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[Anonymous]

There are places that are sorta out of the way and quiet where you can stalk a train, shoot it (Video tape or still camera) and clear the area. My favorite way to shoot a train is when a special is run and there are 20+ railfans all doing the same thing and no one is being hassled.

[trainboyH16-44]

My favorite way to stalk the wild train is deep inside the bush, where the only police cars you're gonna see are hi-railers....plus, nice and peaceful out there too.

[Anonymous]

i supose the best thing anyone could do is just apologise for causing any sort of convenience and move along peacefully, there's about a million places to take a photo, well i think so anyway.

[Trainmaster.Curt]

Funny thing though, 2 weeks ago, i had a small run in with a CPR Police Officer in a blank white truck. He was checking for strikers, cause there is a strike on at the time, and me and my friend were checking out their storage yard, but we were behind the "No Trespassing/CP Rail property" sign, and he just came up and said, don't go any further, and i said, it's ok were just lookin, we just noticed that you have some older rolling stock and 40' boxcars, and he said, oh ok! Well please be on your way, and to call CPR if we noticed anyone trespassing. Nice guy, but they take their property very seriously, especially when there is a stike goin on. Good railfans like me can easily talk their way out.

Here's a safe view of the CPR relic yard from the Cordite Road

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

It's probably a good idea to avoid a particular railroad during a strike or any other sort of labor dispute; labor may think you're a scab (not unreasonable these days), management may think you're a saboteur (not completely unreasonable after FEC in the 1960's).

[Midnight Railroader]

i supose the best thing anyone could do is just apologise for causing any sort of convenience and move along peacefully, there's about a million places to take a photo, well i think so anyway.

If you were taking pictures legally, you have nothing for which to apologize. Nor should you.

[trainboyH16-44]

Sometimes an unmerited apology does a LOT of good.

[Midnight Railroader]

True. But if it doesn't work, it isn't your only option.

[Anonymous]

I think the only people who would probably get closer to this is the actual railroad workers themselves, oh and of course those guards everyone keeps on mentioning. LOL.

[Trainmaster.Curt]

Yep, i'm happy with the shots i've gotten, i've gotten some very nice photos. And... this photo will show you just how close i can get...lol

[wctransfer]

I saw this thread a while back, but since then Ive had my first run in with the BNSF cops. One of the famous Explorers of course!

Anyway, while at Northtown yard in MPLS Minneasota, I saw some cars moving towards Saint Paul. I went to the other end of the yard to see the power, and it had a CN SD75I and a pair of BNSF B40-8Ws. I chased it to a crossing I had no idea about, got out of the car, and then procedeed to run to the sunny side across the road.

   Well, right as I got to the mainline (there used to by 5 tracks here) the gates started dinging. So I guess, for a moment, I was crossing the gates (but they werent in front of me, they were four tracks to the rear of me) and tresspassing. The train was moving at maybe 20 MPH, probably less, and he was about 10 or 15 car lengths away. I stood a little onto BNSF property to get the gate out of the way, and I got the shot, the crew waved, and I went back to the road and waited for the train to clear. After the train cleared, I walked back to the car, only to look up and see the Cop looking right at me and ding the finger " come here " type deal. So I went over and he explained I was tresspassing when I ran to the sunny side of the tracks. The problem I have with this, is that its not tresspassing if there isnt a train coming, and you are just crossing. Well, the gates started dinging after I was already in the movement over the tracks. To me, its like running a yellow light. But anyway, I was in the wrong, and he was saying the safety bit, and he knew I was a railfan ofcourse. He said he knows Im pretty familiar with the railroad scene and said that when your crossing the tracks, its tresspassing. I was fine with this, but then he said he wanted my information on file. I proceeded to give him my name,DOB,how old I was, where I lived,where I went to school, and what my phone number was. He also wanted to know my moms name, if I had any ID, and my Social Security number! I didnt have any id, and didnt know my SS number (im 15) and then we finished up, and shook his hand.

   I felt it was more of a warning situation than a "Let me put you on file" situation, but I did do something wrong so its my fault. BTW, I do tresspass often, but its more of the get it and go, and I usually know people from the railroad I do tresspass on. Doesnt make it right, and Im not defending it just so you know.

But ya, thats my little story.

Alec

[SD60M]

I have only had one run in with the BNSF police and he was very nice! Me and my friend went to best train watching spot in Memphis Kentucky St. its a major junction because it has BNSF, NS, CSX, and UP crossing CN. Anyway We pulled up and i guess we were to far to the left because a white suburbon pulled and a BNSF cop pulled up and said we were on BNSF property and he was really nice about it so my friend moved his car while i talked trains with the cop. This street used to have a railroad crossing but was takin down about 3 years ago and he said he see's railfans all the time and the few bums who want to be idiots on the tracks. So he said the usuall be careful and he left. Thats not all about 4 hours later another white truck pulled up and it was a conductor and we didnt know it at the time because there was a coal train going by there was a suspicous guy on the other side of the train! When the train passed the conductor called the same guy we saw eariler and the cop started to ask him questions. The conductor said this guy was always sneaking around eqquipment i was supprised and what do ya know two more trains cross the diomond heading toward us and the conductor asked what we were doing there and the cop says there just railfans and we started talking again it was a great time! Then we got ready to leave after getting 40 train photos in the 4 hour period. The conductor and cop told us to come back anytime we need railfans to help us catch suspicious people by the tracks and if there's an accident you can tell us what happened. So my meet up with the BNSF police was pretty good even with the spot being just as busy as a yard which we did see yard jobs.

