Railfan too?

[Bergie]

In addition to being a model railroader, do you also consider yourself an active railfan (i.e. do you photograph trains, read prototype magazines, etc.)? Vote and then share your comments below.


Polls on Trains.com are not scientific and reflect only the opinions of the users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, the readers of our magazines, nor the public as a whole. Bottom line, our polls are meant for fun and to stimulate conversation amongst our forum users.

[ShaunCN]

I sure do.
especialy sinsce a very large(second largets in Canada) yard owned by CN is 2 minutes away from my house. Railfaning is fun and it gets me ideas for my layout

[IRONROOSTER]

I always love to stop and watch trains, but most of my reading is historical. I especially enjoy reading the history of smaller roads such as the MA & Pa, Chesapeake Beach, WWF, etc.
Enjoy
Paul

[Trainnut484]

I feel that being both a railfan and modeler is a great way to experience the train hobby as a whole. After a day at trackside, I'm eager to get home and work on an unfinished kit, or do up-keep on old locomotives.

Take care[:)]

Russell

[CP5415]

Ya, I'm a railfan as well.
I'll watch them whenever I can

Gordon

[joseph2]

I consider myself to be a passive railfan.My hometown used to have 20 trains a day go through it,now its one train a day.Used to be a lot of railroads,now only four major ones left in the USA.I would rather read a old issue of Railroad Magazine then a new copy of Trains.

[Anonymous]

For me and my children (4 and 6) the two parts of the hobby go together like ham and eggs. We model G gauge outdoors in the summer, Ho indoors in the winter. Inspiration comes from our jaunts around southern Ontario, western New York to view the big boys in action.

[rogerhensley]

Yes, I railfan and have turned into a bit of a rail historian. I found it much easier to model when I learned more about what the prototype did (or was doing).

[Anonymous]

Definately. I was a railfan before I ever started modeling, and still am. Our latest sojourn took us to Ontario Canada where we not only rode the Algoma Central, but I managed to stop at numerous places along our trip across the actual "north" side of Lake Superior to take in and photograph CN, CP, and Wisconsin Central equipment and structures. Also found an Alco S1 with CP markings on a siding in some town whose name escapes me.

[ajpaschal]

I am involved in a Railway Historical organization and in doing much prototype historical research. This helps to make me a better modeler of the equipment and surroundings that I choose to model.

[proberts]

not much of a chance to railfan on vancouver island (only rail america now) but i take pics whenever i get the chance to of at museums or operating roads!!

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. Like the chicken and the egg, I can't remember which one came first. Railfanning has helped my modeling and in the summer months, when I don't really feel like staying inside with the layout, railfanning still allows me to enjoy this great hobby of railroading. To me there is no difference between modeling and railfanning, it is just one great hobby of railroading.

[walthuston]

I read several proto magazines regularly and I am a member of two historical societies. I not only love to photograph rail related items (more than 2000 images) but my wife and I like to ride the rails whenever we can. We have ridden numerous tourist lines and museum railroads, and we take Amtrak whenever it goes where we want to go. We rode Amtrak to our Honeymoon location a couple of years ago.

Walt

[TomDiehl]

Not only am I a railfan, but I model in 12 inch to the foot scale. I work in restoration with the Friends of the East Broad Top and in the backshops at Steamtown NHS. These two have given me more insight into the workings and details of locomotives, shops, buildings and the uses and purposes of them than any amount of standing trackside and taking pictures ever could.

[Anonymous]

I'm new to railroading, and I find that, when the weather is agreeable, especially this time of year (Fall), nothing beats getting out near the tracks and taking a stand to wait for whatever consists come through. I have a favorite spot on a knoll very near the track, which puts me at about engineer's height as the train roars past. On a slight upgrade, the almost deafening whine of the straining engines sends rumbling vibrations right through the body, an experience that is always worth the effort to get there.
I'd have to say that modeling often takes a back seat to just getting out there and enjoying the thrill that only being up close can give.

[Anonymous]

Of course I am! The reason I do model is because I am a railfan and am interested in real trains.

[Anonymous]

You could say I'm a railfan in the steam era. I'll ride on a steam loco every chance I get. Sadly all you can see the old steamers do today is pull excursions. But the Union Pacific still lets its 4-8-4 and its 4-6-6-4 pull frieht once in a while. Now if they could restore a 4-8-8-4, that'd be something else...............

[TOMTANGUAY]

I have been a railfan since I saw my brother leave for the Korean War in 1951 at Portland, Maine's Union Station (one of the world's most beautiful stations. I was 6 at the time. Trains have been my #1 passion ever since.
I used to spend Saturdays & Sundays at Union Station or at Rigby Yards in South Portland. These were home to Maine Central and Boston & Maine trains. I live close to Rigby, and catch the action whenever I can.
However, I have to agree with one of the other responders, in that today's railroading, at least in the greater Portland, Maine area, does not have anywhere near the appeal and excitement of the past. Guilford is pretty lean, mean, and dirty. The Downeaster is great, but not to exciting to watch day after day!
.
My HO & HOn30 modeling attempt to portray Portland & South Portland 's waterfront industrial action of the late forties & very early fifties, including the large WWII shipyards in South Portland. I also have shown the flavor of Maine's 2-foot railroads (the remnants of which still operate just down the street from where I work !), & the Maine Central's Mountain Div. through Crawford Notch, NH, where the Conway Scenic operates today.
I have Railroad Magazines from as far back as 1933, and subscribe to many (my wife says to many) prototype & model magazines, including circus modeling and several logging railroad magazines. These are all organized in plastic files in my railroad room library, which has over 500 railroad oriented books.
I have 7 young grandchildren, and several of them are showing a genuine interest in trains.
I have been a member of the 470 Club, the NMRA, & the Circus Model Builders for many years.[:)][:o)][:o)]

