I'm a touch late on this, but will comment anyway......
Keep in mind that inverters running over about 200 watts or so should be hard-wired to the batteries, a lot of fellow truckers run inverters in the 1500 watt range, these are hard-wired in, with circuitry to cut power should battery voltage drop too low.
P.S. Wabash, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine, they drive large cars, and would like to run past your house at night, with straight pipes, at full Jake.........
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
I don't mind photographers, but if you start flashing passing trains, it may not work out too well. What it may end up doing is causing railfans to be barred from the the private lots at Wyomissing Jct., or NS could easily put up fences. Now, trains frequently have to wait at Wyo. Jct for other trains, so maybe you could shout up and see if the waiting crew is receptive for the shot?
PS>> wabash, if you throw your train in emergency and derail some PIH cars you are going to have some explaining to do. And I don't think "there was a photographer to beat up" will do it. Lighten up a little. (heh.. lighten)
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Perhaps our friends at TRAINS could arrange a contest with proposals from photographers and help make the arrangements for a few winners to give it a 'shot'!
In response to the other comments here are a few suggestions:
Ed
Jock Ellis Cumming, GA US of A Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers
wabash1 wrote:Its not that i dont know your there i know that the guy was theere i didnt exspect a flash in my face, and i hate cameras anyways so as stated before you dont respect me or my conductors jobs and i wont respect you, i will win...........and if i set the train in emergency this can be treated as deliberate interferance of interstate transit and the fines are major with prison time. this law is broad like manslaughter. the last time i checked anyways so go ahead flash away. lets see if some of you will get a new mailing address.
You don't seem to like railfans or photography? You threaten to stop the train and get off too assault someone? why are you so angry?
There was a story about a year or so ago on the news wires about some guy out taking pictures at night with his big flash. Well, he didn't realize that the train in question, with the pretty UP engines, was hauling several loaded DODX munitions cars. Those trains usually have a military/federal escort of some sort. Solid black SUV or something. Those guys hate you taking a picture of 'THEIR' train at night worse than the crews do. And, I would bet, they don't understand train fans at all. Probably think everything you told them was and excuse. I believe the railfan in question was detained for a bit and had his equipment confiscated. Those guys are a little more hardcore than johnny law.
Gee, who put the burr under your saddle?
I'm surprised there's been little mention in this thread of the article in this month's TRAINS about night photography. In the article, the photographer, Gary Knapp pretty much answers all the questions posed here, including the flash to the train crew. He mentions doing a "test fire" while the train is some distance away so the crew knows he's there. As with O Winston Link, the crews are familiar with him, and what he's doing. I think doing the test fire is a polite "calling card" to the crew. It almost looks like the engineer on the cover shot is smiling for the camera. He seems to be looking right at it.
It's really a neat article, and the photographs are striking, just like Mr. Link's were.
But I'd hate to be on the crew and all of a sudden a dozen or so flashes go off in my face without warning. I can see how that could scare the crap out of a guy.
m
You got that right about night vision when ever I am running at night and I see flash bulbs going off I hate it because I might not blow the crossing right, if that happens and their is a company officer around I can get taken out of service pending a investigation.
Rodney
cacole wrote: Even in daytime, I have been confronted by deputy sheriffs who wanted to know what I was doing, because I was video taping trains and the crews had evidentally called their dispatcher and reported me as looking suspicious; and I was not on railroad property.
Even in daytime, I have been confronted by deputy sheriffs who wanted to know what I was doing, because I was video taping trains and the crews had evidentally called their dispatcher and reported me as looking suspicious; and I was not on railroad property.
That's because you didn't wave!
cruikshank wrote:Would it be allright to hit the passenger cars of an Amtrak train at night, not the engine?
Well, the sleeping passengers might not appreciate it so much...
O. Winston Link had the railroad's permission to photograph at night and the train crews were notified in advance of when and where he would be, so they were not taken by surprise. Without prior notification and permission, you run the risk of facing legal prosecution for possible trespassing and, in today's climate, suspicion of terrorist plotting.
If you photograph at night, be sure to shoot the conductor's side, although he might get upset for waking him.....
While some of the other posters have suggested that they would nearly panic when they see the flash go off, I would sugest that the flash might startle them, but I don't think it's the major calamity you might think. And unless they happen to be looking directly at the flash units, their vision will not be all that much affected.
As a side note--when I am out doing photography at night, I carry an old small flash unit (charged) in my pocket in case I am confronted by someone with not-so-honorable intentions, and/or any larger wildlife. By causing a flash pointed directly at them, I WILL temporarily blind them, thereby giving me an opportunity to respond to the situation accordingly.
L&N LCL has it right.
If you're lighting me up at night with multiple bulbs and blinding me, we're going to have a problem. Not only does that hurt my night vision, but the rest of my crew can't see now as well.
Blind me, and I'll call the cops.
It sucks, yup. Even if you're not "in the wrong" technically, but I have a job to do and it's not accomodating a photographer's hobby.
This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements
It will not really temporarily blind the crew, at least not for more than one or two seconds, but it WILL destroy their night vision, and it will take their eyes about 20 minutes to totally recover.
I used to have White Lightning monolights. They don't draw a lot during recycle, but you would get much more dramatic images if you found a place like a grade level crossing under street lights and shot available light. A little motion blur of the train would be very dramatic.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Whatever else you do... notify the railroad if you are going to use flash photography at night -- even one flash, never mind a bunch of them -- and ask their permission for photographing by flash at a specific location at a specific time. Whether you are on their land or not. First off, it's common courtesy. Second, the engineer and conductor will know what you are up to.
Keep in mind that your flash unit -- even one -- will temporarily blind the engineer and conductor. This just isn't a good thing...
The responsible thing to do would be to contact the RR PR department and tell them what you'd like to do. Assuming they buy off on it, at least the crew will know you're shooting.
Either get permission to be on, or stay off RR property, and get permission from property owners.
The most recent issue of Trains has a feature on a night photographer. I haven't had the time to read the article yet, but I'd bet he lets the RR know before he lights them up with a dozen strobes.
If you haven't read up about Link, do so. His night shots were productions, in the fullest sense of the word. Of course, he had the full support of railroad management, too...
As for your question about inverters - look at the wattage you need (it should be either on the devices or in the manuals) and then at the wattage capabilities of the inverters. I have a 300 watt inverter I carry with me most of the time. It'll handle my laptop or the PA system on our trains (used when the generator was OOS) with no problem. I've used it in conjunction with one of those car starter boxes more than once.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
2 foamers put my job on the line the other night doing just this same thing and next time ill set my train in emergency and when i can see im going to whip their but....there is no reason for this crap, and not only my job but my conductor also, or the people we kill at crossing that we cant see or blow for.... i was in restricting limits runniig restricting speed ..... think about it.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.