You Might be a Railfan if.......

[espeefoamer]

You are watching the movie "Under the Rainbow",about the making of "Wizard of Oz",which took place in 1939, and notice that the train was pulled by UP 8444( it's number at the time),which wasn't built until 1944.

[Bob-Fryml]

While driving along a four lane interstate highway you come upon a construction site.  The two lanes you're on are closed for maintenance so the highway folks put you through a temporary crossover over to the other side.  So you now have to share the two adjacent lanes with traffic moving in the opposite direction - you have the your new lane going your way and they have their old lane going the opposite way.  A railfan calls this situation "single trackin'."

- OR -

While driving along unfamiliar roads you navigate with a highway map - but somehow you always feel lost unless the map shows whose railroad it is that you've been lookin' at.

- OR -

While waiting at a Chicago 'L stop during rush hour (pre-1973), you let three or more trains pass going in your direction because you prefer to ride only the most ancient equipment.

- OR -

You'll only drink a certain brand of beer not because you like the taste, but because you know that it was long-hauled from the brewery by rail.

- OR -

The only time you really enjoy shopping for Christmas presents is when you're at the model railroad store. 

[snagletooth]

Wen you refer to your rig as a Kenworth-built 2-8-8.

[railfandan@skamania]

When we come up to an intersection while driving and my wife at the wheel, I will scan to the right for her, calling out "hold for 2 more southbounds" or something similar.

[Anonymous]

You might be a railfan if:

 

*you can tell what type of locomotive is coming at you solely based on the sound of the horns. 

*you work for the railroad 

*you think you can fit a locomotive turbo under the hood of your car :)

*people think you're weird for taking pictures of "trains"

*you constantly hear the HBD (hotbox detectors) voice recording in your sleep.

*people ask you weird things about locmotives, and you somehow know what you're talking about.

*your house, right by the tracks, is sinking (or shifted foundation) due to the railroad, but you've done nothing about it. 

[alexweiihman]

Railfans are those people that you see at 3am near tracks just to see that "special engine". They talk about F40PH-2s or SD40-2s, or somthing like that.

[Kurn]

 When someone asks you if you have seen the "Polar Express" and you give them a complete history of Pere Marquette 1225,C&O Kanawhas and Berkshires in general.

[DRGWfan]

1. You get mad when people say to the small children "look its a choo choo"

2. Your ideal honeymoon location is Sherman Hill

[Anonymous]

...you watch movies that take place in NY and know its not filmed in NY because you can tell the subway train in the movie scene is from DC!

[snagletooth]

 Your heart drops the first time you go into Marc's Big Boy and find out it's not a railroad-themed resturant.

[HEdward]

While feeding your newborn, you make sure to face the window to watch the NJT trains pass the back of the hospital.(someone will now be able to tell me exactly where my sons were born!)(oh, and the singular usage above is correct as one of the twins was in the NICU on the other side of the building during our stay)

[bigboy4024]

if you ever gone to a railroad museum with more knowlidge than the gide

if you were asked about a picture of milwaukee road 261 in a art galery and had a circle of people around you while you anserd

if the vent fan in a public restroom sounds like an alco to you

if you get your minnesota boilers licence before you can drive a car

if you ever railfand in a blizard or in -30 below temps (i just did the blizard one today)

if you have more train pictures on youre myspace acount than you

if you get asked by one of your coworkers at a horse show waht railyard is next to the barns and you tell them arginten with out missing a beat

you just might be a railfan big boy

 

[BNSF_GP60M]

WOW! I started this topic off as kfuztv and who would think that it was so popular! Hopefully soon I will have some new ones.

[Erie Lackawanna]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

QUOTE: Originally posted by StillGrande

You get up before everyone else in the house on vacation and walk 2 miles to the tracks 1 hour early (just in case) to photograph the 1 train that comes by on the line that day.

I thought I was the only one that did that!!!!

Nope, I've done that tons. I tell you, nothing gets you up better than the thought of seeing a train that isn't powered by AC4400s, bbrant style
Matthew

This is the standard pattern in my family too... and I've got pictures going back to 1977 from doing it.

[ferky]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wairoa

You think of the wheel arrangement on your car as an 0-4-0.

The wheel arrangement on a car would be 0-2-2 for front wheel drive, and 2-2-0 for rear wheel drive.

The wheel arrangement on an all wheel Drive would be 0-4-0.

