Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Poppa_Zit OK, I'll take a shot.... Two years ago I was making pictures of UP freights on a Sunday afternoon on the old CNW mainline in Chicago's western suburbs. After spending about five hours shooting the usual traffic with a big telephoto off the top deck of a public parking garage, an inbound unit train came up and stopped at the signal just west of where I was. The dispatcher told him to wait there until a slot opened up ahead, maybe 10 to 20 minutes. So I figured I'd scoot down to a big, sweeping curve a couple miles ahead and get a nice low-sun, backlit shot of a coal drag struggling upgrade around the curve. As soon as I get into my truck and start driving up the road, the gates go down at the next grade crossing. Of course, my camera is in the bag and still attached to a big 500mm lens as the UP business train -- headed by the E9s -- comes flying through with its Armour yellow consist flashing in the "honey light." At least I got a second chance 10 days ago, when it came through here twice; once inbound to Global I, and back out again on the old CNW toward Clinton, Iowa.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes An amount of time has passed since we have had any "Bummer" stories. Since it is warmer weather now I bet some of you guys and gals have a story or two you can share with it. Soooooooo, let's hear your Bummer stories. [:p] [B)]
Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
QUOTE: Originally posted by FThunder11 My bummer is heading out to the tracks to hear TONS of chatter on the scanner, and not seeing one train after sitting for 4 hours!!
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes QUOTE: Originally posted by edbenton Try having all the pics of 2 cabrides you got one in steam and one in a diesel. The diesel was even an ALCO. My ex wife delelted every pic of both of those cabrides I am so mad at her it is not even funny. I think SHE should be sleeping in the doghouse for a long time for that.
QUOTE: Originally posted by edbenton Try having all the pics of 2 cabrides you got one in steam and one in a diesel. The diesel was even an ALCO. My ex wife delelted every pic of both of those cabrides I am so mad at her it is not even funny.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296
Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45 Hey guys, [:)][:D][8D] Regarding Jhh's story. I'm curious! [;)] Does anyone know what type of horn the UP typically uses. I know it's not the popular K5La. I've seen pictures of 3 chimers on a lot of the units. I wonder if Jhh heard a K5H or K5LA, both which according to many railfans (yes, me too) have very melodic sounds. CSX and NS use these horns on a lot of their road locomotives and of course, these units have been running on UP's tracks quite a bit in the past 2 years. Good websites to hear and learn the differences between locomotive horns. On your search engine (I use MSN) type "Five Chime Horn Consultants" and also "Chris' Train Horns". Jhhtrainsplanes if you go to these sights, you might be able to hear what you heard recently.[tup][^] Hope you enjoy it! Peace out!
QUOTE: Originally posted by silicon212 QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Get this, I live close enough to the tracks to hear the train horn during all kinds of weather. Recently a local tree service (hired by the city) has been cutting down trees and limbs from around our power lines and poles. Today I was walking the dog and heard a train horn. It was a nice sounding horn not the usual blan horn that UP buys. I think the nice sounding horn was on a Southern Pacific unit. The nice sounding horn was just as loud as the UP horns but sounds so much better. When I heard the horn I looked in the direction of the tracks and noticed that many of the trees that used to block my view of the tracks were gone or trimmed back greately. I was hopeing to see enough of the engine to varify that it was a S P unit. No such luck. What I did see was the smoke plume and tippy top of the engine but not good enough to get a color of the engine. Reminds me of the ol saying, "Can't see the forrest for the trees". It was a real bummer to be able to see the smoke plume but not the train. I could tell exactly when the lead engine was but couldn't see it. [:(] [:(] [:(] That is my railfan bummer. What is YOURS ? I know this is more than two years old, but I didn't see a full answer to your questions here although one did touch on the horns that UP uses nowadays on most stuff - and that's the Nathan/Airchime K3LA - but UP also has a bunch of Leslie S3L Supertyphon horns as well. SP used mostly the Nathan P3 horn and this is perhaps what you referred to. I, too, feel the sound of the P3 was/is the best sounding diesel horn. Late last week I saw a local running a pair of SP GP units - one the unpatched GP40-2M 7135 and the other a patched GP60 # 1919. The 7135 has its original P3 while the 1919 (came with a P3) had its P3 switched for a K3LA. I just don't like those - they're too high pitched.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Get this, I live close enough to the tracks to hear the train horn during all kinds of weather. Recently a local tree service (hired by the city) has been cutting down trees and limbs from around our power lines and poles. Today I was walking the dog and heard a train horn. It was a nice sounding horn not the usual blan horn that UP buys. I think the nice sounding horn was on a Southern Pacific unit. The nice sounding horn was just as loud as the UP horns but sounds so much better. When I heard the horn I looked in the direction of the tracks and noticed that many of the trees that used to block my view of the tracks were gone or trimmed back greately. I was hopeing to see enough of the engine to varify that it was a S P unit. No such luck. What I did see was the smoke plume and tippy top of the engine but not good enough to get a color of the engine. Reminds me of the ol saying, "Can't see the forrest for the trees". It was a real bummer to be able to see the smoke plume but not the train. I could tell exactly when the lead engine was but couldn't see it. [:(] [:(] [:(] That is my railfan bummer. What is YOURS ?
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes See ***. See Jane. See *** and Jane. [;)] See the train. See the train go by (and me with no camera in hand). [:(!] [:(] [V] I went home and got the camera only to not be able to get to a place where I could get some shots of the train. [V] [:(] Oh well, it was a pair of NS engines. The lead loco did have a decent sounding horn though. [:o)]
QUOTE: Originally posted by joesap1 Man, your posts on this subject are a real bummer alright. Do you EVER get the shot? I feel your pain. Trains can be amazingly silent. During my last outing in San Timateo Canyon, a train snuck up on me while I was reading in my truck. It was a good one too: Three engines at the front and two helpers at the rear.
Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Yesterday while on the way to work I had "another" bummer experience. Many times I can see a train on the way to work or on the way home from work. I heard the horn honking yesterday and tried to get close enough in time to get the engine numbers. But between traffic and the train going a little faster than usual I just couldn't get there in time to see the power. [:(] But I can tell you it was a mixed manifest freight. Man, your posts on this subject are a real bummer alright. Do you EVER get the shot? I feel your pain. Trains can be amazingly silent. During my last outing in San Timateo Canyon, a train snuck up on me while I was reading in my truck. It was a good one too: Three engines at the front and two helpers at the rear. Joe Sapwater Reply Sterling1 Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Traveling in Middle Earth 795 posts Posted by Sterling1 on Sunday, May 22, 2005 2:15 PM I have this particular incidence happen to me twice . . . I don't have a scanner or digital camera . . . So this is what bites me . . . I'm trying to find out a certain Amtrak passenger car's function and describing it to the chat room . . . no one knows what I'm talking about . . . I know . . . it sucks real bad . . . "There is nothing in life that compares with running a locomotive at 80-plus mph with the windows open, the traction motors screaming, the air horns fighting the rush of incoming air to make any sound at all, automobiles on adjacent highways trying and failing to catch up with you, and the unmistakable presence of raw power. You ride with fear in the pit of your stomach knowing you do not really have control of this beast." - D.C. Battle [Trains 10/2002 issue, p74.] Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 22, 2005 8:51 AM Of course, I've had the usual sad stories of out of film, shutter not cocked, out of focus, film not winding on takeup reel, driving for hours to see the train disappear around the bend. What's somewhat wierd is that I would have dreams of some really neat train coming along and the camera is broken, film not advanced, the usual stuff. Even in dreams, I suffer the curse of the Railfan Bummer. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 22, 2005 8:46 AM And one more from days of yore. In the early 70s I was working in Hartford CT and started out on a weekend trip to visit my father in northern VT. I caught a NB BM freight at Brattleboro and went up the line for another shot. I set up in a cut over corn field, nice curve, the whole bit. Train came, took a nice shot and got in the car and headed north as the sun was fading fast. A couple hours later I stopped in the Fairlee diner for a piece of their great pie and a coffee. As I got out of the car, I had a sinking feeling: "Where is the camera case?" Phone to Dad "I'll be a few hours late". Turn around and drive back below Bellows Falls and try to find the cornfield. Of course by now it's totally dark. I aim the car into the field andwith the light of the headlights,there is the camera case. As I was getting back in the car, a VT state trooper came along and asked what I was up to. I guess my explanation was so wierd he figured it must be the truth. So back on the I91 and finally, 5 hours late, at Dad's place. