Which trains do you find the most boring to watch?

[sovablunt]

The most boring is not the train, but after its gone and you are watching the FRED moving off into the distance. The only thing thats boring is the time waiting for another, but theres at least 50 per day.

[chefjavier]

I think the worst thing to watch is a great locomotive with Graffiti art on the side.

[CSXDixieLine]

For me the most boring train is the one that isn't there, but even when the rails are empty that only lets my imagination run wild.

Oh yeah! Even the time between the trains I use to setup the next shot or think about what's going to be coming down the line or around the next bend.

[ironhorseman]

I thought about this one carefully and considered all the types of trains I see regularly, the ones that are guaranteed to come through town, the ones I see all the time. I tried to think hard about not only routine trains, but what would constitute a boring train. I thought about all the American trains I remember and the types of German trains I see everyday now. After thinking about this for a while I concluded that if at anytime I considered any train boring then I should probably find another hobby.

No matter how routine, no matter regular, no matter how identical the next train is to the last I still catch myself stopping to watch and everytime I didn't have a camera on me I wish I did. Whenever I'm out running or biking I somehow end up by the tracks looking at block signals or watching up and down the line trying to guesstimate how close the next train is and how long I can stall in that particular area before I need to move on. Living in Germany in the last couple years it's the same old commuter trains time after time after time, yet I'm compelled to watch every single time. I miss the intermodals and the coal trains that are usually a mile long pulled by big, loud diesels.

For me the most boring train is the one that isn't there, but even when the rails are empty that only lets my imagination run wild.

I'm a train watcher/I'm a train watcher/Watching trains go by/My, oh my, here comes one now...

[eastside]

I don't know about you, but 50% of the joy of the train experience for me is the sound of them going by.  Another important part is feeling the earth shake.  Today, noise and vibration indicates wasted energy that has to be stamped out.  Modern trains are all about business efficiency.  Wheels whirr on welded continuous rail and don't go clackety-clack as they once did on jointed rail.

Recordings of steam locomotives used to be an important sub-culture of rail fandom because each locomotive sounded so different.  Mostly because of the diminished variety of locomotives and rolling stock, I find modern trains not as interesting in comparison.

My two cents.

[CSXDixieLine]

In all my 75 years of train watching I've never seen one that's boring regardless of what's on the head end or its makeup!

Could not agree more! A boring train to railfanners? Never! I love them all: racks, stacks, coal, passenger commuter, high & wide, short, long, NS, CSX, UP, BNSF, more more more I want more! In fact I am sneaking out of the office now in hopes of finding a "boring" stack train so I can forget about this thread!

[Soo 6604]

Baretables.

[Murphy Siding]

     I live in sort of a railroad outback, where there never are any Stacks, auto racks, or coal trains.  Six axle locomotives are very rare.  My least favorite trains would be grain unit train.  Car after car of the same oxide red hopper.

[MLG4812]

Stacks....I've never liked them..not ever. Not single level container trains but stacktrains that is. I know they represent innovation and efficiency on the railroads part blah blah blah...but seeing a 53' footer on top of a 40' sea box represents laziness and the circumventing of traditional railroad infrastructure. I think it's that over-hang. Kinda looks like an upside down SD40-2. Totally awkward. One well car is tolerable..100 of them does get pretty boring.

 

MLG4'8.5

 

 

[nssr9169]

200 car unit trains with GEVO crap on the point.

[overall]

I like them all also. I enjoy the intermodals and the coal trains especially the coal trains with mid-train helpers. I read the names off the sides of the containers and wonder what exotic ports of call they have been to. Those "boring" trains are proof that our industry is still important to the economy. That railroading will be with us for decades to come. There is no such thing as a "boring" train to me. Mark, if I am fortunate enough to rack up 75 years of train watching, whatever is running then will be fun to watch like what we have now.

George

[KCSfan]

In all my 75 years of train watching I've never seen one that's boring regardless of what's on the head end or its makeup! I'll often chase a train out of town regardless of its consist just to pace it after it's up to track speed or sit at a grade crossing to watch it roar by. Heck I sometimes even go out of my way to check out cars that are spotted at local businesses and industries. If it's freight I like to watch it - if its Amtrak, commuter or light rail, I'd like to be riding it. The day I find a train, any train, boring is the day I'll take up another hobby!

Mark

[scottychaos]

Any train pulled by two or three NS or CSX Wide-cab GE's..

which accounts for about 90% of the trains upstate NY.

Borrrrrrrrrrrring... I really miss Conrail.

IMO, we are in the most boring phase of class-1 railroading in the last 170 years. nothing but those GE widecabs everywhere.. 

thank God for our local shortlines!
They are not boring!

Scot 

[railfan619]

Most every train. I see is usually pretty good but there some trains that i really dread seeing like trains that are covered from end to end in graffiti. And then there are trains that I just love to see. Like brand new cars that have not been touched but those lovely artist's I even like seeing the Amtrak trains going by yes even the empire builder even though they don't hall the mail cars anymore. And yes I do miss seeing cabooses on the trains I would love the railroads to bring them back even if they don't staff them anymore.

[tree68]

I wish I saw enough to find them boring. 

I once saw a train of empty coal hoppers, pulled by two Geeps.  That would have been no big deal, but the Geeps were on their knees, so I started counting cars.  The cars may have been virtually identical, but that fact that there were over 180 of them was impressive.

