Confession... it always makes you feel better

[Warren Smith]

Back in the early 70s, our survey crews used state-of-the-art steel chains to measure distances. Once, when measuring across a grade crossing, the crew laid the chain down across the tracks, setting off the signal arms and backing up traffic on a busy highway for a few minutes.

We bought one of them new-fangled electronic measuring devices after that incident ...

[rixflix]

I was hiking from Gettysburg to Blue Ridge Summit and took a smoke break at the east end of the tunnel that gets you into Charmain. Good thing too, because CSX honked at the west end and sent a short freight over the lightly used ex WM rails.

Rix

[GP-9_Man11786]

While going to school upstate, my firends and I went railfganning on CSX's River Line. First, we trespassed down to a rock cut near Milepost 77. After a hile without a train, we got a little board and decided to build a snowman right next to the tracks. After that, we threw a frizzbee back and fourth across a rock cut on the line. Fairly mild yet still no nos.

 

[sgtbean1]

Just remembered:

One time when I was about 10, we were on holiday in Luxembourg. We were hiking as we always did when we came across what seemed like a branch line of sorts and my father, my sister and myself followed it for a few hundred yards over a bridge that led into a tunnel. My mother stayed behind to make some sandwiches. When we got to the tunnel, my father had the bright idea of going in. Of course, my sister and I followed.

Well, as you can guess, about halfway down the tunnel (I reckon it was about 200 yards long and curved) we heard a chilling "WHOOOOOOP" and saw a headlight coming around the curve. We wouldn't make it out the tunnel and over the bridge in time, so my father pushed us against the wall and stood in front of us. Luckily, there was enough clearance between the wall and the train, but I think if there had been a load that was somewhat overhanging, we would have been in big trouble.

After the train passed we almost sprinted out of the tunnel to find the engineer coming back down the bridge along the train. I don't know what he said to my father but I guess it wasn't a "goodmorning, nice to meet you".

Although that made quite an impression, I don't know why I didn't remember that incident... 

[MStLfan]

When I was 17 I had a summer job at the local motorway truckstop doing the dishes and keeping the surrounding area clear of weeds. It was a good warm summer.

The big minus of the job was its location in relation to my parents home, at least 3 km's away as the crow flies. It was much longer by bike (no driving until you are 18 here in the Netherlands).

After a couple of days taking the long way round I decided that no harm would come to me if I would take a shortcut along the railroad tracks. The railroad is electrified and all Dutch railroads have a path along the ballast for the trackworkers, it goes around the catenary masts. The path consists of very fine grained stone. In fact it is excellent material for a bike trail. So I used that path from the dirt road crossing leading to the back door of the truckstop almost to the local railroad station. At that time the traffic was 2 locals and 2 intercitytrains every hour in a predictable pattern (I, as a budding railfan knew them by heart of course) and the occasional freight train.

I must have given the engineers quit a few medical problems. Of course I rode against traffic so I could see the trains come and I would go off the path and stand by my bike until the train passed. But sometimes I was a bit late and had to dive into the sand next to the tracks with my bike. I could have fallen in front of the trains. Only some time later did I understand what I was doing when I heard a report during the celebrations of 150 years of railroading in the Netherlands. People were lining the tracks right up to that path I mentioned when our national steam engine 3737 came past our town on a tour of the country. The train had to severely reduce speed because of this unsafe behaviour.

Guess I qualified for a Darwin award at that time when I was cycling along the tracks.

Now I only shake my head at my own stupidity.

greetings,

Marc Immeker

[sgtbean1]

The only thing I did was a few years back, when I saw some strange constructs on the sides of and between the rails. Went out the next weekend and hiked along the track to where the apparatus was. I looked at the signal aspects and jumped on the tracks to take a close-up photo to have it identified on the internet.

Now, this was the first and last time I did that; sitting between the rails with your face pressed against your camera pointing down a few feet in front of you sends shivers down your spine (well, it did to me...) even you convince yourself of favourable signal aspects. Maybe it's because we learned early in life that trains don't play around, so don't try to play with them. (unless they are 1:87 scale... in that case trains absolutely LOVE to be played with ;-) )

[rixflix]

Are we on the same page? We didn't expect the rock to go that far, but when it did we scrambled down there and pulled it out. We were young, we were scared, we were not aware of consequences. We loved the Reading Company all the while and couldn't stay away from it.

