People are people - and like in any other group of folk, those who work for the railroad include all personality types.
Thirty years ago, I used to hang out at WJ Tower in Ridgewood, NJ. Two of the operators were friendly. One of them was just the nicest guy you'd ever meet. He let me stay up in the tower all day. The other woudn't invite me up, but was always pleasant, and when I came up with others he knew, he would let me stay.
Then, there was a third guy... young guy... who not only would not allow me up (well, I assume, I never tried when he was on duty)... but if he saw me there, he would throw things out the window at me. Mind you, I never once had a conversation with him, and he had no reason to dislike me. He just enjoyed being a jerk.
Only when I mark off... but then I don't get paid. Life is a compromise, eh?
Now I know who was out there at 630. But he didn't even put the photo of my train online. (we didn't have sexy foreign power like the other trains that day...)
You'll have to forgive me... it has been a loooong week with a couple of lousy trips.
I'm still going to make comments though. It brings a laugh in the cab.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
zugmann wrote: honestly, i could care less how you spend your time. But I reserve the right to make comment when you're out there at 630am on a beautiful sunday taking a photo of stack trains.
honestly, i could care less how you spend your time. But I reserve the right to make comment when you're out there at 630am on a beautiful sunday taking a photo of stack trains.
Right now I'm working out of state 6 days a week. Sunday morning 0630 before church is my only free time. When do you have free time? SMILE.
I can't be absolutely sure, but I would bet some serious money on the following: if...IF...you could persuade an entire group randomly selected from the general populace, say the same numbers as have responded to this thread, to state their opinions and feelings about this subject to each other, you would get as much disparity as we see here. It should not be surprising that we each come to the umbrella of the hobby and all it offers with specific interests. That necessarily means to some personalities that they will be somewhat less tolerant of the interests of others, and quite a few won't have any qualms about expressing it in simple and direct statements such as those we have seen. Others prefer more oblique language where there is a bit more ambiguity, thus allowing themselves to shrug it off as perhaps a misinterpretation.
That's not my point. My point is, why should the same dynamic not be largely duplicated out there on the front lines of railfandom? Is every railroader a Type A, Type B, Type X, Type Y? Stubbing one's toe at zero dark thirty on the way to the john, and then having to get that toe into a work boot and out to the train for a long shift is probably going to make even the sunniest disposition a bit grumpy after several hours of numbing pain. Or an impending divorce might cloud an otherwise sunny day. I suppose we could blame a bad childhood. But we won't all see the same things the same way. It shows in this thread, and it should show out there at the company property lines.
I do try to make eye contact and smile and acknowledge the "person" if I feel I have. It's my nature. It may not be yours. Which of us is right in our own heads?
-Crandell
One advantage of living so many years on a small railroad branch line was you got to know the crew pretty well. Usually the only time the guys in the caboose didn't wave was when they were napping!!
I've had trains stop a few times. When I was little I used to always run out and wave as the MN&S went past my house, in winter I had to stay in the house but I flashed the front porch light on and off. Right before Christmas (and just after I turned five) the crew stopped the train in front of my house, and brought me a new "railroad" flashlight so I could use that to signal them. That made quite an impression!!
We are all in this for our own personal reasons. Personally, I like watching trains and wondering (or trying to know) where is that train coming from, where is it going, how many cars, what kind of product, what is the revenue of the cars and train, value of the lading, what is it used for, how profitable is it to transport, how many employees, what are the handling requirements, etc. I termed myself a few years ago as an economic railfan.
I dont go railfaning, per se, but always carry my camera and will snap a photo, then count the cars, containers, etc.
During years of this activity, I have encountered a number of railroaders and always try to stay OUT OF THEIR WAY. Particulary the last 7 years. They have a job to do and things have changed. That being said, most (if not all) of the railroaders I have encountered are friendly, as long as you are polite and dont bother them.
Years ago, between appointments, I would sit near O'hare, Midway, or Lambert (St Louis) and watch the incoming or departing jets. That has pretty much been eliminated. A perfect spot for combining railroading/jets was Bensenville, at the south side of the former Milwaukee (now CP) yard. Throw in passing trucks on Irving Park Rd and most of the intermodal options were at hand.
ed
But isn't that the whole point of the"sport" or "hobby" of train watching?
Some folks go simply to watch trains, some go trackside to look for a specific train, some go to people watch and some go looking to see the what and why of operations.
I have been trackside with both Carl and Miss Mookie...and I can tell you that unless Carl knew the crew, odds are he never notices them beyond returning a wave or acknowledging a horn toot...he "collects" cars, and looks for the one of a kind or unique cars, can tell you when it was built, who built it, how many they built, and who ordered them...it is his way of enjoying the hobby, and like me, unless it is a rare or oddball locomotive the locomotive is nothing but a tool to get the jobs done.
We both have been in the cabs on the long trips, know what the crew does, and why they do it...we understand them, so beyond the simple wave they spark no real interest, simply because they are us!
It isn't because we don't care, or don't see them as people, it is because what they are, railroaders, isn't a unique experience for us.
Mookie, on the other hand, is interested in the why part of the operation...why does this train back out of town, instead of drag out....why do switch crews run around a cut of cars to work an industry...what are track skates and how do they work....why does one train get a yellow over flashing red, but the next one gets a green board?
She grew up with a railroader for a dad, and has quite a few railroaders for friends, so the person in the machine is not that unique to her...like Carl and me, she knows them, what type of people they are and how they live, so that side holds nothing new for her...