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 21, 2005 9:57 PM Here's two bummers in two weeks. In June, 1954, I was about to graduate from college. A classmate and I went out to chase a BM fan trip pulled by a 2-6-0. The reason we weren't aboard was that we had our bacalaureate service that afternoon. (RATS) While we were waiting for the fantrip, near Ayer MA we shot a WB freight in the siding. We got to talking with the crew and they invited us to go with them to East Deerfield. Under pain of severe parental pain and dismemberment, we had to refuse. (RATS, RATS) The next weekend we had to miss the last steam run on the MEC due to our graduatioon. (RATS again) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 21, 2005 2:18 PM See ***. See Jane. See *** and Jane. [;)] See the train. See the train go by (and me with no camera in hand). [:(!] [:(] [V] I went home and got the camera only to not be able to get to a place where I could get some shots of the train. [V] [:(] Oh well, it was a pair of NS engines. The lead loco did have a decent sounding horn though. [:o)] Reply Edit CSXrules4eva Member sinceAugust 2004 From: Louisville, KY 1,345 posts Posted by CSXrules4eva on Sunday, November 7, 2004 11:33 PM umm. . . lets seeee. . . .. I had a bad experience about a mounth ago. I was at school and was out in the auto tech shop to do a 4 wheel alighenment on a Nissan Sentra. Right in back of the school lays NS trackage, former PRR trackage. It doesn't get that much traffic in a day either. Then guess wut I heard the sound of a high speed train. I rushed outside to see. And all I saw was the tail end of the train which was a DTTX double stack 53' car. I didn't get the car number nor did I see the power, NOR did I have a camera :( CRAP! Then about 4hrs. later I took the train back home I had to catch two trains. SEPTA 's R2 then the R8. When it was time for the R8 to travel a part of the NEC, from Market East Station to North Philly. Guess wut I saw two UP AC6000CWs pulling a loaded coal train. Most of the cars had CSXT reporting marks. But, I didn't have my camera :( My train was also traveling at about 70mph so I didn't get a chance to enjoy the train really :( ALSO I've never ever have seen UP power on the NEC. LORD HELP US ALL TO BE ORIGINAL AND NOT CRISPY!!! please? Sarah J.M. Warner conductor CSX Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 7, 2004 11:10 PM Christmas train curious i called it well i called it because well its happened everytime so far. Well anyway My dad and i always wanted to see the christmas train in Brandon Manitoba & Virden Manitoba which are our favorite places to watch CP on the main well anyway i was reading the CP site news and read about the christmas train and showed my dad and figured out when it would get in to brandon because of the CP schedule so my dad told me to mark it on the calendar this was going to be the best trip my dad and i were going to head up there 45 minutes before it got there to catch some winter railfanning at the brandon yard. The morning i got up put film in my camera and then went to school nice sunny day getting quite excited to tell u the truth well who wouldn't be i waited and waited for the final bell it rung i ran home got all my stuff ready then dad came home we get 10 or 15 miles tops and ran into Bad weather barely can see 6 feet front of the car so we stopped and i just started swaring then my dad great calming me down told me we could watch trains next day but not the christmas train and then said well we no what to do next winter. Part 2 It was early december i looked on the site and it said it would be coming to brandon in a week so my dad and said it would be perfect because he was off work and could catch it in the morning head to its next destination it was a good so far u know how i new that on the news it said they caught saddam hussien i knew it was going to be awesome maybe best trip yet so we set off to Virden because the main runs along the trans canada to Brandon so we got Virden heard a horn so we drove to the closet crossing hoping it was it a little early but nope it was a Soo line SD60 and 2 CP sd40-2s with a westbound mix freight then we decided to stay and have breakfest at the hotel across the tracks right after we got done our meal heard another horn a westbound Mixed freight again led by a another emd SD90/43mac 9102 then we decide we should stay to wait for a next train a another emd 2 SD40-2s came roring throught i thought man we should see it today my favorite locomotive manufacture EMD was all the kind of engines we were all seeing and thought this is going to be the day we see the Christmas train then we drove along on the trans-canada highway then we saw the headlights of a train i saw 2 CP Red Barns 9012 and 9017 bring a westbound grain train then we didn't see anything after that tell we hit the Brandon Yard 2 Emd Sd40-2's in the CP multmark paint scheme with a Autorack/intermodal train ready to leave on a westbound trip to my best guess was Moose jaw or Swift Current then we drove over the bridge looking the entire yard to see if it was parked behind the train nope just 2 GP9u's and a GP38-2 parked ready to serve some local factories all emd then we decide to call it a day and head back to Virden then see one more train and leave and then we say the final of the day a CP 8600 series Ac4400cw a CEFX AC4400cw 1007 and then a CP AC4400cw in the 8500 series on a eastbound intermodal train to winnipeg then we left and then 2 days later we had a train in town and got to go up in the cab of the Engine and talk to the engineer and the first thing i asked was when was the Christmas train in brandon and when did it departure he said came in around 19:30 and left around 02:30 to broadview for there next stop. Then just this past week or so i was looking on the CP site and it said DECEMBER 11 coming to Brandon Manitoba then i told my dad he said were not missing it this time. So i am hoping we dont miss it again well thats my story but least i looked on the bright side least i saw almost every type of emd on cp's roster SD40-2 SD60 SD90/43mac sd40-2f GP38 GP9u all i missed was the SD40-2m GP40-2s and SW and MP switchers o well i had fun with my dad going train watch o and one note i even saw CSX coil car in the dark future scheme [:D] Reply Edit jockellis Member sinceMay 2002 From: Just outside Atlanta 422 posts Posted by jockellis on Sunday, November 7, 2004 7:55 PM I was putting the finishing touches on my newspaper in south Georgia late one Tuesday night when I heard the unmistakable wail of a steam whistle from the Waycross to Brunswick line of the Seaboard Coastline. Although I was right on deadline, I rushed out the front door and ran down toward the track. As it rolled across the grad crossing, I saw a self-powered steam crane heading eastward. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow it because I had to get the paper out. But it was going to a wreck on a trestle and would have given me some great pictures, if it hadn't been so dark. Jock Ellis Jock Ellis Cumming, GA US of A Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 7, 2004 7:15 PM I have 2 "bummers" for today. [:(] [:(] #1 I went railfanning at Little Rock's Union Station today. Usually a fairly busy place, I was there for 2 hours and only saw one train. [:(] #2 So I decide to leave. As I was driving across a bridge I noticed a train heading that way with a blue engine. So I decided to try to check it out. In driving all over the place to try to get to see it I also noticed that the second engine looked like a Suzie Q. Now that would be very rare for these parts, maybe not for New York but for Arkansas very rare.There were actually about 2 and maybe 3 trains that looked like they were ready to cross the river and go into Little Rock. So I found a place that would be a good shot, I also took the angle of the sun into consideration in choosing the spot. This spot just happened to be by the Bearing Cross Railroad Bridge (where I got the poison ivy last time [:(] ) and I saw someone illegally cross the bridge on foot. I waited for this rare engine to come my way. It never did. I wait for it almost 45 minutes too. So I went back to see if it was still there. It wasn't. I guess instead of going south into Little Rock that they went west to Fort Smith. So I missed seeing if the engine was an ex Suzie Q or possibly a current Q out running around. [:(!] [V] Reply Edit railman Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: Midwest 718 posts Posted by railman on Monday, October 25, 2004 12:49 AM my story- I caught a rare BNSF train, long hood foreward, on the far end of the Monticello Sub.- and all I had was my polaroid camera. I took a picture, but you know how they look- not bad, not good, just OK. Unit 1597, for the engine fans out there. Another was catching the ballast train coming into town with ol' 1597 AND a SD40-2 (we never see six-axle power) and having NO camera. They did some switching move that tied up all three crossings in Albertville for almost 20 minutes...I was one of the cars caught in the way, but I might have been the only guy with the windows down enjoying the roar of the big SD! Reply tree68 Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Northern New York 25,015 posts Posted by tree68 on Sunday, October 24, 2004 9:34 PM Been that poison ivy route. Yucch! Was tooling west on NYS Thruway and discovered I was pacing a WB stack. Came up on a spot that would have been perfect for a pacing shot, EXCEPT I was already ahead of the train, I would have had to shoot across traffic (virtually guaranteeing a semi in my shot), the camera wasn't ready (digital), and since I didn't know the opportunity was coming up, no way to time things right for it. Makes for a great memory of what might have been, though... 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... Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 24, 2004 7:55 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Today was a beautiful day, high about 82 with a slight breeze so I decided to go railfanning. I wanted some pics of the old Rock Island Depot so I headed there first. Because of "special" construction in the area I couldn't really get where I needed to be to take the shot I wanted. [:(] So while I was downtown I went to Union Station. While I was there I shot a pic of a UP/NS engine combo pulling an intermodal train. So I had the idea of catching it across the river on the North Little Rock side (the good side of the river) and as I was crossing the bridge I noticed the railroad bridge was going up. So I changed plans and headed to the railroad bridge. I got out of the truck and walked around the foot/bike path trying to find a good shot. I walked off "the beaten path" and took several pics from various angles. Another train with a SPpatch/UP engine combo pulled up the the bridge so I shot it too. A few minutes later I began to itch. [:(] Then I started to itch even worse. [:(!] [:(] [:(!] Since it was warm I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, shoes, and ankle socks. The itch was just above the ankle socks and it was turning red. Mind you I didn't scratch it, I was afraid it was poison ivy/oak. I cut short my railfanning trip and headed home to take a shower hoping to prevent it from spreading. That was around 5 pm. It is now almost 8pm and I have a cream on it. I hope that tomorrow morning that it is gone but we will have to wait and see. But it definately put a stop to my railfanning for the day. AND on the way home there was another train I could have waited on and saw but . . . well I wanted to get in the shower as quickly as possible. And how was your day? [;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 24, 2004 7:52 PM Today was a beautiful day, high about 82 with a slight breeze so I decided to go railfanning. I wanted some pics of the old Rock Island Depot so I headed there first. Because of "special" construction in the area I coldn't really get where I needed to be to take the shot I wanted. [:(] So while I was downtown I went to Union Station. While I was there I shot a pic of a UP/NS engine combo pulling an intermodal train. So I had the idea of catching it across the river on the North Little Rock side (the good side of the river) and as I was crossing the bridge I noticed the railroad bridge was going up. So I changed plans and headed to the railroad bridge. I got out of the truck and walked around the foot/bike path trying to find a good shot. I walked off "the beaten path" and took several pics from various angles. Another train with a SPpatch/UP engine combo pulled up the the bridge so I shot it too. A few minutes later I began to itch. [:(] Then I started to itch even worse. [:(!] [:(] [:(!] Since it was warm I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, shoe, and ankle socks. The itch was just above the ankle socks and it was