The Fi***hat Got Away

[coalminer3]

Too many to mention, but I'll share two with you.

I was at Saratoga, NY on a beautiful fall day, all set up to photograph the D&H's passenger train with it PAs. Here comes the passenger train, and here comes a freight behind a trio of C628s. They met right in front of my camera. Guess which train was closest to my site and blocked the PAs. I know, it was all Alco, but......

Then there was the time at Prince, WV when 614 was running. I was set up again for a nice shot, when it got blocked by a cut of coal cars on the lead going into Quinnimont - oh well....

work safe

[overall]

I have always wanted to photograph a BNSF "supercarrot". They show up in Nashville occasionally but I either don't have a camera or I see them from the office window but cannot get trackside in time.

The UP "Olympic Torch" engine has been here twice that I know of and I could not get a good shot at it either time. Oh well.

George

[Anonymous]

yeaterday I missed an Iowa Chicago & Eastern and CEFX SD40M-2s and a UP AC4400.

[traingeek087]

A BN SD45. Completely white face and white cab. It was a test unit. But I didn't have a camera. Really discouraged me because I never had and most likely never will see one again. too bad for me.

[espeefoamer]

In April 1971,just two weeks before Amtrak, I was on a fantrip from LA to Bakersfield,and ran out of film. Another fan sold me a roll,but it was past the expired date so I got it cheap.I shot a freight in the Tehachapis with a black widow F7 on the point. When I got the pictures back,this one was all green.[:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!]

[Dough]

45 minutes ago I swung by to get a few shots of some MW equipment and to finsh off a role. The moment I pulled the role of film out I heard a horn...A loram ballast cleaner came cruising through, and I didn't have a frame left...oh well![:(]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironhorseman

SOO Line SD50s last fall. The only two locos on this BNSF south-bound autorack.

A Santa Fe GP30.

Couple weeks ago: Santa Fe Dash 8 warbonnet on point, Santa Fe GE B-30something behind, leading an all JB Hunt trailer train. Man, it was like the Santa Fe had never merged.

Also last fall an SW of some kind tagging along with a northbound mixed freight. But it had 3-axle trucks so I'll be darned if I knew exactly what it was (a rebuild perhaps?).

Also in the same consist an N&W boxcar.

BN before the merger had A yd switcher with 3 axle trucks in tulsa OK
it was cool as hell the only one ive ever seen think it was just like a slug with a cab
runs off 2nd loco i could be wrong
but dont tell any one if i am if you know whats good for you[8D]

[JoeKoh]

a csx freight with a gm lease engine on it but I did catch alot of bnsf power.
stay safe
joe

[ironhorseman]

SOO Line SD50s last fall. The only two locos on this BNSF south-bound autorack.

A Santa Fe GP30.

Couple weeks ago: Santa Fe Dash 8 warbonnet on point, Santa Fe GE B-30something behind, leading an all JB Hunt trailer train. Man, it was like the Santa Fe had never merged.

Also last fall an SW of some kind tagging along with a northbound mixed freight. But it had 3-axle trucks so I'll be darned if I knew exactly what it was (a rebuild perhaps?).

Also in the same consist an N&W boxcar.

[Anonymous]

the other day i seen An old GM&O GP 38 # 710 It was in a mix of IC locos
new paint Red & White very beautifull no camera on hand I belive its goin
to A RR mueseum to be put on display[:(] to bad it wasnt runnin I would love to see A colorful RR like them again[8D]

[Anonymous]

1996 Springfield Mo an old FRISCO steam loco and 12 pass cars with armed guards at least the engineer blew the whistle and waved the guards also waved (there guns at me and BREEZE) maybe they were saying not this train we couldnt hear with the noise that would be cool to hop a steam train
but I dont take chance when Im out numbered 50:1[;)]




where the hells my camera

[Anonymous]

I have three horrible, horrible, horrible moments with my camera (or without it):

1: Altoona, Pa, Summer 2000, I say the train is gonna be solid NS Dash 9s, the second engine is an SP GP38-2.

2: Pattenburg, NJ, spring 1999 My Dad and my brother forgot to wake me up, and they came home saying that although they didn't have a camera, they saw a BNSF Warbonnet Dash 9 ON THE POINT of a train with the second engine an Operation Lifesaver Dash 9 lettered in NS second & a Conrail GP40-2 in third!

3: Macungie, PA, November 1st, 2003 I lense an NS SD70M (I've missed the SD70Ms at least seven times) in low sun, and guess what, the low sun (which I had though would give the picture a nice look) overexposed the film!!! And the worst part, I never knew it had happened until the whole roll of film came out that way, and on top of that, we waited four and a half miserable hours for that one train!!!!!!!! [:(]

[UPTRAIN]

UP DDA40X 6936 Feb. 2003............drove it......no camera!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I missed live steam, Wilmington & Westren on the NEC pulling into teh Wilmington trains station with a south bound HHP waiting for passengers. Old meets new. [:(]

[espeefoamer]

In Nogalas,Mexico,I shot PA D&H19.I had loaded the film incorrectly,and the camera jammed.[:0][:(][:(][:(][:(][:(!][:(!][:(!]