Rflix

[BaltACD]

As a Kid had the opportunity to 'tresspass' on a small terminals 'Shop Track'  got to climb on, over and around all forms of equipment that was on the Shop Track, including several Steam Engines that were being stored before their final trips to the scrapper. 

[CopCarSS]

If they wouldn't do bad stuff in the first place, then they wouldn't have to worry about not telling their parents until enough time has passed.

Willy,

I know a lot of adults that I wish were half as mature as you...

[Willy2]

A NOTE FOR KIDS:

Don't tell you parents about stuff you did until enough time has passed. Then you can both laugh!!!

R

If they wouldn't do bad stuff in the first place, then they wouldn't have to worry about not telling their parents until enough time has passed.

[Willy2]

Neversink mountain was our playground. I still wish I was twelve  or thirteen years old. Because then I could surf down the rockslide from Hawk's or Haak's Peak down to the Reading's tracks and the Scully, as we called the Schuylkill River. We built forts and rafts all over that real estate and one day unearthed a huge,  flat and almost round rock. We went to work, dislodged and sent it down the slide. With a ker-BLONK it landed between the westbound rails. Just as the hilarity began, we heard the horn of the King Coal (or was it the Schuylkill?) at Neversink Road. We jumped into the slide and went down the mountain in a hurry. You could sort of surf it for a while, but usually had your mom asking "How do you keep wearing out the seat of your jeans. Anyway, in a cloud of dust, we got there in time to lift the rock out and get to the inside of the curve. We learned early about train toilets.

Do kids have adventures anymoe?

Rix

 

My idea of an adventure is going to watch trains or ride Amtrak. Personally, I'm not big on trespassing on railroad property, rolling boulders in front of trains, and acting like a jerk who's just trying to get killed or get someone else killed. Maybe you thought it was great fun and maybe some kids today still think it's great fun, but I think it's trouble just waiting to happen.

[CNW 6000]

Neversink mountain was our playground. I still wish I was twelve  or thirteen years old. Because then I could surf down the rockslide from Hawk's or Haak's Peak down to the Reading's tracks and the Scully, as we called the Schuylkill River. We built forts and rafts all over that real estate and one day unearthed a huge,  flat and almost round rock. We went to work, dislodged and sent it down the slide. With a ker-BLONK it landed between the westbound rails. Just as the hilarity began, we heard the horn of the King Coal (or was it the Schuylkill?) at Neversink Road. We jumped into the slide and went down the mountain in a hurry. You could sort of surf it for a while, but usually had your mom asking "How do you keep wearing out the seat of your jeans. Anyway, in a cloud of dust, we got there in time to lift the rock out and get to the inside of the curve. We learned early about train toilets.

Do kids have adventures anymoe?

Rix

 

So you rolled a rock down a mtn/hill and got it in front of a train?  Were you trying to kill someone or did you just get lucky and have that not happen?

[rixflix]

A NOTE FOR KIDS:

Don't tell you parents about stuff you did until enough time has passed. Then you can both laugh!!!

R

[rixflix]

Neversink mountain was our playground. I still wish I was twelve  or thirteen years old. Because then I could surf down the rockslide from Hawk's or Haak's Peak down to the Reading's tracks and the Scully, as we called the Schuylkill River. We built forts and rafts all over that real estate and one day unearthed a huge,  flat and almost round rock. We went to work, dislodged and sent it down the slide. With a ker-BLONK it landed between the westbound rails. Just as the hilarity began, we heard the horn of the King Coal (or was it the Schuylkill?) at Neversink Road. We jumped into the slide and went down the mountain in a hurry. You could sort of surf it for a while, but usually had your mom asking "How do you keep wearing out the seat of your jeans. Anyway, in a cloud of dust, we got there in time to lift the rock out and get to the inside of the curve. We learned early about train toilets.

Do kids have adventures anymoe?

Rix

 

[rixflix]

With  a lot of help from anonymous folks I've crawled and climbed out of that. Did I ever tell you 'bout the time I rolled a...

Naaaa,

I'll save it for later

Rix

 

[Limitedclear]

Lawyers, everywhere lawyers. Where is there fun???

Rix

Where's the fun in crawling into a bottle??

LC

[rixflix]

Lawyers, everywhere lawyers. Where is there fun???