Personally, even after a hard day switching, I still get my groove on watching a train, any train, run down the main, be it a simple stacker, a manifest or a local switcher...for me, it's the sheer power of the machine, plus the skill needed to make it all work, and the sheer pleasure of watching my efforts in the yard turn into a train you guys watch.
After all, if we all enjoyed the same aspect of this, wouldn't this forum become a dull place?
It is the unique differences we all enjoy that add so much to the hobby.
I encourage fans to ask questions, and I enjoy them watching...what I don't like and may qualify me as a "mean" railroader are the fans that assume they have a right to come on property for that one special photo, or intentionally ignore the fact that you are working, and keep pestering you to stop and answer their questions or explain something to them...which I am happy to do if I am not busy...
Catch Carl when he is tracks side and not at work, and he will probably help you fill up several notebooks on car types and info...snag me track side, and I'll answer any question I can for you...pester either one of us while we are really busy working, and you probably wont get too much out of us.
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Mookie wrote: So those of you [railroaders] that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Ms Mook!
So those of you [railroaders] that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you.
Ms Mook!
Well said.
I'm still relatively new here and this is an interesting thread. I've been a rail fan all of my life and I had never met an unfriendly RR employee until I joined this forum. As far as waving, I drove semis for 30 years and always waved at folks that waved at me. Of course pretty girls and kids usually got a toot on the horn as well.
But that's part of the point. It's a beautiful Sunday and we're outside enjoying it. I would much rather be outside on a beautiful day than on the computer or watching TV.
Willy
zugmann wrote: That bothers me a little. Those machines are nothing without the people. Seems so petty to just care about the trains. Oh well. Mookie wrote: So those of you that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Heavy equipment working is fascinating to many people, myself included. Some people like birds.
That bothers me a little. Those machines are nothing without the people. Seems so petty to just care about the trains. Oh well.
Mookie wrote: So those of you that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Heavy equipment working is fascinating to many people, myself included. Some people like birds.
So those of you that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Heavy equipment working is fascinating to many people, myself included.
Some people like birds.
Agreed. We are the heart and soul behind those hulks of metal. Without us they are nothing, and watch all you want. It's your time spend it however you wish.
Mookie wrote:So those of you that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Heavy equipment working is fascinating to many people, myself included. Some people like birds.
zugmann wrote: That bothers me a little. Those machines are nothing without the people. Seems so petty to just care about the trains. Oh well.
And yet, I seem to recall from another thread that railfans are not supposed to watch the railroaders either. It invades their privacy. So, what you're basically saying is that people should not even watch trains at all. If people shouldn't watch trains, maybe they shouldn't watch trucks, or planes, or birds, or flowers, or paint drying on the wall. I would hate to invade a flower's privacy.
J. Edgar wrote:might i suggest a deep breath....and we all go over to "what do RR employees call US fans"....just in case any of you missed that wonderfull thread....dont wanna re-hash it here
might i suggest a deep breath....and we all go over to "what do RR employees call US fans"....just in case any of you missed that wonderfull thread....dont wanna re-hash it here
You mean what do they call them while they are waving at them?
Mookie wrote:So those of you that don't like me watching you work, don't flatter yourselves - I am not even looking at you. Heavy equipment working is fascinating to many people, myself included.
This sounds so wrong...in so many ways.
RRKen wrote: J. Edgar wrote: RRKen wrote: I don't wave, period.ya forgot this....> I did not forget that, I have this. ☺
J. Edgar wrote: RRKen wrote: I don't wave, period.ya forgot this....>
RRKen wrote: I don't wave, period.
ya forgot this....>
I did not forget that, I have this. ☺
Since I recently had a discussion with a rr employee about watching trains and his disdain with me doing so - this is my 2 cents! I don't watch trains, planes or construction to see the people. I watch the equipment and how it performs and what it does or doesn't do. People have watched model trains go around tracks for many, many years. There are no people on those trains to watch. But they watch them anyway.
I frankly don't care if you are mean or green. And if you want to come watch me pound a keyboard M-F - knock yourselves out.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Working for Cargill, I dealt w/a grouchy, old head, gruff ydmstr/ATM in the 1980's. This dude I only had to deal w/him over the phone and thank goodness never met him in person. The other took place in 1997, just a little over a yr before coming to the rr. This was the Supt Operations who was opt testing the switch crew while they were at the plant. He was on private property without permission or a escort. He got a little smart w/me on that, I told my boss about it next day, he contacts the rr and basically stated that no officials are to be on the property unless a Cargill employee is w/them at all times. In 1999 I came across this dude again only now I;m working for the rr. I got somewhat nervous thinking he was going to remember me, then opt test me until he fails me big. I kept a low profile, he never remembered me and no problems were encountered.
I don't have the advantage of direct access to either of the two windows in our building, so that's not an issue.
On the other hand, I try to be at least cordial to the bulk of our customers (and everyone else I run into) even if it's obvious they haven't a clue and that's why I got called out for an unnecessary service call.
People wave at fire trucks, too. Sometimes I don't see them, so I don't wave back.
But we're getting away from what I take to be the central theme of this thread - and waving is just a small part of that. By what I'm reading, face-to-face contact is generally cordial - if the crew member has time to talk, and you're not someplace you clearly shouldn't be, then they very often will.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
What if you worked in a office building and waved at people?
I wave at kids and pretty women.
So bring your kids, wives, or GFs.
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