[sparkingbolt]

Not by the given definition. Anytime there is a train moving, or even one not moving, it has my attention. I'm observant of buildings too, anything railroad. But this is as I am going about other business along the way There are times I'd wished I'd had a camera, sure. Unless steam is coming to town, I dont go too far out of my way.
(I've seen up Challenger and SP 4-8-4 come here to Bend, Oregon)
I must admit, I have slowed deliberately to get "caught" behind the crossing gates to watch, hear, feel BNSF freighters pounding their way at speed up the grade near my home.

[Anonymous]

Yes! even though it's very hard these days. When I watch trains in New York, I have to be careful, there is a heavy police presence. I've been approached several times and I didn't even have my camera on me. A lot of areas have been heavily fenced. I can't even get my lens through one of the tiny links. I also enjoy researching abandoned railway sites - Staten Island is my favorite location. I can still see the ghosts of the old B&O. . .

[Anonymous]

Love to watch trains but haven not much since I moved to the Ottawa area. No trains close by. For HarrySeigler re: Alco in CP, it is I believe in Kenora, Ont

[Anonymous]

I love taking photos of trains, especially steam excursions, and any rail excursion we take. I take them for my own pleasure, so keep them in albums which I am constantly reviewing and re-reading. I have been lucky enough to wrangle a number of cab rides and was privileged to celebrate a birthday with "my hand on the throttle" at the Valley Railroad in Essex, CT.
Jokahill

[Anonymous]

I work for a railroad, and in the beginning, all the old timers told me that the
railfan aspect will wear off in time and some of it has. I miss seeing older
paint schemes (L&N, SP, MP) because all I see now is UP & CSX. Really
nothing worth taking a picture of. However, I have preserved the earlier ones
on my model train layout and its fun to operate the way it was really done
(when I first started back in 1980).

[Anonymous]

Yes. Railroading is in my blood. My Dad was a conductor on the Wabash RR and when I was in high school took me with him on several trips riding in the steam engines and later F7s and of course the caboose. I started working for the Wabash as rail gang operator between my junior and senior years of high school. Then in April of the following year started working midnights in the yard office as telegraph operator and finishing school in the daytime. My railroad career lasted 44 years (1953-1998). Guess my model part started with my first Lioned 0 gauge train set my Dad gave me for XMas one year. Every summer travel around the country riding excursion trains. A couple in Indiana and one in Ohio allow you to ride in the engine.

[Anonymous]

While I do not subscribe to railfan mags, and I don't do a lot of photographing, my office is on the second floor of the building, and I can see NYC, Michigan Southern, and Detroit & Toledo Shore Line tracks by merely getting off my butt and walking to the window whenever I hear a diesel horn. I get to see lots of BNSF, UP, KCS, Conrail, NS, and GT/CN power. The highlight last week or the week before (time flies when you are having fun) was a Ringling Bros. circus train!

[alpreston]

I'm a railfan, but not very actively, except when I travel - the railroads/trains in which I'm most interested (24 to 30" gauge steam-hauled) are too far removed in time or distance to allow active railfanning.

[Anonymous]

I don't get a chance to watch trains like I did. One disadvantage is Sullivan, MO is not a good train watcher's spot. Luckily, down the road, there is a place where there is an UP double track and a BNSF single line. The UP line also has Amtrak.

[Anonymous]

I am definitely a railfan. One thing that I like is watching trains is free except for the cost of getting there. I especially like going to Tehachapi. Since I live in Southern California, there are several really good trainwatching places within a few minutes to a few hours drive from where I live. My poor Significant Other has to put up with my wanting to trainwatch on every vacation we go on. I think she likes it too, but likes to pretend she doesn't.

I read Trains magazine cover to cover when it comes. The railroaders' stories are interesting. The articles about locomotives are fun to read and I like the business end of modern railroading also. When I read Model Railroader I look at the advertisements first . On Trains, I read the articles first. Keep up the good work guys.

Hello Russell (trainnut 484)

[Anonymous]

YES!! Because to model some of the prototype, you need photos of it!
But I am a fan of trains an drailroading. So I would probabloy have photos regardless.
There was nothing quite like six EMD SD40T-2s with flanges squeeling, and dynamic breaks whining down from Soldier Summit and through Spanish Fork Canyon!
With out photos its hard to preserve those memories.

[Anonymous]

I do consider myself a railfan to. I feel most people that model trains are also very interested in real trains, as actual trains allow a modeler to help capture the feel of trains. Being brought up very close to tracks and being a past railroad employee has probably swayed me to a degree. I being a poor photogragher do leave the pictures to others, but I do enjoy looking at them and going to different places like museums. Unfortunately the rail activity has left the area and tracks torn up.