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I to am a 51 year in the industry retired railroad operating managment employee and a Rail Buff all my life.This article, "is it un American to be a rail fan" in April Trains really bothers(to say the least)me. The railroad industry needs friends both shippers, passengers and railfans. I will admit there are many so called rail fans that trespass, steal and be an all over pain in the *** to the industry. When I was stationed in Meadville Pa. on the EL, I asked my superintendent if we could have a railroad weekend and open up all the facilities to the public, after he fell over laughing he said to me don't I give you enough to do I already worked 7 days a week so what is the diffrence.He said it was ok with him as I will take all the responsibility if it is a disaster. It was in 1969 and I got volunteers from off duty operating and mechanical people We got school bus drivers with their busses and we put 20,000 people thru the property in the 2 days people came from Pittsburgh, Erie, Cleveland and all over we had a ball and the news papers commended the EL for allowing this to happen. WE MADE FRIENDS. something we have to make today. This government is taking our freedoms away daily and this is all a way that they can control people in the guise of terrorism. CONTROL is what they want and the railroad industry listens to them. I am fed up with identification to show all the governments abc people DIDN'T HITLER 'S PEOPLE ask for YOUR PAPERS!! I was alive then and they did this. What is the diffrence today. Yes private property is private property BUT the responsible rail fan could still be a part of the industry. I suggest that the railroads could help the rail fan plus make a little money and SPECIALLY MAKE A FRIEND that will help them in the long run. Yes the rail fan is a pain in the *** BUT a necessiary pain. My suggestion was to have rail fans that want to photo or visit the property (not in a crowd) The rail fan would have to attend a yearly rule and safety seminar with a test that has to be passed paid for by the rail fan and then he would sign a contract to take ALL responsibility for his actions relating to his physical health on the company property. He would be given an ID tag to be worn while on the property so all employes would know he a visitor. If he does not act responssible he will have his Tag removed and asked to leave. Yes I know you are all laughing at this by saying WHY WOULD A COMPANY WANT TO DO THIS? I have an answer to this this railfan that has permission with his tag will look out for the railroad in many ways. In my lifetime I saved 3 railroads from BIG derailments and delayed trains. I didn't have to do any of this but I felt I owed my industry a hand. Just to mention one I was on the highway along the BN and I saw a coal train with a defective car smoking not a hot journal. other. I raced ahead and gave the engineer a stop signal and he stopped and I took the headman back to the problem and they set the car off a few miles ahead. Another time while I was at school at Electro motive in La Grange ,Ill. on my off hours I went up to the station to watch the commuter trains. A westboung freight was roaring by me and it came to a stop I could see they had trouble. I went to the locomotive and told the engineer that I was a RFofE out east and I asked him if I could help. He said yes and after changing out a ER regulator from the 2nd unit they were off and running in 30 minutes mechanical people were just leaving Cicero yard. <br />You see some railfans will be an aset not a libility. I am ashamed of the KCS's attitude to the railfan, he wasn't given a chance. Government wants control and we are giving it to them. Did we loose to the terriorists........I think we did <br />M.C.Wikman
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