turning red. Mind you I didn't scratch it, I was afraid it was poison ivy/oak. I cut short my railfanning trip and headed home to take a shower hoping to prevent it from spreading. That was around 5 pm. It is now almost 8pm and I have a cream on it. I hope that tomorrow morning that it is gone but we will have to wait and see. But it definately put a stop to my railfanning for the day. AND on the way home there was another train I could have waited on and saw but . . . well I wanted to get in the shower as quickly as possible. And how was your day? [;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, October 10, 2004 2:29 PM Last Sunday was a beautiful day so I went railfanning for a while. I went downtown and as I was crossing over the railroad tracks I noticed a set of NS engines. I couldn't stop because I was on a four lane bridge. I drove all around trying to find a place where I could get a shot of them. No luck. [:(!] That area has a lot of private industry and each one has buildings and fences so you can't see the railroad tracks from the street. I wanted a shot real bad and kept going over the bridge hoping I might could stop and get a shot. Then a set of UP power pulled up and stopped right by the NS power. Then I really wanted that shot. That would have made a super shot to have but the traffic would not allow me to stop there and take it. [:(!] [:(] [:(!] Bummer, bummer, bummer, I was really bummed out. [V] [:(] [:(!] Reply Edit espeefoamer Member sinceNovember 2003 From: West Coast 4,122 posts Posted by espeefoamer on Friday, October 1, 2004 4:05 PM After my surgury,and early recovery, I went almost three weeks without seeing a train![:(][:0][V] Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool. Reply locomutt Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: Louisville,Ky. 5,077 posts Posted by locomutt on Friday, October 1, 2004 3:19 PM Besides battery,when you have a digital,and your memory card is full,you forget to put the camera back to INTERNAL memory.[censored][banghead] Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!! Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 1, 2004 2:49 PM Dead Battery in Camera [:(] [V] [:(] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 27, 2004 6:42 PM Yesturday i was passing through Franklin Park with my scanner on, to see if any trains were coming. i heard 4 trains, one from each direction. One of them was the IC&E east bound, which rarely comes through on Sunday afternoons. So i parked waited, it was waiting just down the tracks. But i had the "wife to be" in the car with me. NOT a good idea. She made me leave without a picture. Oh yeah, there were 2 I&M Rail Link SD40s on the train. i cant win. Reply Edit SALfan Member sinceApril 2002 From: Northern Florida 1,429 posts Posted by SALfan on Monday, September 27, 2004 3:37 PM One of the many times I was in Denver I had to be there over the weekend, so rented a car. Sunday afternoon, wandered around until I found the Joint Line south of town. Found a good spot to watch some trains, and settled down to enjoy some of the heavy traffic. What did I see? ZIP, ZERO, NADA, NOTHING. Spent over two hours there, and didn't see a single train. BUMMER! Reply Junctionfan Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: St.Catharines, Ontario 3,770 posts Posted by Junctionfan on Monday, September 27, 2004 6:22 AM I went to look at 328 a NS train on the CN line in my area, and I missed it. To make it worse, it had a solid UP lash up. Andrew Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 27, 2004 1:01 AM F I N A L L Y [V] I have been searching for THIS thread for at least an hour. [:(!] When I would type in phrases nothing would work. [:(] Anyway here is my latest bummer. [:(] I have been getting to the tracks just in time to see part of the train and not the power. I can't even begin to tell you how many times this has happened to me in the last few weeks. [:(!] Between traffic, traffic stop lights, and just being in the wrong place at the wrong time I have been missing the boat errrr train. Reply Edit Hawks05 Member sinceOctober 2003 From: Southern Minnesota now 956 posts Posted by Hawks05 on Friday, July 30, 2004 4:52 PM whenever i'm pursuing a train i always try and focus on the driving because i know the train will have to slow down more than i will when it enters a town. the tracks run along a highway so i can do 55-65 slowing only once while the train will have to normally slow down as it enters the town. i'm still getting down the zooming in and out yet and where to stand. the camera only has a 3x zoom so its not that good really. so far its been really fun. just wish i had a scanner or some way of finding out when a train is coming. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 30, 2004 12:48 AM Most every day on the way to work I see some engines coming into the yard or on the through tracks. BUT many times they are too far away for me to see the engine numbers. [:(] Sometimes there are engines and trains ready to leave the yard and waiting on a signal. BUT they are so close to the bridge that goes over the tracks that I can't get their numbers either. [:(] Reply Edit athelney Member sinceMay 2003 From: Abbotsford BC Canada 300 posts Posted by athelney on Friday, July 30, 2004 12:27 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05 QUOTE: Originally posted by snakespol Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead] i'm in the same boat kind of. i'm just getting into this. being a teenager i don't have a lot of money to invest in stuff to find out where to go. we got our camera for free so thats what i'm using. now i take it wherever i go pretty much, never know whats sitting at the siding in town. sunday it was CNW gondola, tuesday that was gone, and wednesday its a UP crain with a flat car of 4 sections of track. now today there is a front endloader and 3 sections of track lain out next to a part of track in town. should be interesting to see what is going on there. i wouldn't mind seeing UP put in another line. maybe get more action here. anyways my biggest bummers so far have been taking great pictures only to have the wrong focus on so when i go to move the picture is taken. the camera came with the twilight focus so before a picture was taken it would flash like 5 times. now i have it switched to landscape so it just snaps shot after shot. so basically a lot of my bummers have been taking pictures of the ground when i could have had great shots of NS2512 with a load of Triple Crowns or a Cotton Belt hopper in Wisconsin. i guess its living and learning. also not having enough gas to catch a train hurts to. just like jim- i live close to the tracks. i live 3 blocks away so when i hear a whistle i'm in my car and heading for a crossing. there are so many around here, but they are spread apart. i can go to the baseball field and then try and take off from there and get to a bridge that i've gotten some great shots off of, then flying to another crossing. in all that takes about 5 minutes depending on the length of the train, if i can get through the backup of cars, and if i can go with out getting stuck behind a slow driver and seeing a cop. Guess my suggestion would be to hang in there -take as many photo's as you can & try and learn from your failures -- most of all have fun & be safe -- mind your driving ! 2860 Restoration Crew Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 30, 2004 12:18 AM Working on a sunny day... LC Reply Edit Hawks05 Member sinceOctober 2003 From: Southern Minnesota now 956 posts Posted by Hawks05 on Thursday, July 29, 2004 11:51 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by snakespol Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead] i'm in the same boat kind of. i'm just getting into this. being a teenager i don't have a lot of money to invest in stuff to find out where to go. we got our camera for free so thats what i'm using. now i take it wherever i go pretty much, never know whats sitting at the siding in town. sunday it was CNW gondola, tuesday that was gone, and wednesday its a UP crain with a flat car of 4 sections of track. now today there is a front endloader and 3 sections of track lain out next to a part of track in town. should be interesting to see what is going on there. i wouldn't mind seeing UP put in another line. maybe get more action here. anyways my biggest bummers so far have been taking great pictures only to have the wrong focus on so when i go to move the picture is taken. the camera came with the twilight focus so before a picture was taken it would flash like 5 times. now i have it switched to landscape so it just snaps shot after shot. so basically a lot of my bummers have been taking pictures of the ground when i could have had great shots of NS2512 with a load of Triple Crowns or a Cotton Belt hopper in Wisconsin. i guess its living and learning. also not having enough gas to catch a train hurts to. just like jim- i live close to the tracks. i live 3 blocks away so when i hear a whistle i'm in my car and heading for a crossing. there are so many around here, but they are spread apart. i can go to the baseball field and then try and take off from there and get to a bridge that i've gotten some great shots off of, then flying to another crossing. in all that takes about 5 minutes depending on the length of the train, if i can get through the backup of cars, and if i can go with out getting stuck behind a slow driver and seeing a cop. Reply Modelcar Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Muncie, Indiana...Orig. from Pennsylvania 13,456 posts Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 9:23 AM ...A "bummer" for me occured down in Saluda, NC...several times, several years ago. My situation occured several times while returning back from Florida in the Spring and turning off the interstate to drive back into Saluda..[only about 2 miles], to take a look at the famous location and try to see some action on the "hill"....I did that several years and tarried up to 4 hours waiting for action...which I never saw....The last time I was there several years ago I waited at least 4 hours and saw nothing again, but little did I know that would be my last chance as it was "embargoed" soon after that so we may never have the chance to see any action again at that famous location. If I would have known that was coming I perhaps would have waited longer still.....But I really enjoyed just having the chance to see the famous location anyway...It is one of a kind..! Quentin Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 1:37 AM On the way to work Monday afternoon I saw 3 CN boxcars on the old Rock Island overpass. Trees blockes me from seeing one boxcar's number and the other two boxcars were faded AND had so much grafetti on them that I couldn't ready any numbers. They were still there on the way home from work but it was dark. Now there is a light but the light shines down on the road and not on the train. [:(] [:(!] [V] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 12:12 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by snakespol Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead] Hello and welcome to the forums. [:)] Look into the "Stupid Question Thread". You can learn a ton there, and don't be afraid to ask questions. That is how we all learn. [;)] The "gang" is always happy to answer a question (I am afraid to list them by name knowing I will forget someone) and it is always nice to have someone ask a question as the gang is "foaming" [;)] at the mouth just to get to answer it. [;)] Reply Edit snakespol Member sinceAugust 2001 From: US 11 posts Posted by snakespol on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 12:03 PM Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead] Paul Reply AlcoRS11Nut Member sinceJuly 2002 From: Stevens Point 436 posts Posted by AlcoRS11Nut on Monday, July 19, 2004 8:33 AM The latest one I can remember were we were at the Burnside Bridge in KY, and I was there for about an hour an no trains, just ticks and more ticks. Even if there was a train I probably could have got a shot of it because I was trying to hard to keep the ticks off of me. (forgot bug spray). Then I said enough and decided to find another spot and got into the car, as soon as I did a NS Autorack went across the bridge. Thats my luck! I love the smell of ALCo smoke in the Morning. "Long live the 251!!!" I miss the GBW and my favorite uncle is Uncle Pete. Uncle Pete eats Space Noodles for breakfast. