How close is too close?

[Anonymous]

I was photographing on the mainline just north of Johnstown, Pa near Mineral Point. I found a place where the road comes to about 10 feet from the tracks. At this point they had a metal bar gate that was about 5 feet from the tracks. I choose this place to take my photographs since it offered an idea spot to photograph.

Don’t worry my truck was safely parked at the bike trail parking lot where my wife and daughter went biking. In any event the West bound trains were moving on the first and second set of tracks. The third set was the track near me.

The westbound trains all waved as I shot their photographs. Then I could hear the sound of an eastbound train. As soon as it rounded the curve I started shooting bracing myself on the gate. It offered a great perspective for photographs. However this time I about jumped out of my skin as the big Norfolk Southern blew its horn. I shot several more photographs then when I felt it was close enough I moved four steps to the side of the road.

Since this is the first time I got the horn I was wondering was I too close?

Here is the Photograph below.

 

[lionelsoni]

It's possible the horn was meant just as a greeting, although they usually manage to blow those softer than usual.

The American loading gauge is 10'8 wide.  Almost all loads will be within that width.  The shortest ties are 8-feet long; so, if you are farther than 16 inches from the ends of the ties, you are probably safe (just barely).

[chuck]

Be carefull in places where the trains are travelling at high speed (aka in excess of 40 mph).  Freight trains can generate fairly forcefull slipstreams and could suck stuff in.

Also, some of the railroads have adopted fairly strict policies regarding photography and hanging around train tracks, especially post 911 and the Madrid/London bombings.  You could wind up with a visit by the local sherif's office or state trooper if the train crew feels you are doing something they aren't happy about.   

[Wes Whitmore]

Not speaking from experience, but Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel proved the "suck in if to close" myth to be false.  The wind pressure pushes out away from the speeding train.  They only tested a passenger train zooming by at 65+ MPH.  It knocked over a 210 pound person that was standing a couple of feet from the zooming train, and launched an empty child stroller some 20 feet away.  If I remember correctly, it created more outword pressure when going in reverse (not streamlined in reverse), and more of a outward diagonal force when the train was going by in a forward direction.  Freight trains may be different.  They did get a little bit of vortex behind a train when modeled (which was in a wind tunnel with a G scale passenger train), but the outward pressure was far outwayed the vortex.

It was a great show. 

Wes

[Anonymous]

He might have been trying to get you to load up your britches by blasting the horn at you.

I also remember the Mythbusters episode, and you're right, the outward push from the train blasts most anything away from the train before any slipstream would be able to suck it in at the end.

[chuck]

Mythbusters episode used a passenger loco with fully skirted passenger cars.  A freight train, particulalry one with a fair number of open cars (tank cars are the worst) will pull stuff in from the turbulance/venturi effeect.  People have been injured by getting too close to train tracks and being pulled in by high speed freight trains.  BTW, the Mythbusters did allude to this possibility when they were filming the episode but the only had access to a passenger train for the full size "tests".

[FJ and G]

here in crystal city, va, passengers stand 15 inches from whizzing freights and passenger trains; this one is stopped but others fly thru; very scary; add to that there's a wall the length of station so if something derailed, there's no place to run

 

 

[magicman710]

I was photographing on the mainline just north of Johnstown, Pa near Mineral Point. I found a place where the road comes to about 10 feet from the tracks. At this point they had a metal bar gate that was about 5 feet from the tracks. I choose this place to take my photographs since it offered an idea spot to photograph.

Don’t worry my truck was safely parked at the bike trail parking lot where my wife and daughter went biking. In any event the West bound trains were moving on the first and second set of tracks. The third set was the track near me.

The westbound trains all waved as I shot their photographs. Then I could hear the sound of an eastbound train. As soon as it rounded the curve I started shooting bracing myself on the gate. It offered a great perspective for photographs. However this time I about jumped out of my skin as the big Norfolk Southern blew its horn. I shot several more photographs then when I felt it was close enough I moved four steps to the side of the road.

Since this is the first time I got the horn I was wondering was I too close?

Here is the Photograph below.

 

Did he wave at you? If he did blow his horn like that, he probably was warning you, usually a few soft taps is the "hey, how you doing?'' blast. I wouldent worry to much about it, he was just concerned.

Kind of off topic, but a women just got hit by a CSX in my town, they say she commited suicide, the conductor thought he hit somebody and called the police.

 

 

Grayson

[Wes Whitmore]

I do remember them saying that at mythbusters.  Also, the myth was dealing with passengers, not freight, so you expect that there are passenger trains that they should be dealing with.  Not too many train companies will loan out a full train for testing...I would have loved to see the testing on it though.  Have you seen things get sucked in before?  I would like to see that (safely, of course).  I would figure that the side of a boxcar would push even more air out as it moves though the air.  Like a bunch of giant little sails.  The train moving backwords did, since it was flat like the side of a boxcar.  Regardless, just seeing anything as big as a train zooming by you at 65 MPH right in front of you was an awesome sight!  I kept replaying it on the home theater.

Maybe they will revist that test someday.