[espeefoamer]

You donate money to preserve a diesel that 20 years ago you hated because they were as common as dirt.( See www.f40phr231.org/ )

[Anonymous]

I don't have any to add, because I have done a lot of these too. I am a railfan. These are all quite hilarious.

[Anonymous]

You find a couple of lengths of 1by 4 lumber kicking around and bolt them together, paint them white and make your own crossbucks. Then, needing something to mount them on, you take PVC pipe, trailer taillights, and an automotive flasher, and wire up a crossing signal. I did this to make a display for my wife to use. Next step is to figure out how to add a gate arm to it.

[Randy Stahl]

You ruin the family buget forever by buying a classic ALCO S-6 . THEN you talk your new wife into spending quality time together as a couple..... Pulling batterys on said ALCO before they freeze.
(she never let me live down the time I had her scraping stack carbon)
Randy

[blade]

as a young lad growing up and watching trains at the local railway track when your dad would take you and love old steam engines built way before your time and as a young boy would go to the park with a high school friend and get into the cab of a beautiful steam engine when you graduated high school and always wanted to be a locomotive engineer but never lived your dream.

[Lord Atmo]

here's a tribute to anotheer blue collar comedian

so i was railfanning in altoona, wisconsin. and this guy walks up to me and sees the locomotive i'm looking at and he asks the stupid question

"is that Geep number 38?"

"NOPE! it's 500! heeere's your sign"

also, the locomotive was an SD60....

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wairoa

You believe those who have never experienced riding on a train are under privilaged.

You believe railroads getting rid of steam engines was short sighted.

Are happy about the increasing gas prices as it means more freight wil be shipped by rail than trucks.

You keep an engine on the dash board of your car so your date can see how cool you are.

You think of the wheel arrangement on your car as an 0-4-0.

The wheel arrangement on a car would be 0-2-2 for front wheel drive, and 2-2-0 for rear wheel drive.

[Anonymous]

You slow down and look both ways when crossing a RR right of way, even though the tracks have been gone for 40 years.

[bbrant]

Yet a few more....

You have a bumper sticker on your car that says “My other vehicle is a ________” (insert favorite locomitve).

You’ve ever caught yourself blinking your eyes like a railroad crossing signal

You refer to interstate highways as “high speed mainlines”

You’ve ever driven your car while sitting in the passenger’s seat just because you wanted to feel like an engineer

You shout “All aboard” when your family is getting into the car for a trip (you then ask to see their tickets)

Your hedge bushes are cut to resemble various railroad items

You refer to your garage as “the station” or “engine house”

The front door to your house is shaped like a tunnel

[miniwyo]

I just took CPR, but I just learned ho to push on this plastic dummie's chest!! [:D]

[Anonymous]

...somebody tells you, "3985 was taken off of the Frontier Days trip because of a big end failure on the left rear main rod," and you instinctively start thinking about what could cause a roller bearing to fail.
...you know the difference between Mallet, tandem, cross, and Vauclain compounding.
...you benchpress coupler knuckles.
...your car has all gasoline controls painted red and all airconditioning controls painted yellow.
...your car is black with seafoam green interior.
...your car has Nathan non-lifting fuel injectors.
...you wonder if there's a Lima Lock Company (there're Alco and Baldwin, right???).
...you complain that a book called 844 a Big Boy, somebody says "no, it's a challenger," and you both laugh.
...your bycicle is a 1-1-0.
...your car's brake pedal has been replaced with a 26-EL valve.
...you figure that your car isn't a road-railer so much as it is a rail-roader.
...you went to PE and CPR classes, but didn't learn a thing about railroads.

Sincerely,
Daniel Parks

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wairoa

You believe those who have never experienced riding on a train are under privilaged.

Best post I've read all day

[wairoa]

You believe those who have never experienced riding on a train are under privilaged.

You believe railroads getting rid of steam engines was short sighted.

Are happy about the increasing gas prices as it means more freight wil be shipped by rail than trucks.

You keep an engine on the dash board of your car so your date can see how cool you are.

You think of the wheel arrangement on your car as an 0-4-0.

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

QUOTE: Originally posted by StillGrande

You get up before everyone else in the house on vacation and walk 2 miles to the tracks 1 hour early (just in case) to photograph the 1 train that comes by on the line that day.

I thought I was the only one that did that!!!!

Nope, I've done that tons. I tell you, nothing gets you up better than the thought of seeing a train that isn't powered by AC4400s, bbrant style
Matthew