Rix

[Limitedclear]

Let's get stuff off  of our chest and feel lighter for it !!! What were the naughtier things you have done trackside??? Me, I've hopped a few and nearly derailed one; (wow was that a semi-colon?) and trespassed a lot. Back in those days we burned trash in the alley with our neighbors, who also raised chickens, rabbits and ponies. It was a communal thing.  The first train I hopped was with three other guys at Klapperthal Junction on the Reading. Got around Reading to the fairgrounds (Beltline Junction) and  BOY were we scared. We didn't know when   or where the train would stop, and riding the top edge of an empty hopper with it's fearsome noise is something I thought I'd never do again. But I DID!!!!

Come on, Fess up.....................

rixflix

aka Captain Video

signing out

 

If anyone has a similar confession, I suggest looking into the applicable statute of limitation prior to sharing . . . .

If I have anything to say it won't be here. It will be to the one (or more) persons in my life with whom my conversations are legally  privileged on one or more levels. One needs to remember the trial attorney's credo (not to be confused with the Plaintiff's attorney's credo); "Admit NOTHING, deny EVERYTHING, demand PROOF!!

LC

[rixflix]

Washington DC was probably the worst place for a latent alcoholic to be in the mid-sixties when I went to school at Catholic university. The drinking age was 18 for wine and beer.  When I'd had enough beer at "Fred's " and and other places, and was flunking out into the alltime 1966 Viet Nam draft, I got the "Steel Rail Blues". Jumped a slow B&O coal empty train at the gone and lamented University station, It was a long and scary night to Brunswick MD. A kind crew (I'll never forget the conductor's travel case and peanut and butter sandwich) got me back to school and telling my Dad that I'd flunked. Rough times my friends!!! 

R.Flix

 

[snagletooth]

Again, nothing major here. Did the coin thing. Then me and freinds upgraded to small rocks. It was on the Aurora branch, if we left early enough for school we'd catch th local heading north. The SW would actually climb up the rock, then come slamming down on on it, crushing it to dust. A few choice words from the crew always ensued. It wasn't till a few years later that I noticed most of that rail was stamp in the 1870's-1890's! We also jump the local in the early afternnon when it returned during the summer to get from Barber-Green to the West Side Pool. We'd have to walk back, or call for a ride.

[CShaveRR]

I guess I would never have had the railroad-related adventures I had as a youth without trespassing somewhere along the line.  And I suppose the right people would have kicked me off had they come along at the wrong time.

On the other hand, I also persuaded some careless younger folk that the railroad was unsafe, informing them that the rails had high-voltage electricity running through them (and showing them the wires at the rail joints and connectors to the signal circuit as proof).

Someone else could share another instance of me getting rid of traspassers when we had no more of a right to be there than they did.  But the statute of limitations will never run out on that one for me.

[Modelcar]

....Nothing like that Capt'n....Just messed around the ROW too close at our swimming hole and put a few coins on the rail....Never nothing really out of line.  Oh, yes, over in western Pa. at a railroad long gone now, used to pull a handle as we walked by to hear sizzz, sizzz....air being bled off on a cut of coal cars on a siding, not loaded....That no doubt was a no no....

[gabe]

Let's get stuff off  of our chest and feel lighter for it !!! What were the naughtier things you have done trackside??? Me, I've hopped a few and nearly derailed one; (wow was that a semi-colon?) and trespassed a lot. Back in those days we burned trash in the alley with our neighbors, who also raised chickens, rabbits and ponies. It was a communal thing.  The first train I hopped was with three other guys at Klapperthal Junction on the Reading. Got around Reading to the fairgrounds (Beltline Junction) and  BOY were we scared. We didn't know when   or where the train would stop, and riding the top edge of an empty hopper with it's fearsome noise is something I thought I'd never do again. But I DID!!!!

Come on, Fess up.....................

rixflix

aka Captain Video

signing out

 

If anyone has a similar confession, I suggest looking into the applicable statute of limitation prior to sharing . . . .

[rixflix]

Let's get stuff off  of our chest and feel lighter for it !!! What were the naughtier things you have done trackside??? Me, I've hopped a few and nearly derailed one; (wow was that a semi-colon?) and trespassed a lot. Back in those days we burned trash in the alley with our neighbors, who also raised chickens, rabbits and ponies. It was a communal thing.  The first train I hopped was with three other guys at Klapperthal Junction on the Reading. Got around Reading to the fairgrounds (Beltline Junction) and  BOY were we scared. We didn't know when   or where the train would stop, and riding the top edge of an empty hopper with it's fearsome noise is something I thought I'd never do again. But I DID!!!!

Come on, Fess up.....................

rixflix

aka Captain Video

signing out