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 18, 2004 11:23 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp A Southern Pacific locomotive being patch or repainted. Yes, I know what you mean. I am seeing lots of SP locos still in SP paint but with the UP number patch. Reply Edit ericsp Member sinceMay 2015 5,134 posts Posted by ericsp on Sunday, July 18, 2004 11:12 PM A Southern Pacific locomotive being patch or repainted. "No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld) Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 18, 2004 9:59 PM My latest "bummer" is writing down an engine number and forgetting to post about it. I lost the paper with the number. [:(] Now I have found the paper and engine number but don't remember what day I saw it. [:(] [:0] [B)] Well anyway, I saw UP 5654 pulling a train sometime about a week ago. The horn on it sound like only part of the horn was working. Might have been one of the chimes was stopped up with something. But anyway it sounded really funny and kinda bad. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 4, 2004 12:44 AM being a long time fan of Conrail Jim Reply Edit athelney Member sinceMay 2003 From: Abbotsford BC Canada 300 posts Posted by athelney on Saturday, July 3, 2004 9:51 PM What did I see today ? -- Zilch - no trains , I decided to check out a new spot - Colebrook on the BC Port sub to Roberts Bank .BC -- Should have seen at least one from the following -- BNSF freight, BNSFcoal train , Amtrak , CP coal train or intermodal ,CN intermodal - but no - not one , stayed for 3 1/2 hours , not even a MOW on the scanner . Ended up watching aircraft landing at Vancouver airport! - pretty sad for a railfan day out!! - maybe tomorrow at my usual spot . 2860 Restoration Crew Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 3, 2004 2:41 PM Joe [8D] In baseball a "tie" goes to the "runner". [;)] I don't think I want to be around to watch a tie at a crossover. [:(] Reply Edit JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,313 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, June 27, 2004 5:43 AM Csx had to go around a train whose crew died because of the hours of service law.Had fun watching who goes first at the crossovers. stay safe Joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 27, 2004 2:01 AM Some of the UP Flag units have a nice sounding horn. [:)] I have been too busy with work to take time out to chase or watch any trains. [V] So I guess that is my most recent Bummer experience. [:(] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 4:02 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45 Hey guys, [:)][:D][8D] Regarding Jhh's story. I'm curious! [;)] Does anyone know what type of horn the UP typically uses. I know it's not the popular K5La. I've seen pictures of 3 chimers on a lot of the units. I wonder if Jhh heard a K5H or K5LA, both which according to many railfans (yes, me too) have very melodic sounds. CSX and NS use these horns on a lot of their road locomotives and of course, these units have been running on UP's tracks quite a bit in the past 2 years. Good websites to hear and learn the differences between locomotive horns. On your search engine (I use MSN) type "Five Chime Horn Consultants" and also "Chris' Train Horns". Jhhtrainsplanes if you go to these sights, you might be able to hear what you heard recently.[tup][^] Hope you enjoy it! Peace out! UP uses a varity of air horns, but most typically today is the Nathan/Airchime K3LA. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:47 AM You want to hear a real bummer. A couple of months ago a Challenger, that's right, a steam engine challenger, was just twenty miles away from my home and easily viewable, for ten days, and I didn't even know it was there until the day after it left! Oh, by the way, IT WAS RUNNING UNDER IT'S OWN POWER AND WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead][banghead] Reply Edit fuzzybroken Member sinceOctober 2002 From: Milwaukee, WI, US 1,384 posts Posted by fuzzybroken on Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:38 AM Well, once again... I forgot a map while chasing MILW 261 into Chicagoland, got lost, and the train disappeared from sight. [:(] Note to self: remember the map next time!!! [banghead] -Mark http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken -Fuzzy Fuzzy World 3 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 21, 2004 8:17 PM I was going to see the challanger one day on its UP tour, so I went to the UP Skokie Valley Mainline in Waukegan. It was supposed to run on this line. Me and my family waited and waited, and it never came. I was pretty angry. It was supposed to come through at that time, but I guessed it already passed. Bummer! Reply Edit fuzzybroken Member sinceOctober 2002 From: Milwaukee, WI, US 1,384 posts Posted by fuzzybroken on Monday, June 21, 2004 3:20 PM Speaking of CP 2816... I waited for HOURS at Waterford Avenue in Milwaukee, and my girlfriend who was s'posed to come along was MIA... Waterford provided a couple halfway-decent shots, nothing to be excited about. I went down by the depot in Milwaukee, got several decent overhead shots from the 6th street bridge. Next I hurried to Duplainville, where there was a decent-sized group of people gathered -- but Amtrak #8 (Empire Builder) spoiled that one, and there was a collective AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! as the 8 passed between the group and 2816. Well, on to Oconomowoc. I figured that the depot would be a good photo prop, but a street runs in front of both tracks and depot. As 2816 approaches, so does a good-sized truck with a cherry-picker on top. He wasn't turning, so he could have gone thru, but instead he blocked several people's shots... [:(!] Finally, I decided heck with, might as well head to Portage -- where my camera decided to go to Manual Focus only mode. [banghead] This was solved by turning it off, then back on again. (whew!) I got some great pics in Portage, finally learned to use the auto-bracket, and then wanted one more good shot, but then everybody in the crowd wanted their picture taken with the steam engine, or people would just walk right in front of me with their cameras... [banghead] Of course, as a bonus to my patience, I got pictures of several SOO/CP engines, as well as a 3-unit set of BNSF SD75Ms!!! The one thing that I forgot on this trip (and any other of my railfan trips) is a map or atlas of some kind. I know where the railroads go in my head, but I don't know all the roads to get there... Well, there's always hope for tomorrow... MILW 261's in town!!! Cheers, -Mark http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken -Fuzzy Fuzzy World 3 Reply JPowell Member sinceJanuary 2002 From: Fairmount (Syracuse) NY 1,226 posts Posted by JPowell on Monday, June 21, 2004 1:25 PM Not having a camera when you get your 1st ride on a GP9 Diesel Engine! That's a deffinate bummer for me :-((( !!!!!!!!! //signed// John Powell President / CEO CNY Transportation Corp (fictional) http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s303/nuts4sports34/ Hunter - When we met in January of 2000, you were just a 6 week old pup who walked his way into this heart of mine as the only runt in the litter who would come over to me. And today, I sit here and tell you I am sorry we had to put you down. It was the best thing for you and also the right thing to do. May you now rest in peace and comfort. Love, Dad. 8 June 2010 I love you and miss you Mom. Say hi to everyone up there for me. Rest in peace and comfort. Love, John. 29 March 2017 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 5:43 PM I missed NS train 213 by an hour yesterday and 214 by an hour today, 213 had BNSF SD40-2, ATSF C44-9W, and PRR (CR) C40-8W while 214 had the same power, this time PRR C40-8W, ATSF C44-9W, BNSF SD40-2. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 4:25 PM Hay dbid1218. That statement that you made is so DAMN true! Your post on 03-02-04. [bow]BNSF RAILROAD[bow] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 8:34 AM Can't have your cake and eat it at the same time[:(]. [bow]BNSF RAILROAD[bow] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 1:41 AM Friday morning I had to go to Jury Duty orientation. On the way there I crossed over the UP yard. The Main Street Bridge is within a stone's throw of the wye. Setting on one leg of the why was a UP train waiting for a green light. I quickly wrote down the engine number and put it in the storage box between the two seats of my truck. The only engine pulling this train was a single EMD unit. Funny, you never see a single GE pulling a train as it always takes at least 2 of them. Other single engined trains I have seen lately were powered by EMD also. After Jury Duty I had another appointment. It was a hectic day. Somewhere along the way I managed to lose the slip of paper with the engine number. [:(] I wrote the number down to post it in the "Recently I Saw" thread. Guess that is one post I won't be making. [:(] [V] [:(] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 20, 2004 1:32 AM Tom, that is a bummer. [V] Sorry about that. [:(] I can email you some good pics of the 3985 if you would like to see them. [:)] Just let me know, as I am only too happy to share them. [;)] Reply Edit spankybird Member sinceApril 2003 From: Willoughby, Ohio 5,231 posts Posted by spankybird on Monday, June 14, 2004 8:51 AM Yesterday we waited for the CN 2618 as it was going thru Ohio. When it did go by us, as you can see, it was being pulled by a SOO Diesel, and the Steamer was in neutral. No big smoke from the stack, No barking of the cylinders. Although it was great to see her. tom I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 14, 2004 8:37 AM Yesterday while on the way to work I had "another" bummer experience. Many times I can see a train on the way to work or on the way home from work. I heard the horn honking yesterday and tried to get close enough in time to get the engine numbers. But between traffic and the train going a little faster than usual I just couldn't get there in time to see the power. [:(] But I can tell you it was a mixed manifest freight. Reply Edit miniwyo Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Rock Springs Wy. 1,967 posts Posted by miniwyo on Sunday, June 13, 2004 8:19 PM I think I will learn from everyon's mistakes and always keep my camera with me in my truck when i finally get my camera (im buying a really good expensive one because i want to venture into photography as somthing to fall back on inf my Tech THeatre thing doesn't work out) RJ "Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling http://sweetwater-photography.com/ Reply espeefoamer Member sinceNovember 2003 From: West Coast 4,122 posts Posted by espeefoamer on Sunday, June 13, 2004 5:34 PM I have no recollectionof steam.