Book of the Year

[PMP]

 Francis Bourgeois’  The Trainspotters Notebook, a contemporary and worthy companion to Platform Souls

https://albionyard.com/2023/12/31/last-one-out-2023/

 

Brilliant book, read it. 

[big jim]

The first thing I thought reading the paragraph from the book on your blog was ‘that was written by AI’ 

 

 

[PMP]

7 hours ago, big jim said:

The first thing I thought reading the paragraph from the book on your blog was ‘that was written by AI’ 

 

 

Why?

[big jim]

It seems a very whimsical over the top description of the scene, either that or he was asked to write 10000 words and had to pad it out 

 

 

[PMP]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

It seems a very whimsical over the top description of the scene, either that or he was asked to write 10000 words and had to pad it out 

 

 

I think all you’re doing is showing your pre-conceived prejudices about the author.

[big jim]

59 minutes ago, PMP said:

I think all you’re doing is showing your pre-conceived prejudices about the author.

Not going to disagree with that

[woodenhead]

I watched a couple of interviews he did one with Annie Mac (DJ) and another with Louis Theroux, skateboard based and both were interesting.

 

He's got his style, it got him noticed and he's not unlikeable.

 

I get his comment on the accoustics of a railway, that was what I liked when I was out and about spotting, but it was more than the locos it was the loose coupled wagons, jointed track and the clacka lacka of Tinsley.

 

I've seen plenty worse examples of trainspotters on the ends of platforms over the years.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, PMP said:

I think all you’re doing is showing your pre-conceived prejudices about the author.

Maybe but we all value differently what we like, or dislike, in any book we read.   And we enjoy different things - especially when it comes to railways as 'Woodenhead' has already has mentioned.  Over the years I've admired lots of sights, sounds, and skills within the railway as a whole which are either disappearing or already have disappeared.   But equally I enjoy some of the new sights & sounds while I intensely dislike some others.

 

So yes I like, honest, the sounds coming from some EMUs and the look of them and I like certain classes of diesel loco so I'm not against the modern railway.  But I see it through my eyes and hear it through my ears and my opinions will differ from other people's. (I like travelling on Class 387 EMUs but 165/6 DMUs are more comfortable- there, I've said it!!)

 

[PMP]

39 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Maybe but we all value differently what we like, or dislike, in any book we read.  

 

I don’t disagree one bit Mike. The point I was picking up on was the suggestion that the passage shown was AI generated, or was filled with words to meet a word count.

 

Anyone who knows anything about or has tried AI to generate a passage like that knows just how daft that suggestion is. Let alone the fact that the book was published October 22 when AI text generation was leagues behind its current abilities. The book has plenty of well written prose in the first person, describing how Luke (FB) gets to locations, interacts with people and how he feels about the whole enthusiast ‘thing’, (not just focusing on acoustics). 
 

The second element was that it was too whimsical. If you cut it back to its basics it’s like suggesting he should have written something like:

 

Me and a mate went to watch some trains. We stood on a hill to get a good view and it was cloudy. The train came past with class 37xxx and 37xxx pulling it. They were loud and we watched them go past, enjoying ourselves taking pictures of them. Then we went home.

 

I know which version is more likely to engage readers, regardless of whether they are enthusiasts or  ‘normals’ ..  🙂

[cornelius]

I asked ChatGPT to write a descriptive paragraph about train spotting and this is what it came up with 

 

Quote

In the realm of railway fascination, one finds an ethereal symphony choreographed by steel behemoths gliding through the tapestry of landscapes. Each locomotive emerges as a masterstroke on the canvas of time, their formidable frames boasting a marriage of engineering and artistry. The rhythmic pulsation of wheels on tracks echoes through the ether, a harmonious ballet of mechanical precision. Shadows dance in tandem with the trains, casting fleeting silhouettes upon platforms as enthusiasts stand sentinel, their eyes aglow with fervor. The grandeur of these iron stallions, adorned with a kaleidoscope of colors and motifs, enraptures the soul, transcending the mundane into an ode to locomotive splendor.

 

I think we're safe for now.

[big jim]

55 minutes ago, PMP said:

I don’t disagree one bit Mike. The point I was picking up on was the suggestion that the passage shown was AI generated, or was filled with words to meet a word count.

 

well ok, not AI, ghost written then? 
 

