It is probably no surprise to anyone that rail fans are not some of the brightest people out there.Lets face it some of them are borderline retarded.While chasing the 844 today I saw incredible acts of stupidity by the railfans.I wanted to write down a few observations in here so maybe some of these dim witted railfans will THINK the next time they see a train.
1.)While chasing steam locomotives DO NOT travel 35mph in both lanes of a 65mph highway.I know getting up close and personal with a steam locomotive is exciting.But seriously do you really need 30 minutes of pacing video?Who is going to be interested in watching 20-30 minutes of pacing?I get bored after about 45 seconds.Get a few minutes and move over and let the next person through.When you are blocking both lanes of traffic you are not only causing people to be late and stressed you are also preventing hundreds of other railfans who could care less about pacing but want to get ahead of the locomotive so they can get video and photographs and the next crossing.Today while chasing the 844 some jerk in a toyota he found in necessary to pace the 844 for no less than 60 miles all the way to Denver at 40-60mph preventing everyone from getting any photos of video down the line.
2.)Do not exceede the speed limit by 20-30 miles a hour to get ahead of your train.Do not pass on double yellow lines going up hills and around curves.The chances of your train slowing down and stopping several times on it's journey is always something you can count on.I don't know how many idiots I have seen driving like nut job,nearly causing crashes to get ahead and two miles down the road the train is stopped on a red signal.
3.)When someone is filming video don't stand in front of the camera and say "are you filming the train",ask stupid questions,tell me about your locomotive knowledge(which is always wrong and useless),or ask me what kind of camera I am using.You also don't need to bring your little kids right next to me and say "look,look,look it's a train.See that choo,choo look".There is more than enough room to go away from the people fimling so when we get home and show our friends our footage we don't have to listen to you say stupid things.If I have a camcorder on a tripod and I am looking at it that means two things.Don't walk in front of it.Don't start talking to me.I am there to film trains no listen to some idiot flap his gums while the train is approaching.
4.)There is no need to stand 3 feet from the rail to get a picture when the train is going down the rails.You make the engineer a nervous wreck,you get in everyones pictures,and your photo will suck so bad you will throw it away.The worlds best railroad photographers take their photos typcially 60 feet away or more,usually on a hill or some elevated surface,and when a train is going around a curve.Those are the best photos.3/4 ground level photos close up are boring and dull.
5.)While waiting don't be standing in the middle of the track while your little kids are walking back and forth down the rail.There is no reason at all to be stading in the middle of some railroad tracks unless you are trying to attract the attention of the local police.
6.)Last but not least don't think you are the king of the rails because you happen to be standing in your little spot and someone else wants to take photos or videos that may get in your picture.I totally understand you need to get your shot and it's understandable to ask someone to move if he or she can get out of the way easy.But don't go harassing other railfans,telling them to go on the other side of the rails,or something similar.If you are at a public crossing railfans getting in your photos should be expected and tolerated.If you don't want anyone in your photos then it is your responsibility to plan ahead and either go to locations where there won't be any people,or walk ahead far enough that you are in the front of the line.
Here's the funny part of idjits chasin' trains. I was one of a million who showed up to watch 4449 roll out of Michigan City. A heard much the same advise while waiting. Once she rolled, Dad and I stopped at the I Love Toy Trains hobby shop. In so doing, for 20 minutes, Dad and I became one of 5 people who chased the 4449 to Lansing(?) The CN yard they stopped in, where in we got lost and ened up 5 minutes behind the entire way to Durand, asnd a new, though vastly smaller pack of railfans took up the chase.
What haoppened? A million people couldn't get TO the train for the reaosns you listed above. So they gave up. The people who DID get to the train paced for 40 miles, got what they wanted, and for the most part left. Dad and I zipped up the interstate to catch her at a crossing, I with GPS and Twitter updates in hand to peg where they were. And we did that cat-and mouse the whole way. There's no easy way to pace through that part of Michigan though, so we leap-frogged crossings to watch her.
-Morgan
Oh that's no good for the rest of the people.I hope people remember that many of these railfans are very old people who may not have long to live.Don't block the highway pacing a locomotive and keeping 100 cars stuck behind you preventing these seniors from seeing these wonderful steam locomotives.