[:(]I saw steam as a baby and a very young child,but it was gone before I was old enough to remember anything.[:(] Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool. Reply athelney Member sinceMay 2003 From: Abbotsford BC Canada 300 posts Posted by athelney on Sunday, June 13, 2004 11:35 AM Back in the UK at the end of steam in 1968 , at Carnforth in the NW corner , spending a morning on a footbridge photographing the last steam hauled freights . To find when I rewound the film it had not taken on the spool - hence I had a blank film - now had to return home with no steam!! 2860 Restoration Crew Reply refarkas Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: US 6 posts Posted by refarkas on Sunday, June 13, 2004 6:42 AM Another railfan and I were in a small town in Ontario waiting for a steam excursion pulled by CN 6218. I set my movie camera up to pan a field to get a movie of the steamer as it approached. After waiting around twenty minutes, 6218 came. Just as I started the movie, a man popped up from his hiding place in the bushes and jogged into town beside the locomotive. I guess he was a true "train chaser." My friend did know of another spot outside of town where I got a super shot, but I'll remember this for a long time. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 13, 2004 1:53 AM I was on the way to work today and stopped in KFC for some lunch to take to work. When I came out I heard a train honking for a crossing. I knew I had to hurry to catch it and get the number and railroad for the "Recently I Saw" thread. Naturally I hit EVERY red light between me and it and was even going out of the way to try to get the numbers and such. I could see the smoke rising as I was trying to catch it. I had one last opportunity to catch it. The road bends and the view is blocked by trees before the last crossing so I needed to make this last stoplight with a green to have ANY chance at all. Guess what? NO SUCH LUCK ! [:(!] [:(!] [:(!] The stoplight was red. Above the trees I again see the smoke rising but can't see the train. How does that line go, "Can't see the forest for the trees." Well I couldn't see the train because of the trees, AND catching every light red. Just my luck. [:(!] [:(!] [:(!] Getting through one red light without having to stop would have made all the difference but Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. [:(] [V] [:(] [V] [:(] I get red for EVERY light. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. [8] [B)] [8] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 2, 2004 10:30 PM The number of the train I tried to get a photo of was UP 4582 and the second unit was a GATX in BN green/black but I couldn't get that number. [:(] [:(!] [V] Reply Edit espeefoamer Member sinceNovember 2003 From: West Coast 4,122 posts Posted by espeefoamer on Sunday, May 2, 2004 6:50 PM The absorbsion of the mighty Southern Pacific into the Big Yellow Sponge.[:0][:(!][:0][:(!][:(!][:0][:(!] Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool. Reply espeefoamer Member sinceNovember 2003 From: West Coast 4,122 posts Posted by espeefoamer on Sunday, May 2, 2004 6:39 PM After Railfair 91 in Sacramento,was riding a UP trip to Portola.This was a doubleheader with 844 & 3985. Westbound the diesel was removed at Oroville,running steam only to Sacramento.We waited at the loading area near the South Sac'to. yard.We waited for over an hour. The train was late. It was raining.When the train arrived,there was a GE dash 8 attached.One man remarked,"This is NOT a load of happy campers."[:(!] Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 2, 2004 6:32 PM Going for a walk and not taking your camera and seeing the SW-12OO,s of NB Southern Railway heading west with 6 piggy backs.the former conrail units are beautiful to hear but to photograph them so..bring camera always and extra film. Look Listen and Live David Brown Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 2, 2004 6:23 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes I thought about making a new thread and calling it, "I was an idiot today" but decided nobody would post there but me. [;)] [B)] [}:)] Today I went to the UP Open House. I finished shooting one role of film and even took pics and finished another roll of film while there. On the way home I noticed a train. It was behind me so I couldn't get its loco number. I drove ahead and found a place where I could sit and watch the train. I parked near a curve and had wanted to take a pic from that location so I got out the camera and waited for the train. When the train came around the corner I was ready and just as it got to a good spot I clicked the button. Nothing happened. So I tried one more time. I had finished the roll but didn't want to change the rolls in the bright sunlight and was waiting till I got home to change it. Now the engines were past me and I didn't even get their numbers. So I had to drive somewhere else to get at least one engine number. Not only is that a bummer to happen it sure makes you feel stupid. [B)] [:0] [:(] That reminded me of a Far Side cartoon. The lady is standing in the cartoon with her arm around an ailen, then the husband is standing there with his camera wide open exposing the film, then the husband is standing there saying, "Yeah, that camera's loaded." [:D][:)][:D] That Gary Larson was hilarious. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 2, 2004 5:42 PM I thought about making a new thread and calling it, "I was an idiot today" but decided nobody would post there but me. [;)] [B)] [}:)] Today I went to the UP Open House. I finished shooting one role of film and even took pics and finished another roll of film while there. On the way home I noticed a train. It was behind me so I couldn't get its loco number. I drove ahead and found a place where I could sit and watch the train. I parked near a curve and had wanted to take a pic from that location so I got out the camera and waited for the train. When the train came around the corner I was ready and just as it got to a good spot I clicked the button. Nothing happened. So I tried one more time. I had finished the roll but didn't want to change the rolls in the bright sunlight and was waiting till I got home to change it. Now the engines were past me and I didn't even get their numbers. So I had to drive somewhere else to get at least one engine number. Not only is that a bummer to happen it sure makes you feel stupid. [B)] [:0] [:(] Reply Edit AltonFan Member sinceApril 2003 From: US 1,522 posts Posted by AltonFan on Saturday, May 1, 2004 7:37 AM Some years ago, the Canadian Pacific installed new fences near the former Milwaukee Road Bensenville diesel house. Where the old fences where simple chain-link fences that allowed passers-by on Green Street to get a good up-close look at the engines and the facility without tresspassing. The new fences had plastic or metal strips woven into the chain-link fencing that completely blocked visibility. Later on, they tore down the whole locomotive facility, and built a new one within the yard, well away from railfans' eyes. [Bummer, heavy sigh.] Dan Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 30, 2004 7:12 PM My railfan bummer is similar to jhhtrainsplanes: I live only about a half-mile from the KCS's tracks. It is all field between us, but a deep dive in the land to a small creek means it's too steep to farm, so it isn't cleared. All I can do is listen to the train blast off long-long-short-long horn blasts. So, in winter, I just walk across the fields to see a train, which usually comes in the morning and afternoon. Reply Edit bnsfkline Member sinceOctober 2002 From: St. Louis Area, Florrisant to be specific!!!!!!!!! 1,134 posts Posted by bnsfkline on Friday, April 30, 2004 5:21 PM No Bummers for me, I have 3 cameras Ready to go, used to shoot alot of video. My closest thing to a bummer is not getting UP3300 on Video, but I am rather happy that I got in film. Jim Tiroch RIP Saveria DiBlasi - My First True Love and a Great Railfanning Companion Saveria Danielle DiBlasi Feb 5th, 1986 - Nov 4th, 2008 Check em out! My photos that is: http://bnsfkline.rrpicturearchives.net and ALS2001 Productions http://www.youtube.com/ALS2001 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 30, 2004 9:44 AM Three stories - all about photography, one just a few weeks ago and the other two, 15 or so years ago. Related to 'macguy's story about these new digital cameras a few weeks ago I was in Missasagua, Ontario Canada (about 15 miles west of Toronto), freezing my butt off and waiting to take some pictures of Canadian Pacific, when I hear a train approaching. Being not familiar with the area I really wan't paying attention to the scanner and I had no signal to help me out, only a grade crossing a littl ways away. I jumped out of my car, turned the camera on, ran out to the tracks and saw in the distance a 3 engine train just about to hit the curve (would have a been a great picture) with a StL&H on the lead, a white SOO in the middle, and a CP on the back. Usually, after I have taken the last picture, I always review it via the LCD viewer to see if it is a 'keeper' or not, but I usually like to shoot via the view finder. Putting the camera to my eye, showed nothing (the LCD was on). I switched to non-LCD mode and put the camera to my eye - I saw the last picture I took - UGH!! Ofcouse, by the time I got it together, the train had flatened out on the curve and my picture of CP mixed consist was 'NOT' a keeper. I learned my lesson to always leave the camera 'ready-for-action'. The second story was one day during the beginning of Desert Storm and I was taking pictures in Altamont Pass (close to Livermore, CA or about 60 miles from San Francisco). I had a Nikon FM camera with a 70mm-210mm zoom on it when I heard a UP coming. I was positioned on the top of this small rise where a siding begins. Around the corner comes a 4 engine consist (rare for UP) - click goes the camera, or really a half-click (that feeling that you are out of film). I thought I had a 36 shot roll in when I really had a 24. All the engines had flags flyings on them as behind the consist was flatcar, after flatcar of tanks and other military equipment. Great memories, but no pictures. Last story was shooting a picture of SP4449 during the California Rail-Fair of 1991 (90 or 91 - I can't remember). The engine was traveling between Oakland and San Jose and I was standing close to a flower field, on the edge of the Railroad bed, along with a few other railfans, around the border of Hayward and Union City. I had an Old English Sheepdog that had been born deaf and had been trained by hand signals. He was very good and obediant and he had been 'commanded' to lay-and-stay and he was a constant companion with me when I went train watching. Along comes 4449 about a mile away and my camera is clicking and clicking and I am getting great pictures but as the engines gets closer the ground starts to shake. I had never been the close to the rails when a steam engine went by under steam. I didn't want to, but I had to look down to make sure my sheepdog was still laying down as the ground was really shaking now, and since I looked down - I blew the last shot. I wiggled the camera, and had moved the camera a little off-center, and it was ugly. The dog never moved - great train dog, but have never had a