The T&E service part of me keeps me interested, too, since I tend to inspect the train as it goes by.  And I've found stuff.

Unless the train is made up of all identical cars (say, all new ethanol cars), there's always something to look at, be it the different companies represented on the containers or trailers, or the possiblility of seeing a fallen flag in a manifest.

 

[eolafan]

I'd be disingenuious if I didn't admit that I find Metra trains, coal trains and some intermodals boring at times but I always try to remember that if it were not for coal, intermodal and the like...the railroads might not even exist for us to watch...so I gladly "put up" with anything and everything on the road while waiting for the truly unusual train types and power consists.  Long live American Railroading!!!!

[gopherstate]

I find all modern trains boring. Usually have two of the same type locomotive followed by a bunch of
poorly painted, graffiti covered cars and no caboose. I miss the days of 40 foot box cars, a variety of
locomotives, company pride in the appearance of cars, branch line trains & cabooses.
The only interesting train I have seen in recent memory is a Union Pacific business train lead by 2 E9's.

[mobilman44]

Good Morning,

  I hesitate to use the word "boring" regarding trains, but find the UP strings of covered hoppers that run the rails here in Spring (Tx) to be very routine.  We also get strings of auto-racks which fall in that same category.  Every once in awhile I actually have seen what I call a "mixed freight", one having boxcars, TOFC, hoppers, gons, tankcars, and even a flat or two.  All that's missing from these are stock cars and a red caboose with a human being to wave to!

 All that being said, my friend in southern Illinois finds the coal trains boring and would love to see a covered hopper or an auto-rack.  So I guess its the "usual" that gets routine and the "unusual" that is exciting.

As long as I'm here....... two years ago we went to Old Town Spring for dinner at Wunches, which is located next to the UP tracks just north of their large yard there.  As we were eating we noticed that many folks were starting to congregate by the tracks.  Finally I asked what was going on, and they said the a UP steam train was due from College Station headed to downtown Houston.  We finished dinner and got out to watch and here it comes - the UP Challenger and about 15 beautiful grey passenger cars!  My only gripe was there was no camera in my hands.  You just had to be there, for everyone - young and old - was excited and awed by this most wonderful of machines!!!!

Mobilman44

[spbed]

In general general merchandise trains are for me way more interesting to watch then stackers/T or COFC/Coal/Grain trains just to name a few

[jeffhergert]

It might be just me, but I'm getting the impression that the general consensus is that most trains are, well, boring.  Say it ain't so!

Merry Christmas, and may everyone see more of their favorite type of train during the Holidays and all year long.

Jeff

[Lord Atmo]

let's see here:

-any modern diesel in armour yellow. seriously. it's the most boring uninteresting paintscheme i have ever seen. unless of course the unit has a flag or wings on the nose. then it's cool. not that lame-o red text.

-coal trains with those coalporter gondolas. i like the old school coal hoppers though. especially when i see a few CNW ones. 

-unit trains where every car has only its number as a difference. CNW's grain trains were awesome from all the different colors and shapes their hoppers had. fortunately it carried over to UP grain trains. 

-geeps towing manifests. i prefer to see trains pulled by bigger powerful-looking stuff. which means 6-axle power is the only way to go. like SD60s or SD40-2s. geeps look far too wimpy for me. even if they have the same hp as their SD counterparts. i will always favor locomotives that look powerful. always have.

 

[MP173]

I concur with just about everyone else.  Stacks, auto racks, and empty coal trains are high on my list.

Like many, the manifests with general freight are fascinating.  These days, I am much more interested in watching the cars of such a train, rather than the locomotives.  I am also fascinated by Triple Crowns on the NS.

Another fascinating type of train is the "piggyback" which carries trailers on flatbeds.  These trains will often have truckers such as UPS, Yellow, Scheider, etc.  NS trains 217/218 are such a train...usually about 50 trailers and HOT.

ed

[Railfan1]

After the locomotives pass by on an intermodal train, I go back to taking my nap in the car. Autoracks are pretty dull as well. As for favorites, I guess the good ole' manifest freight is the winner followed by coal trains.

[AlcoRS11Nut]

Well...anything that isn't moveing.

[chefjavier]

I will say empty coals and any CSX locomotives.

[trainboyH16-44]

Backlit eastbound empty potash. Boring train, boring units, no DPUs, and when they're moving slowly, they're absolutely agonizing. Not to mention, because they're backlit, the pictures suck.

Oh, did I mention all the cars are EXACTLY the same? 

 

[Nataraj]

unit freight trains are the most boring for me......

[BNSF_GP60M]

Intermodal is boring. I like to see manifests go buy. Seeing the mixed reporting marks. You never know what you could see. Just the other day, I saw a Northern Pacific gondola, faded of course.

[bnsfkline]

COAL TRAINS HANDS DOWN! Thats all we ever see in St. Louis....Coal, Coal and guess what, More coal!

 Well, not entirely all coal trains, The Lincoln Service and Missouri Amtrak Trains 311, 313,314 and 316 are all boring, 1 unit and either 3 or 4 cars.

Rack trains are always boring...unless they have mixed frieght at the end to bring up the tonnage.

My Favorite Trains to watch are NS 201 and 302, these trains usually have Caterpiller loads. BNSF MGALTUL and MGALTEA. One always has an SD40-2 on the point and the other always has a DPU. I also like the KCS Train IVNKC and IKCVN, the CSX/KCS Schnieder trains.

[corwinda]

All auto racks.