Thomas 9011 Oh that's no good for the rest of the people.I hope people remember that many of these railfans are very old people who may not have long to live.Don't block the highway pacing a locomotive and keeping 100 cars stuck behind you preventing these seniors from seeing these wonderful steam locomotives.
Blocking the highway is stupid anyway, but the majority of people I saw weren't seniors at all. And besides that, many of us "youngbloods" are watching steamers get mothballed right and left. So the age arguement is moot anyhow.
In response to Thomas9011's Original post. On all his points; they are all problems I know I've experienced first hand when chasing 844 or 3985.
And even back when 4501 was regularly coming to pull the Sentimental Journeys in the 1970's ( Memphis,Tn to Corinth,Ms. and return) the casers were a lot more orderly and considerate, or so it seemed. These days, it seems to be getting worse rather than better.
Chased the L&N's 'General' around Memphis when it was there in the early 60's and there was quite a crowd at times when it made it's runs, but not the frenetic,and frantic traffic one experiences when 844 or 3985 run. It did get kind of crazy when the 3985 came through in 1991 enroute to East Tennessee, It broke a mechanical draft nozzle on the floor of the smokebox while coming down through Missouri and Arkansas. They had to open up the smokebox door after cooling her down, which cost themt an extra day in Nov of1991 in Memphis ( laid over at Lenox Station, end of UP Track and start of CSX track at Memphis). while the Traveling Steam Crew made repairs they had a large crowd, and many were railroaders (I saw trucks and cars from BN,CSX, NS, IC, just to note a few that I saw there, and plenty of management types as well ).
But what when the 844 and 3985 run they make track speed and the crowds chasing them try to keep up, which leads to crazyness and insane driving. Have not seen any accidents while these antics were happening, but have seen some pretty close calls. I'd almost bet that Steve Lee and Company have seen their share of nuttyness on the road from the cab, some probably has THEM flinching and shaking their heads.
Back in April I had the chance to ride behind 844 going into Houston. From north of Houston in Spring most of the way into town, the tracks parallel the Hardy Tollway which is a big 6 lane freeway with a 65 mph speed limit. While on the train I was watching the cars in their parade. Whatever speed the train did, traffic on that road did too and it did it 3 lanes wide so no one could go around. Most people were railfans but some weren't. You could tell who was not by how mad they looked. If the engine did 40 mph, that's what the freeway did too. Every once in a while someone would pass the leaders on the shoulder. Sometimes it was to get around them and move on ahead down the road. Other times it was other railfans who wanted their picture of the engine. When they moved up, they always slowed back down to engine speed pushing the former leaders back a bit. It was a marvel that there were no wrecks. Fortunately this was on a Sunday and not at some point during the week during rush hour traffic.
Thomas 9011 You also don't need to bring your little kids right next to me and say "look,look,look it's a train.See that choo,choo look".There is more than enough room to go away from the people fimling so when we get home and show our friends our footage we don't have to listen to you say stupid things.If I have a camcorder on a tripod and I am looking at it that means two things.Don't walk in front of it.Don't start talking to me.I am there to film trains no listen to some idiot flap his gums while the train is approaching.
But the point above and the point below don't match with each other:
Thomas 9011 6.)Last but not least don't think you are the king of the rails because you happen to be standing in your little spot and someone else wants to take photos or videos that may get in your picture.I totally understand you need to get your shot and it's understandable to ask someone to move if he or she can get out of the way easy.But don't go harassing other railfans,telling them to go on the other side of the rails,or something similar.If you are at a public crossing railfans getting in your photos should be expected and tolerated.If you don't want anyone in your photos then it is your responsibility to plan ahead and either go to locations where there won't be any people,or walk ahead far enough that you are in the front of the line.
I'm sorry if someone taking their kids to see a train interferes with your video. But as you said above: it is your responsibility to plan ahead and either go to locations where there won't be any people.