I am being a bit tongue in cheek to be honest and yes I do have pre-conceived ideas about the guy, I simply don’t ’get him’ or indeed like his content, I tried to watch it early on as he first emerged but got very bored very quickly

 

he’s probably a very nice articulate young man, I’ve seen him a few times out and about, but I don’t for one moment believe that the passage you posted is all his own work, can’t pinpoint why but the (admittedly) well written verse doesn’t seem to fit in with the person running up and down a platform with a camera stuck to his head getting over excited about a train persona 

 

the end of the day though, he’s pulled a blinder, his ‘character’ of Francis struck a chord with the ‘normals’ at the right time but I feel he’s done nothing to improve the image of the ‘nerdy trainspotter’ in my eyes but he’s done well off the back of it, merch, books, TV appearances, fashion contracts, what’s the old saying make hay while the sun shines 

 

But you know what, the audiobook is available on Spotify premium so I for the sake of balance will give it a listen as I’ve just finished my last book and have been searching for something else to ‘read’ and I’ll report back here once finished to see if my preconceptions about the guy change, it’s a 7 hour book though so I’ll either enjoy it, get bored or slip into a coma

[PMP]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

 

 

he’s probably a very nice articulate young man, I’ve seen him a few times out and about, but I don’t for one moment believe that the passage you posted is all his own work, can’t pinpoint why but the (admittedly) well written verse doesn’t seem to fit in with the person running up and down a platform with a camera stuck to his head getting over excited about a train persona 

 

This is a seven minute interview on Radio1.

There’s nothing in this or any of his other mainstream media interviews, that makes me think he’d need, or in particular want, to have any ghostwriting done. Nothing indicates that he hasn’t the vocabulary to write the prose in the section I show on the blog, I’d suggest quite the opposite.

 

And yep it would be interesting to see your thoughts on the audiobook.

Edited January 1 by PMP
Add last para

[railroadbill]

That radio interview is amazing.  He is obviously very articulate and a very good communicator. I didn't know there had been a Channel 4 program about him either.  Here's someone who played a recording of a class 37 on national radio and had the presenters hanging on his every word.  Streuth!

I've seen him on platforms waiting for various unusual trains while I've been out er, trainspotting and that's only because my mate recognised him. I've  seen railtour train crews taking selfies of themselve with him so he's obviously very well known and popular. As he's selling an interest in trains to a generation much younger than myself and associates, he's doing a  great job and good luck to him.

 

[big jim]

On 01/01/2024 at 15:59, PMP said:

And yep it would be interesting to see your thoughts on the audiobook.

well I’m about 1/2 way through the audiobook and I’ve got to say it’s actually very good so far, not so much of a ‘memoir/biography’ but as the title suggests a diary of some of his more popular content interlaced with bits about his childhood and the things that formed his love of trains (and machinery in general) which are interesting

 

what I’ve enjoyed so far is his descriptions of how he (and Ryan) went about capturing the videos and how recording them made him feel emotionally and I’ll admit it’s given me a bit more respect for him to see the videos with a bit of context provided regarding his feelings and why he gets over excited, Also being an audiobook the sound from the videos is included after some of the descriptions (ie the 37s climbing up to sapperton tunnel)

 

 

 

 

[Strathwood]

I think for most of us the real Book of the Year for 2023 is this one as publicised elsewhere here on RM Web with some justification.

 

Book of the Year 2023

 

A Pictorial Atlas of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway

 

Once again not just our Book of the Week twice already this year, but very much our Book of the Year. This is based first and foremost on sales, quality and presentation.

 

Personally, I hate those albums of old with small pictures often poorly reproduced, and since getting involved in producing over two hundred books myself, I have often been privileged to see the original negatives and slides those shots were reproduced from. Sometimes leading me to think what a waste of great material in how some of those books from the 1970 to 2000 era were reproduced, all those years ago.

 

Thankfully with modern technology this is less of an issue and books have become easier and more economic to produce in many ways. However, the good news is cancelled out as print numbers have come down as the market has shrunk massively as our fellow railway enthusiasts have been dying off like the dinosaurs, and not replaced as they once were at the younger end of the market. Every time we lose one, aside from the sadness to family and friends, it is one less purchaser for new titles and models and their demise throws into the second-hand market their book and model collection too, very often at a huge discount. This means that the financial risk and unit cost of not only new railway books but also many models have actually gone up.

 

Well, this title is very worthy of our Book of the Year as it very much bucks the trend, if you act fast, you can still grab a copy for yourself as we do have limited stock available before it goes out of print, the cost of a reprint is certainly off the table.

 

https://strathwood.co.uk/products/a-pictorial-atlas-of-the-somerset-dorset-joint-railway?_pos=2&_psq=atlas&_ss=e&_v=1.0

 

 

Kevin

 

 

[big jim]

Well I finished Francis’ book last week and I’ll admit I really enjoyed it 

 

as it’s probably well documented elsewhere on RMWeb my hated for the bloke and his videos is somewhat high, felt like he was quite simply ‘taking the p***’ and the whole thing was an act, HOWEVER having listened to the book I can actually see him in a different light and I have a lot more respect and understanding toward him now, I found myself smiling along to some of his story’s and the (now obviously not AI written) descriptions of his trips, i can see why he gets excited, what he finds invigorating and why he gets lows on certain trips 

 

the one bit that changed my opinion of him the most was describing going into the front carriage of a class 37 tour and worrying about the ‘bashers’ reaction to him, acknowledging that his videos have divided the spotting scene, he showed his human side and venerability more so in that section more than any other and it made me warm to him a bit more

 

enjoyed the description of following the 97s along the Cambrian, waving at the driver and getting excited at the tones etc, I probably enjoyed that a i know the driver he was talking about (one of my ex trainees as it happens!) 