[mudchicken]

Like Joe, have had many a bad day. Worst would have to be on Cajon Pass after the Super Bore in 90....UP Challenger and SP Daylight racing each other uphill just above Devore & I'm working on the railroad (left camera at home)....The next morning ATSF 347C with Business car fleet comes into LA from Barstow for a commercial.....

In both cases, the local section foreman (now a BNSF DS) is out there with video camera on top of a Section truck with video camera in hand. Hope he has that video today, as he had a premium vantage point to film from....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Carl. Maybe the judge is a railfan? Otherwise maybe we can figure out a way to send hacksaw blades via the internet.

Good Luck!!

well I tried to explain to them that Im A Carny & have been arrested before I even Tried to be nice but no they still want me maybe when they bring him in Ill say hey uncle fred whats up then they have to let me go or Ill just agree with the other jurors they dont put real criminals in jail any way or I might have my
brother call in a bomb scare that should work I just have to look surprised when they evacuate the building and say those damn terrorist ruined my day Ah hell
theyll probaly have me look for the bomb and defuse it while there at home
eatin dinner







Im gonna cut the red wire No wait the blue wire or is it both hell Ill just tell my brother to fix it then it will never work again[8D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Modelcar]

....Like some others, I took a whole roll of pic's and it was a very special event and when I tried to rewind it....Yep, it never had been engaged with the take up reel and of course I got nothing...That was a lesson and I really pay attention to threading in the film now.

[JoeKoh]

today
a southbound autorack train going through Deshler oh.Bad film cartridge!UUUUGH!
stay safe
joe

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

Blundered into the Milwaulkee Road #261 running north from Scranton one day on the way home from work. No camera...

LC

Speaking of not having a camera I have done this many times, funeral train of about fifteen old F units going to scrap, and the worst was being up in Minneapolis and stumbing onto the storage "barn" and finding MILW 261 and several cars being workied on inside in winter...they guys were very kind and even let me up in the cab and showed me around,but, you guessed it....NO CAMERA! DOOOHHHHH!

[Anonymous]

#1 - Waited in my car on Conrail's Lehigh Line because it was too cold outside and missed taping a train with 5 Southern Pacific widecabs.
#2 - Missed a General Electric (Conrail) E44 testing on the Northeast Corrider because I needed to stop and get coffee first.
#3 - Missed the BM &R Reading T-1 because I got lossed trying to find the tracks.
#4 - Took a whole roll of 36 pictures of a large freight train derailment in Union NJ on Conrail's Lehigh line. It was the first time I used a 35 millimeter camera and I did not have the film threaded correctly. Everytime I thought I took a photo and advanced the film, the film just stayed where it was.
#4 - Drove to Scranton to film the Milwaukee 261 and had a dead battery on the video camera.

[jeaton]

Carl. Maybe the judge is a railfan? Otherwise maybe we can figure out a way to send hacksaw blades via the internet.

Good Luck!!

[Anonymous]

many fish got away and some whales that were this biiiiiig
A N&W 4-8-4 # 611 WHEN I was a kid KCS E&F Units A SP/SF Cab SF
Kodachrome SP SF Locos The Daylight special Because I got caught cutting school the day before so i was grounded
1/21/04 UP 4-8-4 # 3985 I will not miss even though i have jury duty that week Out of all people in this town ME WHY ME WHAT THE HELL
were they smoking That S.O.B. is guilty hang that S.O.B. now
they better not Interfere with my Picture taking day [soapbox][soapbox]
[soapbox][soapbox][soapbox][soapbox][soapbox][soapbox][soapbox]
LAW SYSTEM

[Dough]

You're exactly right BNSFNUT.

I will add a NS buisness train that came shooting north out of Atl towards SC. It was just one of those didn't have a camera momoments. I've got to say that those are the only two that I have really had any regrets...

[BNSFNUT]

I've been railfaning since the late 60's and must have missed many great photos due to lack of cammera, no film, dead batterys and "you should have been here yesterday".
If I was to dwell on all the missed shots I would have nightmare every night.
But I keep on railfaning. I think it is an addiction.

[Anonymous]

I once did some railfanning last year at Swift Current, Sask. and took lots of pictures of the CP yard there. There were two beautiful blue CEFX units sitting back to back. I also got some pictures of some rolling stock with unusual road names/marking on them (I really don't remember what as a train was going by and I quickly just snapped pictures of things I noticed were unusual). As it turned out, there wasn't any film in the camera!!!!!!!! That was my dad's fault, but that was kind of a freak accident and I doubt it will ever happen again.

[Anonymous]

Geez,
I'm not even sure where I'd start!! So many missed fish.

Here's the "Murphy's Law of Railfanning" that I developed:

"No matter how long you wait for a train that doesn't seem to want to show up, it will appear within 10 minutes of the time you get in the car and leave and in fact, most often, you will see it in your rear view mirror as you're driving away." [;)]

[joseph2]

I missed a photo of a UP DD40 five years ago when my wife refused to do a bootleggers turn on I-80.First one I missed was of a Westinghouse switcher in a engine shed,no flashbulb. Joe G.

[JoeKoh]

many fish dead batteries bad film catridge no film no camera sigh
stay safe
Joe