Several years ago, I was at EBT's fall spectacular. It was the end of the day and they were putting the locomotive back in the roundhouse. All the foamers were circling the turntable (but not right up against it). And some poor woman with her kid had the *audacity* to accidentally walk in front of this "photo line" and all the foamers started yelling at her. Talk about a bunch of losers. To scream at someone because they messed up your lousy photo... I avoid any type of railfan events anymore. And the real sad part is that many of these railfans won't spend a dime at these places - they just take photos so they can rush home and try be the first to get bragging rights on railpictures.net.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
I still vividly remember an incident that happened during one of the early runs of the 1218 after she returned to excursion service. My mom had driven my brother, our neighbor's kids, and I over to the NS crossing just east of our house south of Bucyrus, Ohio. There was another family there at the crossing as well. The road we were on was a very lightly used road with barely any traffic, although we all kept clear of any approaching cars. The 1218's headlight appeared to the north as it came south out of town, and we began moving back to the other side of the crossbucks to watch it come past. Within a few minutes, the train neared the crossing we were at. Shortly before it began whistling for the crossing, this red Corvette comes tearing up to the crossing and screeches to a stop, scaring all of us. The driver gets out with a camera in hand, yells at all of us to get out of his way (we were all off the road), and he takes a picture of his car with the 1218 whistling in the background as it approached the crossing. As the locomotive rushes past, he gets back in his car, floors it in reverse, quickly turns around in a driveway, and then peels off to try to get ahead of the train again.
Needless to say, for a few minutes afterwards, we were all in a bit of shock by the guy's behavior. Looking back, I can understand wanting to get that perfect shot, but risking your life, risking the lives of others, and rudely yelling at complete strangers (including kids) to get the picture isn't worth it.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
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zugmann And the real sad part is that many of these railfans won't spend a dime at these places - they just take photos so they can rush home and try be the first to get bragging rights on railpictures.net.
I remember a story (from one of the MILW 261 crew I think). A 'chase' car with a sunroof open and the driver standing in the drivers seat, steering with his foot, (speed governed by the cruise control apparently). He had a movie/video camera aimed at the train.
I also remember the fools standing "in the gauge", cameras held to their faces, at about 11:00 AM the day the U.P. 3985 came through Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The engine showed up about 3:30 PM as I remember and a quick rain shower had chased most of the idiots away. (Too bad it quit raining before the engine arrived!)
I never understood why U.P. didn't have the area roped off long before the police had to come to stretch the yellow "Police Line - Do Not Cross" plastic tape along side of the tracks. People were milling around all over the place, on the tracks and the city street at the grade crossing. Not to mention the parents encouraging their childred to "tight-rope walk" on the rails and place coins, rocks, spikes and other objects on the rail for one of the 60 or so trains per day that use that line to crush.
When the train stopped for a servicing, I have no idea how the grease/oil crew got any work done with the crowd stretching the police tape beyond its limit to get photos and touch the engine.
U.P. should have had a few P.R. people out there with megaphones to tell the crowd about the train that was coming; what it was, when it would get there, why it was there, where it was going, and at the same time teach a whole passle of fools about railroad SAFETY. A great opportunity to get great P.R. publicity about U.P. and at the same time put some of those Operation LifeSaver dollars toward actually reaching the public with that very important message. They also could have told the public what was in the dozen or so trains that passed before the 3985 got there so as to educate them about what good the Railroad is doing FOR them!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Semper VaporoU.P. should have had a few P.R. people out there with megaphones to tell the crowd about the train that was coming; what it was, when it would get there, why it was there, where it was going, and at the same time teach a whole passle of fools about railroad SAFETY. A great opportunity to get great P.R. publicity about U.P. and at the same time put some of those Operation LifeSaver dollars toward actually reaching the public with that very important message. They also could have told the public what was in the dozen or so trains that passed before the 3985 got there so as to educate them about what good the Railroad is doing FOR them!
PR would be good for that, but for 4449, Amtrak did it with the RR police, who were there before the morning regional trains were even close.
It's not just idiot drivers in cars chasing trains. This past April I was in Trier, Germany for the spring Plandampf event on a rail tour with a bunch of Brits. We're at the Trier station and right away people are wandering out into the rail yards beyond the ends of the platforms and some are crossing the lines which is forbidden. There were lots of steam movements but the regular services were still running at their usual high speeds. The DB personnel eventually had to put up tape to keep the idiots out of harm's way but there still were a few who just had to have that front 3/4 drivers down photograph. The video photographers were the worst of all!
I also toured the Keighley and Worth Valley and the Great Central Railway while in Britain. At both of these, if you want to go "linesiding" as the Brits say, you have to register with the railway and wear a numbered high-vis vest. There are strict rules to be followed and my friends there say you can be blackballed if you act like a jerk one too many times. Might be the thing for over here.
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