Understand that railfanning is not just going trkside to watch trains go by. There are perhaps a half dozen othr activities that can be classified as such. For me, it is reading a good rr history book in the privacy of my home, in my den in totally quiet kicking back in my easy chair reading a couple chapters and before I know it, I'm knodding off.
galesburg,illinois during railroad days weekend at peck park.
rochelle,illinois
dolton,illinois
tolono,illinois
nelson,illinois
savahna,illinois
waycross,georgia
I don't know if these are the "best", but they're some of my favorites: Folkston. There are radios at both the railfan platform and at the depot across the tracks. If you monitor the radio, you can usually tell when there's a lull so you can go to the Okeefenokee Restaurant. And if you do miss a train, there are usually several more coming.
Also Horse Shoe Curve. Along with being a "must visit" location, the visitor center has a radio so you can hear what's coming.
Bald Knob, Arkansas. 60 miles North of Little Rock, where UP's ex-MoPac line to Memphis intersects with the Hoxie Sub to St. Louis. Arkansas Traveler Hobbies occupies the old MP station, so you can shop during lulls in the action. Also lots of former MP signals so you can usually tell what's coming. And Bald Knob has a Sonic!
Point of Rocks, MD, at least on the weekend when you can park at the MARC station. Lots of trains passing the classic B&O station. Saturday is better than Sunday for trains. The Potomac River and C&O Canal are nearby,
Fullerton CA. Is one of the best in the L.A. area. There are many trains through here from BNSF,Amtrak and Metrolink.Also there are a number of restaurants within walking distance,so one can have a meal without missing any action.Because so many railfans hang out here,train crews call it Foamerton.
Fullerton CA. Is one of the best in the L.A. area. There are many trains through here from BNSF,Amtrak and Metrolink.Also there are a number of restaurants within walking distance,so one can have a meal without missing any action.Because
So far I haven't heard a bad suggestion!
One of the values of a thread like this is finding out about places that are great for train-watching, but which aren't commonly known. Sometimes they're closer to home than you think!
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...
Co-workers who live in Folkston tell me the Sonic is going to eventually be turned into a Taco Bell...uh, yay? LOL. Never have eaten at the Okefenokee...I'm always afraid I'll miss something cool trackside if I take the time to go sit down and eat somewhere vs grabbing something and taking it back to the platform.
A couple of good Georgia spots I can think of are Manchester and Cordele...Manchester has a viewing platform like Folkston's and has a good amount of traffic. Haven't been to Cordele in a long time, but it has a three-way diamond for CSX, NS and what was the Georgia Southwestern when I was there, but think it's the Heart of Georgia RR now. No platform, but there was a public parking lot that is situated right at the diamond. Plus it was featured as a Trains 'Hot Spot" some years back.
Chuck
Last week was indeed pretty decent: my son and I were there Friday afternoon and after the usual early afternoon lull after lunchtime it got pretty busy...went specifically to get shots of some NS autoracks and Railbox box cars for a couple of modeling projects I'm working on, and I batted a thousand, LOL. Big crowd there watching too.
cyeargin I too cast my vote for Folkston, but since I live only 30 miles away I guess I would technically be considered a "local" LOL Alas, I bring sad tidings regarding the Sonic: it has been closed, so for fast food you're down to the Mickey D's and Burger King. Still have the Whistle Stop for ice cream though.... Chuck
I too cast my vote for Folkston, but since I live only 30 miles away I guess I would technically be considered a "local" LOL
Alas, I bring sad tidings regarding the Sonic: it has been closed, so for fast food you're down to the Mickey D's and Burger King. Still have the Whistle Stop for ice cream though....
How sad for Sonic! I think we have only one in the whole Chicago Metro area, at least an hour away.
Also I must compliment the aforementioned Okeefenokee Restaurant with a real down-home tone and nice stuff on the buffet.
I would also vote for Folkston. It hasn't been like it was in 2005, but last week was pretty decent. Plus, you don't have to worry about anything bad happening for the all-nighter. Folkston would have to be the best CSX spot around.
Also in Folkston you got Subway, Dick's Wings, DQ, Okeefanokee Resturant, and of course Whislin' Dixie for Ice Cream. Not that bad for food in Folkston.
Kevin
passengerfan Pretty hard to beat Cajon and Tehachapi for action and throw in Beaumont and it is hard to find three better spots with as much action and all not that far apart. Al - in - Stockton
Pretty hard to beat Cajon and Tehachapi for action and throw in Beaumont and it is hard to find three better spots with as much action and all not that far apart.
Al - in - Stockton
HUZAAH!!!!!
Tehachapi at daybreak; Cajon at midday; Beaumont at sundown!
IT DON'T COME NO BETTER THAN THAT!!!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
I have three favourite spots.
One is at the Willingdon Junction in Burnaby B.C. On a good day one will be able to see VIA, Amtrak, BNSF and several Canadian National trains.
The other is where I lived in Calgary, Alberta. From my room I could see the Canadian Pacific mainline and so many trains passed by in a day.
The third spot was in Weyburn Saskatchewan. Canadian Pacific ran trains from Moose Jaw to Chicago through the Twin Cities.
I suppose this is pretty subjective but here are my nominations: (1) River Jct. (La Crescent), MInnesota where the CP/ICE mainline for Iowa and Kansas City splits off from CP's Chicago-Twin Cities mainline (2) East Dubuque, Illinois where the CN's Iowa Division mainline joins in with BNSF's double-tracked Chicago-Twin Cities mainline for a run down the River to Portage (3) Western Iowa along U.S. Highway 30 where the UP's "Overland Route" mainline and CN's Iowa Division mainline run parallel with each other.
On Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line Between Conpitt Junction in New Flourance, PA and Altoona, PA. Lots of Trains, helpers, locals, great variety of trains, great mountain views, and experience all four season.
I have been to 48 of the 50 United States and have watched trains in all but Hawaii. I wouldn't even hazard a guess on the top train watching spot. I know that I have gone to certain train hot spots and got skunked,I'm sure it has happened to others. Everyone wants to know exactly where in a so-called hot spot does one go to see the action. In Fremont Nebraska it is not the junction of US 77 & US 30.Where is a place to eat, is John Law going to bug you ete.Fortunatly there are more and more towns that are including infromation for railfans that realize that we do spend money in your town. I wish that Trains readers would encourage websites to do this. I would like to single out Edgemount South Dakota for kudos; they have an excellent website that includes where to watch trains and where to buy gas and snacks
Lafeyette IN. At the Amtrak station. You have 3 tracks 2 being NS (most traffic) and the other (old Monon) now CSX.
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Again I say, the best spot has what you want to see. When I take my "group trips" to the NYC area most say Jamaica on the LIRR is most fascinating, especially during commute hours when you can have four or five trains side by side in and out and three more going the otherway; sometimes in station on the ahead train's markers. The interlocking maze on either end of the station is amazing and mind boggling to the newcomer. But also fascinating for some is Sec. Jct. on NJTand Amtrak minus the interlocking maze and width but with speed and frequency. Newark Penn is also a lively place for fans. Freight? Got to get out and away from the terminal areas to see much freight movement beyond yard hauls and swithcing...but in the Metro area there is Bound Brook, NJ and anywhere along CSX River Line. And riding commuter area trains anyplace (NY, Boston, Phila., Chi, Baltimore and D.C, LA, anyplace there is a commuter operation) exposes you to many sights and venues you can't see or access by auto or foot. Try it...
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
See - If you hadn't told us about them, we wouldn't know!
As for frequency and variety - as a railfanning tourist, I'd want to see trains that reflect my interests, or at least pique my interest. A given location may have plenty of trains - overnight. Or all unit coal trains. Not that those are bad things, but they are somewhat limiting. Some really accessible spots are lousy for watching - some remote spots are worth the trouble. Lots of variables.
I'm not putting down anyone's suggestions, by the way. Most are "on my list."
If you limit yourself simply to highest frequecy of trains or widest variety of equipment, you miss out on such gems as Curtis Hill west of Waynoka, OK or Aikens Switch between Marysville, KS and Topeka which offer plenty of action, dramatic lighting, and splendid scenery in isolated locations.
I'll second Folkston as a "got to go to" railfanning spot. I was in the Jacksonville area on business and, on a whim, checked out how close I was going to be to Folkston. It's less than an hour away! I had a free afternoon the last day, so away I went!
The shelter also has radios so you can listen in, as well as track maps you can use to figure out what's happening. And you can usually count on several people who know the traffic well hanging around, too.
For train watching, it's fantastic.
For photography, morning is best, as the platform looks west. Noon to mid-afternoon isn't too bad, but later in the day you need to cross the tracks (at one of the nearby crossings) and shoot from the street on the other side. It's a quiet street, however, so you're not in much danger.
genester71 I would have to agree that anywhere a train is is the best spot, but for me my favorite railfanning spot is Folkston, Ga. The people there are courteous, and the trains going through seem to be endless. It is well worth the drive!
I would have to agree that anywhere a train is is the best spot, but for me my favorite railfanning spot is Folkston, Ga. The people there are courteous, and the trains going through seem to be endless. It is well worth the drive!
Welcome, Gene, and I apologize for being remiss in not also nominating the Folkston Funnel. It is just as the genester says: a sweet little town where people don't rush. Small enough to lack a Wal-Mart or Target but big enough to have several motels, a couple of B&B's designed for railfans (and walking distance to the tracks), a big new pharmacy and -- A Sonic!! Try the limeade.
The only disadvantage I can think of for photographers is that the ROW takes in a lot of greensward, so getting those sharp-angled head-on shots will require a good zoom, preferably optical. But you'll see a little bit of everything: unit trains, a lot of manifest, a lot of strings of autorack and IM, though usually spliced into the manifest. I've heard that eighty percent of Florida-bound freight has to go thru the Funnel; makes sense to me, because there is usually very little waiting time between trains. Amtraks: 3 each way per day if you include Auto Train, and the Tropicana Juice Train in the middle of the night (which, alas, I have yet to witness.).
I admit that Folkston is rather isolated by East Coast standards, but it just kills me that so many fans will go to Waycross, even in poor weather, and hang around all day, when they could come down to a covered, floodlit shelter with plenty of parking at the railroad park in Folkston just 45 mins. or so away. If you want a break from the railfanning (IF), the Okefenokee Swamp is a ten-minute drive and a fifteen-minute hike away. I've seen scenery, folks, but this is the most amazing scenery I think I've ever seen. - a.s.
Dundas, Illinois (population 100), year 1972 on the Illinois Central Mattoon - Evansville, In branch. Black geeps (with a few rebuilt GP8/10's in orange/white), 70 - 100 car freights (one per day each way) on 35mph track.
ed
Having spent four days in Montana last fall along the BNSF in and near Glacier National Park, I would have to nominate that as the most scenic location I have railfanned.
I really enjoy the BNSF Staples Sub between Lake Park and Hawley, MN. This line is fairly busy and that particular section is probably the most scenic in my general area.
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Gene Callan
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