for instance, the local museum exists, but to access it is quite an interesting process, requiring more than any assumption that access to anything is easy.

The sub project that it is, and the larger project, cannot make assumptions of easy trajectories for access to info or to people, it requires patience, and in some cases time consuming networking over time. User:JarrahTree 03:27, 3 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Ah yes, indeed, I conflated it with the larger project. Nonetheless, I think it makes sense to include visits and interactions with any available local historical/reference resources (such as they are) to maximize the value of the trip (itself a significant investment of time and resources, and not a frequent opportunity). I understand it takes time to plan and network with the right people in advance; I'm saying that's time worth investing before embarking, to make the best use of the opportunity. Ijon (talk) 04:07, 5 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your interest, this sub project is in effect the reconnaisance aspect of a sub-project before any real interaction starts... It is not a good idea to turn up with nothing at most of the places where there are people to speak with. Blank pages and please give me the info style investigation lacks any confidence building with locals. A knowledge of things about their community or their history has a much more fruitful outcome, usually.

The last 80 years of anthropology have shown repeatedly that cold calling does not work with attempts at gaining information in fieldwork... Some ventures (in Mexico, and other places) actually have 20 to 30 year break the ice issues for the average good anthropologist to find the real answers to some questions. As a trained anthropologist with experience in field work in Indonesia, and a life long interest in small rail connected rural communities in western australia, I have a very good idea where some of the stories now exist. Not in the area at all. Either in the cemetery or retired to the coast. Residual memory in the small communities simply has left, in most cases. The York to Bruce Rock railway line has substanitally more abandoned communities than existing ones.

It is the art of both experience and sufficient overall knowledge of local areas to know where to take time to track down, and know where the deadends are. I have taught genealogy to adults, they always have to understand from experience where the deadends are worth probing or abandoning, to know where some information dries up, and also where it is worth perservering on a hunch.

Where that fits into requirements of a larger project, and in turn answering the point raised:

Nonetheless, I think it makes sense to include visits and interactions with any available local historical/reference resources (such as they are) to maximize the value of the trip.

OK - for a start this specific project is not externally funded in any way, however it does have some very clear goals.

To adequately document the existing and former wheatbelt railway network. Some x,000 kms or miles of a railway system that evolved with the local agricultural changes to become known as the wheatbelt railways, there are x 000 named localities in that system, and the aim is to plot the locaclities as part of creating a 'base' of places with names for the larger wheatbelt project.
In the process, to be able to identify those local government authorities/councils with current published/printed documentation for the possible cross checking the materials for the ascertaining historical and notable features (not always that easy from outside)

(itself a significant investment of time and resources, and not a frequent opportunity)

To conduct the rail sub project a regular visit through the wheatbelt is essential, as there are events and issues that are not necessarily found/notified in Perth based information sources. Some info is so local, only actually being in a place sometimes is the only way of ascertaining the nature of the info.
Regardless of any external requirements, regular travel in the specific rural landscape is essential for effective coverage of the minor project.

I understand it takes time to plan and network with the right people in advance; I'm saying that's time worth investing before embarking, to make the best use of the opportunity

The emphasis in a separate and quite different focused project (IEG) will require substantial Capital city people contact time, and substantial time and effort in networking a number of organisations and bodies in advance, and.

This specific sub project requires none of that at all, it is a reconnaisance part of the larger Wheatbelt Project. The context of the IEG project, which is being submitted as an externally funded project, will have quite different focii and quite different methods.

User:JarrahTree 08:38, 5 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]