 

indid feel the book ended a bit abruptly though, almost like it was a ‘get a book out quick’ while he’s at the top if his game, probably could’ve done with wrapping up somehow

 

so If you get a change have a listen, if you like him you’ll enjoy it, if you don’t like him it might change your mind 

[PMP]

@big jim I had a sneaky suspicion you’d have a changed perspective on him, and wish more people were open minded enough like you were to at least take a closer look. 

[jjb1970]

This is part of the discussion on the thread about the demise of the Warley show. I know some RMWeb members have an intense dislike of some popular YouTube presenters, but they are finding an audience and whether or not we like them they do strike me as being genuinely passionate about their hobbies (1:1 railways, model railways) and convey that passion in an engaging way which resonates with a lot of people. We all have different preferences, what I like is not what others like and that's fine. Not only is it fine but would anyone want a world where we all share the same group think? People often complain about the difficulty of 'selling' the hobby to younger people and hooking youngsters at the same time as mauling people who are doing a good job promoting it because their style of presentation or level of knowledge etc doesn't impress us. It may not impress us but I suspect what we might suggest as a splendid source of news, advice, 'how to' guides etc might not get a thumbs up from the sort of people Francis reaches. I must admit, I only looked at some of these channels after seeing rants on RMWeb and perhaps to my surprise found myself rather enjoying most of them.

[Nearholmer]

On 01/01/2024 at 13:20, PMP said:

I don’t disagree one bit Mike. The point I was picking up on was the suggestion that the passage shown was AI generated, or was filled with words to meet a word count

Whatever else, that passage reads very badly, a horrible mixture of attempted lyrical description and technical terms mixed-up together. It gives the impression that the author has a lot of words, but not a way with words. Maybe that’s why Big Jim said it looked as if it was written by AI: the dissonance.

 

Until I just googled to find out who he is, I knew nothing about the author , so my negative first impression wasn’t based on prejudice, just a dislike of the very clunky writing.

 

Still, you can’t judge a book by one paragraph, any more than by looking at the cover, so maybe the rest is readable.

 

PS: Oh, based on Big Jim’s follow-up review, it sounds as if it is!

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by Nearholmer

[big jim]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Whatever else, that passage reads very badly, a horrible mixture of attempted lyrical description and technical terms mixed-up together. It gives the impression that the author has a lot of words, but not a way with words. Maybe that’s why Big Jim said it looked as if it was written by AI: the dissonance.

I thinks that’s quite a good description of how I felt about it 

 

but still, if you get a chance have a listen to the audiobook it’s not bad at all if somewhat disjointed at times 

[PMP]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Whatever else, that passage reads very badly, a horrible mixture of attempted lyrical description and technical terms mixed-up together. It gives the impression that the author has a lot of words, but not a way with words.

Reads fine for me, that’s his style, some of his own pieces to camera are a bit clunky. It makes the book authentic rather than edited to perfection, it’s what he wants to say not how someone thinks he should say it. 
 

Here’s a challenge for you, or anyone else who feels that paragraph is poorly written. Re-write it and post it here maintaining Luke’s style/personality as an excercise in how it would improve the story.
 

I chose that particular paragraph because it resonated very, very strongly with me, reminding me of times watching trains above Welwyn North. As a photographer the description gives me a mental picture of what he was seeing and an insight into the atmosphere and lighting he wanted to capture in the composition of his image.

Edited January 15 by PMP
Last para

[Nearholmer]

1 minute ago, PMP said:

Re-write it and post it here maintaining Luke’s style/personality as an excercise in how it would improve the story

If I knew him well enough to understand his style and his personality, I might be able to have a bash at a pastiche, but surely there’s a danger that if I did a really good job, it would read just as badly as it does now.

[PMP]

Just now, Nearholmer said:

If I knew him well enough to understand his style and his personality, I might be able to have a bash at a pastiche, but surely there’s a danger that if I did a really good job, it would read just as badly as it does now.

That’ll be a no to the challenge then. I can’t say I’m surprised.

[Nearholmer]

If you want me to write a description of an expedition to take a photo of a train from above a tunnel portal, I can give you several styles, technical, lyrical, humorous, gothic, whatever you fancy, but what I can’t do is pretend to be this guy without coming out like this guy.

 

 

Edited January 15 by Nearholmer

[JamFjord]

Thanks for the tip regarding this book, Paul. It prompted me to buy the audiobook and I've been enjoying it so far. I didn't have many preconceptions, really, other than an impression that he seems like a nice enough lad and genuinely enthusiastic about railways. That he's on TikTok is of no relevance to me as I'm not on the app (nor ever likely to be). I can forgive a little clunky writing on the basis that I'm in no position to criticise...