[WCfan]

Well I have never run in with the BNSF police. But I have run in with the CN police.

I was out railfanning at Stevens point. Now I was trusting my luck here. I was getting farly close to the tracks because I needed to see down the yard. But when a train came by I always got pretty far away from the tracks.

But it was later in the day and I was waiting for WC SD40-2 6006 to come. But it was going so dang slow. For a second I thought it was going away. So I just had to get as close to the tracks as possable. But around that time I saw a Brakeman get into the WC(Still painted in WC colors)exploror down by the shops. Now I walked away back onto Public Property. But he didn't come and I didn't see him again, so I walked back up to the tracks to see 6006. Now I saw him come around the corner and I walked back to puplic property to make it look like I wasn't tresspassing. But he saw me. Shucks! So he got out of his car and walked towards me. So naturally I walked towards him. He told me to stay off CN property. But he was really nice. And the thing he said that suprised mewas this: He said Where not very frendly now so could you please move off the property. I asked him, is it diffrent workin for CN. And he said yeah, alot diffrent. Then He went and made sure the turnout was pointing the main. I think he did that to make sure I wasn't tampering with it. Any way While we where talking 6006 snuck up on me. But it stoped.About 10 munites 6006 came and I got the pic.

[BRAKIE]

I think the only people who would probably get closer to this is the actual railroad workers themselves, oh and of course those guards everyone keeps on mentioning. LOL.

 

Is that so?

This was shot from a public area -a road-that parallels the yard.

[videomaker]

I didnt read all three pgs of this dicussion but did anyone mention showing their official BNSF Photographers Railfan ID ? As long as you take pics from a public ROW they should not bother you. I havent heard anything about them changing the rules that were put in place at the time they were issued..No Military shipments can be photo'd NO EXCEPTIONS ! IF you tresspass you can be arrested (they're dicretion) or issued a citation. I have my BNSF ID and show it if Im ever stopped. Since I have had it I have not been stopped or harrased..If you dont have a railfan ID from BNSF I suggest you ask about it the next time you are stopped. They may still have something about how to get them on their website..BE SAFE and OBEY THE LAW ! Danny

I just recently went to get some pictures by corwith yard in chicago. I got some suggestions from some other fellows on here to see where I could go around the yard without getting tooclose to the tracks. I ended up at a viaduct on the North lead into the yard. Now everytime I go train watching i ALWAYS stay atleast 10 or 15 feet away from the closest rail. I was taking some shots of a loaded intermodal train, when right after the last car past, A BNSF Police ford explorer pulled up.    We said, Top of the morning to ya, Just trying to be nice and civil with him, He responded real quick, " Shut off the camera and the cam corder right now!" We said ok, no problem. He took down all our Names, Our phone # and address. Then told us, and I qoute, Get offBNSF property now. No one is allowed on any railroad property exept for authorized personnel, We said, (Being real civil) We arent on the tracks, Were not even 15 feet close to the tracks, Were not doing any harm. He used the excuse, Oh well no one is allowed to take pictures our eqipment anymore due to circumstances with the war and the 9/11 attacks. We asked if we could take pictures from the side walk, (IN A PUBLIC NEIGHBORHOOD). He said, absolutly not! If any of you ever get caught taking pictures (on Or near) BNSF property, We will be arrested on the spot and the film and tape will be desrtoyed.            Now whats funny to me is, In the summer of 2002, 1 year after 9/11, We got approched by a BNSF police officer on the east end of Eola yard. He just told us that we could'nt take pictures anymore that day at that spot, He told us if we wanted to get shots it would have to be on a public side walk or street. Yet he did at first tell us he didnt have a problem with us taking pictures, He just had to do his job which is understandable and we respected that, so we just left the spot for the day. we eventually came back, a month or two after that, and yet a BNSF cop past right nexted to us. He jut waved as he entered the yard. When he exited, He just stopped and said, Make sure you guys dont go out on the tracks, And we taked to him for a while, just discussing about whats goin on in the yard. He took us up on our offer of some fresh Krispy cremes too. He was a real nice guy. He said the railroad police dont have problems with railfans they incurage it, as long as its being done safly. So im wondering why now, all of a sudden, 6 years after 9/11, Its now becoming an issue for train watching? Has anyone else had this problem?  Thanks, Dillon