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ChineseOn the i10erary: Cold Spring Shops
If I were to hazard a guess about a broad section of MetroReaders, politically they would trend to the center and leftward from there. (This is not meant as a slight to those who don’t believe to fall into those camps, as there should be no political “purity” test imposed on anyone. Frankly, the less we wage political battles here, the better.) Does this sound like an accurate description of you? Well, this edition of “On the i10erary” is meant for you.
Even if this does not describe you, my right-leaning friends, you’ll find hours of enjoyment, too from reading Cold Spring Shops.
The blog by Dr. Stephen Karlson, an economics professor at Northern Illinois University, touches on matters including but not limited to the “dismal science.” He covers academic issues as well as offers a regular series of short book reviews. Most of his writings are unmistakably conservative, as are the lengthy blogroll links to pro-war and rightist sites. But is Karlson’s politics why he made the list? Yes, if you consider that ideology did not get in the way of a robust interest in trains.
Cold Spring Shops earns a stop “On the i10erary” for its rich news and opinion on rail matters, as well as a delightful and consistent use of railroad terminology throughout the site. Links are grouped under categories like “Common Carriers,” “Company Mail” and “Reciprocal Switching.” Karlson named his blog after “the primary repair and car building facility of The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company.”
What it does well: Trains. Peruse categories such as ferroequinology and transportation policy to see the rich past, the frustrating present, and the hopeful future of railroading. And among the orchard of political linkage, the “Railroad Avenue” post links to sites that are likely not going to show up on the blogrolls of his compatriots, but are rail-friendly sites more familiar to MetroReaders.
What it doesn’t do well: I haven’t added this category to other posts, but it’s a nagging problem on Cold Spring Shops. It’s very difficult to search for older stories, and links to older Cold Spring stories often turn up blank. Karlson needs to look into a content management system more robust than Blogger.
Why you should read it: Cold Spring Shops provides an opportunity for common ground. Ideologically, there are far too few conservative voices like Karlson’s who would be key allies on a topic that should transcend ideological turf wars. William Lind began that conversation more than a decade ago with the late Paul Weyrich, and he still stresses the point today. If you want to see trains, buses or any other form of transportation improved, one thing we can all agree on is to have the broadest appeal so all of us are better off through cooperation.
Discussion
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Nice find Wad. I spent an hour this morning reading through his posts, definitely an interesting perspective and like you said it’s important to have people who cross the typical political boundries in transportation writing. Bookmarked.
Hi, and thanks for the kind words.
I, too, am frustrated with Blogger’s search function (it has been particularly squirrelly of late) and am welcome to suggestions for content management. Bear in mind, though, that I’ve been using the platform for seven years, migrating posts sounds too much like work, and wrestling with recalcitrant brass is the more interesting hobby of the moment.