Wes

[chuck]

There was a local hobby shop in Plymouth that used the old freight station as the main building.  The trains don't stop in Plymouth any more and a through train could go through at high speed.  The tracks were actually slightly elevated relative to the parking lot (ballast profile).  Debris was routinely sucked up under the cars during a high speed pass.  Once (and only once) I parked by the baricades nearest the track.  If you are crazy enough to get too close and are overballancing to do so, it wouldn't take much force to lose your ballance and fall in.  Unibody tank cars are the worst.  A lot of open space for the slip stream to collapse into and take other stuff with it.

[Wes Whitmore]

That just doesn't sound safe, but what a treat for someone 30 feet back!

[dwiemer]

I have been very close to trains on Highball while taking photos.  I think there are a number of wind shifts as the train goes by.  More than being sucked into the train, I was worried about debris flying around and getting my eyes.  If you are going to be getting close, I would suggest those wrap around eye protection/sunglasses.

Dennis

[csxt30]

Remember too, that anything can fly off of a moving train. Wood, pieces of wood fly off, sometimes scrap metal falls off the ledges of some cars &  brake shoes sometimes fly out .  I would keep a good distance from any moving train .

Thanks, John

 

[USNRol]

He might have been trying to get you to load up your britches by blasting the horn at you.

This is what I think too... not everybody can resist the temptation to cause some geeky railfan who's all wrapped around his camera to drop a duece in his shorts by letting him have the full blast from close range.  Especially if you're a little too close for comfort.

Nice picture though...worth the brown streak IMHO

Roland

[Anonymous]

Hearing protection as well if you don't already use some. Laugh if you will, a freight train puts out some decibils. Sorry for the public sevice anouncment, I'm a musician in the Army, they drill this stuff into me.

[ChiefEagles]

Remember too, that anything can fly off of a moving train. Wood, pieces of wood fly off, sometimes scrap metal falls off the ledges of some cars &  brake shoes sometimes fly out .  I would keep a good distance from any moving train .

Thanks, John

 

Especially a CSX train.  The whole thing might fall apart on you.   Now NS is a different story.   I've shot trains from lots of places in the USA.  I stay off their right-of-way but never had anything but nice waves.  No police [maybe the Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's shirt helps].

[Anonymous]

Remember too, that anything can fly off of a moving train. Wood, pieces of wood fly off, sometimes scrap metal falls off the ledges of some cars &  brake shoes sometimes fly out .  I would keep a good distance from any moving train .

Thanks, John

 

 

There was a story or a real incident here when i was like 10 of a metal banding strap for wood coming undone or was undone and hanging, well it went threw town were there are people walking by the tracks and amtrak. well anyways its said that a metal banding strap came by and cut a woman in half. Not sure if its true but i wouldnt test the theory. and this story or accident is what remainds me not to get to close.

 

this is a great thread btw!

[magicman710]

A man got killed a decade or 2 ago below a trestle over the ogechee river (where I live) when a CSX train's log car dropped a log and fell on him. Thats like a one in a million chance. 

 

Grayson

[FJ and G]

Here's Amtrak barreling thru Crystal city at about double-nickel speed. Notice it's riding on toy train tracks (photos not doctored in any way)

 

 

 

the builder even darkened the center rail 

[magicman710]

You mind if I use your picture for my desktop?

 

Thanks,

Grayson

[rustycoupler]

 i tell ya, i was photographing a ns train i heard a whizzing noise, it was a metal strap on a lumber load on a i beam swinging in the wind ,it missed me it seemed by five feet or so. thats close!

[Anonymous]

Somethin' exciting about getting close!! I love that feeling in your chest!! I was only a foot or two away from these shots!

[csxt30]

 i tell ya, i was photographing a ns train i heard a whizzing noise, it was a metal strap on a lumber load on a i beam swinging in the wind ,it missed me it seemed by five feet or so. thats close!

Rusty : that's what I was talking about earlier, stuff falling off trains. We've stopped trains on our mainline many times for just that very thing, & removed them.  If you're only a foot or two away, or even 5 feet or so, that's too close for comfort. Those crews get very nervous up in the cab.

ThANKS, John

[jefelectric]

 i tell ya, i was photographing a ns train i heard a whizzing noise, it was a metal strap on a lumber load on a i beam swinging in the wind ,it missed me it seemed by five feet or so. thats close!

Rusty : that's what I was talking about earlier, stuff falling off trains. We've stopped trains on our mainline many times for just that very thing, & removed them.  If you're only a foot or two away, or even 5 feet or so, that's too close for comfort. Those crews get very nervous up in the cab.

ThANKS, John

You guys need to listen to John, he works with this stuff every day.

[Anonymous]

Sorry guys...I have to be close sometimes. 

I took this shot last week!!  I could have gave the engineer a high five!!

[PhilaKnight]

When CSX police chase you off the tracks thats when your too close. They pretty much don't mind pictures as long as you're not jumping a ride on them. Their seems to be a big problem with that here in Philadelphia.

[Anonymous]

In England, passenger trains whip through the station with absolutely no prior warning (like horns) at about 90 MPH. You just see a blue and yellow blur, followed by a pronounced WHHHHHH-WHAP! as the displaced air hits your ears. It's pretty cool but takes some getting used to when the things blast by a few feet away.