chance to be that close to thundering live steam again. Reply Edit swknox Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Greenwood, DE - USA 170 posts Posted by swknox on Thursday, April 29, 2004 9:03 PM Don't talk about flat tires... Went chasing a NS freight that had 2 geeps (GP-38's) that were High Hood units and were running long hood forward. Classic NS!!! You might say whats special with this, well whats special is this is former Conrail tracks and they never ran long hood forward nor had high hood geeps here on the shore. Well the train gets by me at the crossing so I decide to follow along going down Rt. 13 which Follows along the line almost the entire distance of the shore from Dover DE to Cape Charles VA. Well I didn't make it very far as I pulled out on Rt. 13 I didn't make it a mile when I heard a thud coming from the rear. Flat Tire. Oh the pain and agony... Cool site to visit http://www.trainweb.org/peninsularailfan/index.html - local site, very cool http://crcyc.railfan.net/ - Conrail site, also cool http://www.thedieselshop.us/MPR.html Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 29, 2004 7:24 PM I got one. While my father (also a railfan) was visiting me in LA, we decided to railfan north to Mojave. We decided on the way to try and catch the Trona interchange with the SP. This was back when Trona was Baldwin powered, and we already knew the Baldwins days were numbered. We hung around Mojave till we heard on the scanner that the show was about to begin. Then we drove to the interchange (I can't remember, was it Chafee?) where the Trona ended along what was left of the Lone Pine branch. We basicaly followed the SP line from Mojave. This required following about 25-30 miles of dirt road. We arrived and got out our gear, and set up for our shots. I started hearing a hissing sound. We discovered that I had a slow leak in one of my tires. We knew the Trona would be there soon. We also could tell that if we didn't head for town immediately the tire wouldn't make it (No spare, that's rare for me). What a delema. I considered staying and sacrificing the rim/tire in the name of Baldwin, but common sense got the best of me. To this day I have never seen a running Baldwin. Trona's were gone a month later. This is one of my biggest railfan bummers. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 10:27 PM had taken 80 shots of 1977 rock island trains in back yard . 3 year old son found 4 rolls film and threw into toilet. priceless pix. ouch ! Reply Edit daveklepper Member sinceJune 2002 20,096 posts Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, April 15, 2004 1:48 AM When in school in Cambridge, Mass, had a weekend date with a girl at Skidmore College near Troy, NY. Found I could leave my last class Friday afternoon and get to the N. Cambridge (Porter Square) B&M station in time to catch the "Minuteman" to Troy. At that time the train was stated to have the "Flying Yankee" equipment (the B&M's Budd articulated streamliner similar to the Pioneer Zephyr) in the timetable, with snack and beverage service. Showed up in time for the train, and a few minutes late came an RS2 or RS3 with two regular steel coaches and a baggage. No meal service. I had missed lunch, figuring to eat the train. The conductor took pity and let me share his salted peanuts, and the water cooler did not run dry. Dave Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 9:15 PM I've got a bummer story: I was riding my bike and I "just happened to stumble across" the CP/CSX main line. So, I parked my bike and walked over to the track. Then remembering not to trespass on RR property, I saw a nearby hill, so I climbed it. And waited. Then, from around the bend comes a CP intermodel with 2 SD40-2s rumbling along at 50mph! Then another intermodel with 2 SD40-2s going almost just as fast. Then a CSX coal drag (though I'm not sure I should call it a "drag", because it was going probably 40mph) with a CSX SD60 and a UP Dash-8. ALL THIS TIME I DIDN'T BRING THAT DIGITAL CAMERA! UGH! (then I had to bike 20 miles back to my house, double ugh!) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 12:24 PM Just yesterday I was all lined up to take a picture of a CP coal train coming from Roberts Bank, all ready to go (and I waited a good while too.) So I take the picture (one of these new digital cameras) look down at the screen and this little record light is blinking.... couldn't figure it out. Turns out I had accidentally set the camera to "video mode" and instead of a big picture it was recording in video format. Of course when I take the pictures they are nice big 1600x1200 quality pics, but in video mode you just get this small little box, with no sound. Pissed me off too, that first frame that was supposed to be my picture would have made an awsome desktop picture. Ah well. Perhpas I'll head down again today and try and get in that same spot for a re-do. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 27, 2004 8:36 AM The high gas prices are a real railfanning bumber [:(!] (But that is discussed in another thread) I have been on two different steam excursions where it started to rain somewhat near the end of the trip. [:(] That was a little bumber. Glad it didn't rain for the whole trip. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 12, 2004 11:26 PM How about some new railfan bummer stories? [:p] Who has one for us. [?] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 7, 2004 7:45 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by arking Had tickets for an trip from Columbus OH to Huntington WV behind NW610 for 3 months when my little brother picked that day to get married! Big Bummer! That was the one of the last NS steam trips in Ohio . arking [:)] Your first post. [;)] WELCOME to the forums. [;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 7, 2004 2:14 AM Had tickets for an trip from Columbus OH to Huntington WV behind NW610 for 3 months when my little brother picked that day to get married! Big Bummer! That was the one of the last NS steam trips in Ohio . Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 1:05 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Girl_4005 Thanks for acknowledging my "rite of passage" I am glad to hear of the lasting affects these type of incidents have had for some of you. I think it was a good sign that we were both laughing instead of frowning (as others BB and I know might have done instead[sigh][sigh]). The dirty ice cold feet are a small price to pay for the mileage we will get from that day of train hunting.[:D] My wife, God Bless Her, has developed an interest in trains. It started the day she let me off my leash near a railyard and then had to chase me over most of Western Georgia... all she had to do was follow the tracks and the flecks of foam. She will proudly point out a GE (the builder's plate is a giveaway) and identify it as such. She got me Train Simulator one Christmas. Not enough memory on our computer. She bought a new computer. That's love. Is she totally converted? Not yet... she still gets jealous when she catches me looking at pictures of "naked locomotives in that TRAINS magazine." (By the way, my back copies seem to end up as teaching tools in her classroom.) She just doesn't understand that I'm.... reading the articles. Yeah, that's it. Erik Reply Edit Kozzie Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Australia 786 posts Posted by Kozzie on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 8:46 PM One from downunder. My Father and I went on a steam heritage trip along a branch line that visited a small country town that was having it's annual agricultural/industry show. Everything was fine till the return journey. Just as we pulled out of the station, waved off by literally hundreds of local townsfolk, one of the connecting rods on the steam loco sheared right through. So we came to an embarrassing stop not much past the platform! Ugh! After a lot of attempts to fix a steam engine in a small country town , (basically impossible), we had to wait for Queensland Railways to send a diesel up the line and tow us all the way back to Brisbane. The saddest part was watching the steam loco being uncoupled from the train, and then shunted into a siding at the workshop. The day had gone well, but a very disappointing return journey. (The steam loco was repaired and continues to enjoy many steam heritage trips all around south-east Queensland) Anyone else had a major drama on a steam heirtage rail trip? Kozzie Brisbane, QLD Oz Reply tree68 Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Northern New York 25,015 posts Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 8:20 PM Heard the DED/HBD key up tonight on the way home tonight. Knew that it was probably a southbound, thus already past me, but, what the heck. You never know. It was a southbound. 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... Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 6:41 PM It happens too often. I find a great place to photograph trains and wait there for a couple hours or so. Waiting and waiting. Nothing shows up. minutes after leaving a parade of trains comes rolling through. By then i'm too far away to turn back. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 10:10 AM Thanks for acknowledging my "rite of passage" I am glad to hear of the lasting affects these type of incidents have had for some of you. I think it was a good sign that we were both laughing instead of frowning (as others BB and I know might have done instead[sigh][sigh]). The dirty ice cold feet are a small price to pay for the mileage we will get from that day of train hunting.[:D] Reply Edit mudchicken Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Denver / La Junta 10,820 posts Posted by mudchicken on Monday, March 1, 2004 6:20 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Girl_4005 Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D] Well put Erik. I plan on making full use of this little adventure too. Now I have a "do you remember that time we went train hunting and I was wearing my new shoes......" for the next time I DON'T pass a test.[(-D][(-D] I figure this incident should be good for a quite a few giggle sessions when we are laying in bed at night rehashing events. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.[:P][:P][;)] [/quote Mrs. Mudchicken sends her condolences and, after all, it only was a pair of shoes (plenty more where those came from, right?[:D]).....This poor gal had our first date interupted by strike duty and then endured "dinner and a derailment" on several occasions...managed to put up with the life of a railroad supervisor and still tolerates an occasional sidetrip to watch other people's trains. [bow]Congrats on earning your "attagal" in pursuit of the other half's vice[bow] [banghead][banghead][banghead] snirty bird Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,313 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, March 1, 2004 6:02 PM Big Girl It was 10 years ago this month when I got Mamma and a ge dash 8 in the same picture. keep up the good work stay safe Joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 5:51 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D] Well put Erik. I plan on making full use of this little adventure too. Now I have a "do you remember that time we went train hunting and I was wearing my new shoes......" for the next time I DON'T pass a test.[(-D][(-D] I figure this incident should be good for a quite a few giggle sessions when we are laying in bed at night rehashing events. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.[:P][:P][;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 4:54 PM "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, March 1, 2004 3:46 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered Back in my dating days I had a habit of testing girlfriends by taking them out train hunting. (Be vewwee vewee quiet... we are huntin that wascally way freight). One spring day I picked up a gal whom I considered to be the outdoorsy type and we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Picacho Peak, about midway down the interstate to Tucson. (This was while the SP was still alive.) I actually had a tripod for my camera and had planned this shot for years... so I happily set up and began to wait, having set up a stick at trackside to use as a "click" point. The skies got cloudy. I waited. It got cold. I waited. There were a couple of drops of rain. I carefully cleaned the lens of my camera, and waited. This WAS a mainline, I thought. Then the heavens opened up, and I glanced over at my "date". She was patiently sinking ankle deep in caliche (pronounced Kah- lee- chee). So was I. Since we were now soaked to the skin we decided to try, try again, preferably on a sunny day. As I got back onto the Interstate, sure enough, SP graced us with a mixed freight barreling by at about a million miles an hour. Sometimes you get the picture and sometimes it gets you. Erik Erik, this is like right out of the Twilight Zone! This happened to us today!!! We have been together for almost a year now, and Big_Girl had the day off, so we decided to go out looking for trains. She decided to buy some new tennis shoes in case we needed to do some walking. While she was in the shoe store, I heard the horn of a passing train. She came out a few minutes later with her new shoes on. We drove a few miles up the hiway that follows the tracks, and there it was sitting waiting at a signal, so we went a little further, and got ahead of it. We parked the car in a small newly paved parking lot and got out to cross the street. There was a six foot wide boulevard between the parking lot and the street, and they hadn't put sod on it yet. I stepped onto this soft earth and sank in a little, but I have large feet, and even though I'm heavier than she is, I made it across the few steps. She tried to follow...... Its pronounced (MUD) But we both had fun anyway and saw lots of trains.[:D][:D][:D][;)] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply AntonioFP45 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: Good ol' USA 9,642 posts Posted by AntonioFP45 on Monday, March 1, 2004 2:34 PM Hey guys, [:)][:D][8D] Regarding Jhh's story. I'm curious! [;)] Does anyone know what type of horn the UP typically uses. I know it's not the popular K5La. I've seen pictures of 3 chimers on a lot of the units. I wonder if Jhh heard a K5H or K5LA, both which according to many railfans (yes, me too) have very melodic sounds. CSX and NS use these horns on a lot of their road locomotives and of course, these units have been running on UP's tracks quite a bit in the past 2 years. Good websites to hear and learn the differences between locomotive horns. On your search engine (I use MSN) type "Five Chime Horn Consultants" and also "Chris' Train Horns". Jhhtrainsplanes if you go to these sights, you might be able to hear what you heard recently.[tup][^] Hope you enjoy it! Peace out! "I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!" Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 10:38 AM I told this story once in the "Fi***hat Got Away" thread, but here it is again. Almost a year ago, on a trip I took a whole pile of photos while doing some railfanning in Swift Current, Sask. and much later I discovered that there was no film in the camera! Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 10:37 AM Back in my dating days I had a habit of testing girlfriends by taking them out train hunting. (Be vewwee vewee quiet... we are huntin that wascally way freight). One spring day I picked up a gal whom I considered to be the outdoorsy type and we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Picacho Peak, about midway down the interstate to Tucson. (This was while the SP was still alive.) I actually had a tripod for my camera and had planned this shot for years... so I happily set up and began to wait, having set up a stick at trackside to use as a "click" point. The skies got cloudy. I waited. It got cold. I waited. There were a couple of drops of rain. I carefully cleaned the lens of my camera, and waited. This WAS a mainline, I thought. Then the heavens opened up, and I glanced over at my "date". She was patiently sinking ankle deep in caliche (pronounced Kah- lee- chee). So was I. Since we were now soaked to the skin we decided to try, try again, preferably on a sunny day. As I got back onto the Interstate, sure enough, SP graced us with a mixed freight barreling by at about a million miles an hour. Sometimes you get the picture and sometimes it gets you. Erik Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 9:28 AM We have had a few good stories, does anyone have any more? I bet every railfan and railroader could add at least one to this thread. For the railroaders it might be an "ooooppppppps" instead of a bummer. But that would be fun to heard also. [:)] So let's hear them. [;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 6:42 PM A year or two ago, I took the back roads to Rico, Colorado from Durango, to go see the Rico station which is the prototype for oh-so-many models. It was demolished decades ago. Dear jhhtrainsplanes, Being a UP fan, it pains me to say this instead of insulting remarks of competitors, but UP should be able to buy better horns with the added revenues from charging for the use of their logo . But other than that, Long Live the Wings and Shield. See you around the forums, Daniel Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 3:51 PM Not too big of a bummer, but just recently I was driving down by Roberts Bank where CP is always running these coal trains. There is always one engine up front, then a pusher on the very end. Anyway, I saw the train coming, but only got to the crossing in time to catch the middle and the end, so I decided to try and drive up the road to catch the train at the next level crossing. Again, I missed the front loco and just caught the middle and the end. Anyway, it sucked because I wanted to catch the front engine number and ended going quite a bit out of my way. So after the train passed, I started back on my way. As I was heading home, I see another CP coal train that couldn't of been more than 15 minutes behind the first! If I had only stayed at the crossing about 10 more minutes I could have caught the whole thing!! Ah, well. Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:43 PM Those members who visit the MR forum have already heard mine. Very simply, a small gravel "parking lot", which the railroad does own, but which has been used by railfans for as long as I can remember, WITHOUT COMPLAINT FROM THE RAILROAD, has suddenly become off limits. Yes its their land, and yes its their choice , but YES IT DOES SUCK!!!![V][V][:(!][:(!][:(][:(] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:13 PM As Plankton would say on Sponge Bob Square Pantes well that Stinks Reply Edit JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,313 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:00 PM Having info about an excursion trip and then have it be cancelled while waiting to photograph the train. stay safe joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply 12345 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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Jock Ellis Cumming, GA US of A Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers
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...
QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes Today was a beautiful day, high about 82 with a slight breeze so I decided to go railfanning. I wanted some pics of the old Rock Island Depot so I headed there first. Because of "special" construction in the area I couldn't really get where I needed to be to take the shot I wanted. [:(] So while I was downtown I went to Union Station. While I was there I shot a pic of a UP/NS engine combo pulling an intermodal train. So I had the idea of catching it across the river on the North Little Rock side (the good side of the river) and as I was crossing the bridge I noticed the railroad bridge was going up. So I changed plans and headed to the railroad bridge. I got out of the truck and walked around the foot/bike path trying to find a good shot. I walked off "the beaten path" and took several pics from various angles. Another train with a SPpatch/UP engine combo pulled up the the bridge so I shot it too. A few minutes later I began to itch. [:(] Then I started to itch even worse. [:(!] [:(] [:(!] Since it was warm I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts, shoes, and ankle socks. The itch was just above the ankle socks and it was turning red. Mind you I didn't scratch it, I was afraid it was poison ivy/oak. I cut short my railfanning trip and headed home to take a shower hoping to prevent it from spreading. That was around 5 pm. It is now almost 8pm and I have a cream on it. I hope that tomorrow morning that it is gone but we will have to wait and see. But it definately put a stop to my railfanning for the day. AND on the way home there was another train I could have waited on and saw but . . . well I wanted to get in the shower as quickly as possible. And how was your day? [;)]
Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!
QUOTE: Originally posted by Hawks05 QUOTE: Originally posted by snakespol Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead] i'm in the same boat kind of. i'm just getting into this. being a teenager i don't have a lot of money to invest in stuff to find out where to go. we got our camera for free so thats what i'm using. now i take it wherever i go pretty much, never know whats sitting at the siding in town. sunday it was CNW gondola, tuesday that was gone, and wednesday its a UP crain with a flat car of 4 sections of track. now today there is a front endloader and 3 sections of track lain out next to a part of track in town. should be interesting to see what is going on there. i wouldn't mind seeing UP put in another line. maybe get more action here. anyways my biggest bummers so far have been taking great pictures only to have the wrong focus on so when i go to move the picture is taken. the camera came with the twilight focus so before a picture was taken it would flash like 5 times. now i have it switched to landscape so it just snaps shot after shot. so basically a lot of my bummers have been taking pictures of the ground when i could have had great shots of NS2512 with a load of Triple Crowns or a Cotton Belt hopper in Wisconsin. i guess its living and learning. also not having enough gas to catch a train hurts to. just like jim- i live close to the tracks. i live 3 blocks away so when i hear a whistle i'm in my car and heading for a crossing. there are so many around here, but they are spread apart. i can go to the baseball field and then try and take off from there and get to a bridge that i've gotten some great shots off of, then flying to another crossing. in all that takes about 5 minutes depending on the length of the train, if i can get through the backup of cars, and if i can go with out getting stuck behind a slow driver and seeing a cop.
QUOTE: Originally posted by snakespol Being new to the world of railfanning, reading alot of the forums and not having hardly a clue as to what you all are saying. But at least I know where to look to say I've learned sometihing new today. I'll keep trying.[%-)][%-)][banghead]
Quentin
QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp A Southern Pacific locomotive being patch or repainted.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
//signed// John Powell President / CEO CNY Transportation Corp (fictional)
http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s303/nuts4sports34/
Hunter - When we met in January of 2000, you were just a 6 week old pup who walked his way into this heart of mine as the only runt in the litter who would come over to me. And today, I sit here and tell you I am sorry we had to put you down. It was the best thing for you and also the right thing to do. May you now rest in peace and comfort. Love, Dad. 8 June 2010
I love you and miss you Mom. Say hi to everyone up there for me. Rest in peace and comfort. Love, John. 29 March 2017
I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
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QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes I thought about making a new thread and calling it, "I was an idiot today" but decided nobody would post there but me. [;)] [B)] [}:)] Today I went to the UP Open House. I finished shooting one role of film and even took pics and finished another roll of film while there. On the way home I noticed a train. It was behind me so I couldn't get its loco number. I drove ahead and found a place where I could sit and watch the train. I parked near a curve and had wanted to take a pic from that location so I got out the camera and waited for the train. When the train came around the corner I was ready and just as it got to a good spot I clicked the button. Nothing happened. So I tried one more time. I had finished the roll but didn't want to change the rolls in the bright sunlight and was waiting till I got home to change it. Now the engines were past me and I didn't even get their numbers. So I had to drive somewhere else to get at least one engine number. Not only is that a bummer to happen it sure makes you feel stupid. [B)] [:0] [:(]
Dan
QUOTE: Originally posted by arking Had tickets for an trip from Columbus OH to Huntington WV behind NW610 for 3 months when my little brother picked that day to get married! Big Bummer! That was the one of the last NS steam trips in Ohio .
QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Girl_4005 Thanks for acknowledging my "rite of passage" I am glad to hear of the lasting affects these type of incidents have had for some of you. I think it was a good sign that we were both laughing instead of frowning (as others BB and I know might have done instead[sigh][sigh]). The dirty ice cold feet are a small price to pay for the mileage we will get from that day of train hunting.[:D]
QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Girl_4005 Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D] Well put Erik. I plan on making full use of this little adventure too. Now I have a "do you remember that time we went train hunting and I was wearing my new shoes......" for the next time I DON'T pass a test.[(-D][(-D] I figure this incident should be good for a quite a few giggle sessions when we are laying in bed at night rehashing events. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.[:P][:P][;)] [/quote Mrs. Mudchicken sends her condolences and, after all, it only was a pair of shoes (plenty more where those came from, right?[:D]).....This poor gal had our first date interupted by strike duty and then endured "dinner and a derailment" on several occasions...managed to put up with the life of a railroad supervisor and still tolerates an occasional sidetrip to watch other people's trains. [bow]Congrats on earning your "attagal" in pursuit of the other half's vice[bow] [banghead][banghead][banghead] snirty bird Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west Reply JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,313 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Monday, March 1, 2004 6:02 PM Big Girl It was 10 years ago this month when I got Mamma and a ge dash 8 in the same picture. keep up the good work stay safe Joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 5:51 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D] Well put Erik. I plan on making full use of this little adventure too. Now I have a "do you remember that time we went train hunting and I was wearing my new shoes......" for the next time I DON'T pass a test.[(-D][(-D] I figure this incident should be good for a quite a few giggle sessions when we are laying in bed at night rehashing events. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.[:P][:P][;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 4:54 PM "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, March 1, 2004 3:46 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered Back in my dating days I had a habit of testing girlfriends by taking them out train hunting. (Be vewwee vewee quiet... we are huntin that wascally way freight). One spring day I picked up a gal whom I considered to be the outdoorsy type and we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Picacho Peak, about midway down the interstate to Tucson. (This was while the SP was still alive.) I actually had a tripod for my camera and had planned this shot for years... so I happily set up and began to wait, having set up a stick at trackside to use as a "click" point. The skies got cloudy. I waited. It got cold. I waited. There were a couple of drops of rain. I carefully cleaned the lens of my camera, and waited. This WAS a mainline, I thought. Then the heavens opened up, and I glanced over at my "date". She was patiently sinking ankle deep in caliche (pronounced Kah- lee- chee). So was I. Since we were now soaked to the skin we decided to try, try again, preferably on a sunny day. As I got back onto the Interstate, sure enough, SP graced us with a mixed freight barreling by at about a million miles an hour. Sometimes you get the picture and sometimes it gets you. Erik Erik, this is like right out of the Twilight Zone! This happened to us today!!! We have been together for almost a year now, and Big_Girl had the day off, so we decided to go out looking for trains. She decided to buy some new tennis shoes in case we needed to do some walking. While she was in the shoe store, I heard the horn of a passing train. She came out a few minutes later with her new shoes on. We drove a few miles up the hiway that follows the tracks, and there it was sitting waiting at a signal, so we went a little further, and got ahead of it. We parked the car in a small newly paved parking lot and got out to cross the street. There was a six foot wide boulevard between the parking lot and the street, and they hadn't put sod on it yet. I stepped onto this soft earth and sank in a little, but I have large feet, and even though I'm heavier than she is, I made it across the few steps. She tried to follow...... Its pronounced (MUD) But we both had fun anyway and saw lots of trains.[:D][:D][:D][;)] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply AntonioFP45 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: Good ol' USA 9,642 posts Posted by AntonioFP45 on Monday, March 1, 2004 2:34 PM Hey guys, [:)][:D][8D] Regarding Jhh's story. I'm curious! [;)] Does anyone know what type of horn the UP typically uses. I know it's not the popular K5La. I've seen pictures of 3 chimers on a lot of the units. I wonder if Jhh heard a K5H or K5LA, both which according to many railfans (yes, me too) have very melodic sounds. CSX and NS use these horns on a lot of their road locomotives and of course, these units have been running on UP's tracks quite a bit in the past 2 years. Good websites to hear and learn the differences between locomotive horns. On your search engine (I use MSN) type "Five Chime Horn Consultants" and also "Chris' Train Horns". Jhhtrainsplanes if you go to these sights, you might be able to hear what you heard recently.[tup][^] Hope you enjoy it! Peace out! "I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!" Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 10:38 AM I told this story once in the "Fi***hat Got Away" thread, but here it is again. Almost a year ago, on a trip I took a whole pile of photos while doing some railfanning in Swift Current, Sask. and much later I discovered that there was no film in the camera! Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 10:37 AM Back in my dating days I had a habit of testing girlfriends by taking them out train hunting. (Be vewwee vewee quiet... we are huntin that wascally way freight). One spring day I picked up a gal whom I considered to be the outdoorsy type and we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Picacho Peak, about midway down the interstate to Tucson. (This was while the SP was still alive.) I actually had a tripod for my camera and had planned this shot for years... so I happily set up and began to wait, having set up a stick at trackside to use as a "click" point. The skies got cloudy. I waited. It got cold. I waited. There were a couple of drops of rain. I carefully cleaned the lens of my camera, and waited. This WAS a mainline, I thought. Then the heavens opened up, and I glanced over at my "date". She was patiently sinking ankle deep in caliche (pronounced Kah- lee- chee). So was I. Since we were now soaked to the skin we decided to try, try again, preferably on a sunny day. As I got back onto the Interstate, sure enough, SP graced us with a mixed freight barreling by at about a million miles an hour. Sometimes you get the picture and sometimes it gets you. Erik Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 1, 2004 9:28 AM We have had a few good stories, does anyone have any more? I bet every railfan and railroader could add at least one to this thread. For the railroaders it might be an "ooooppppppps" instead of a bummer. But that would be fun to heard also. [:)] So let's hear them. [;)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 6:42 PM A year or two ago, I took the back roads to Rico, Colorado from Durango, to go see the Rico station which is the prototype for oh-so-many models. It was demolished decades ago. Dear jhhtrainsplanes, Being a UP fan, it pains me to say this instead of insulting remarks of competitors, but UP should be able to buy better horns with the added revenues from charging for the use of their logo . But other than that, Long Live the Wings and Shield. See you around the forums, Daniel Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 3:51 PM Not too big of a bummer, but just recently I was driving down by Roberts Bank where CP is always running these coal trains. There is always one engine up front, then a pusher on the very end. Anyway, I saw the train coming, but only got to the crossing in time to catch the middle and the end, so I decided to try and drive up the road to catch the train at the next level crossing. Again, I missed the front loco and just caught the middle and the end. Anyway, it sucked because I wanted to catch the front engine number and ended going quite a bit out of my way. So after the train passed, I started back on my way. As I was heading home, I see another CP coal train that couldn't of been more than 15 minutes behind the first! If I had only stayed at the crossing about 10 more minutes I could have caught the whole thing!! Ah, well. Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:43 PM Those members who visit the MR forum have already heard mine. Very simply, a small gravel "parking lot", which the railroad does own, but which has been used by railfans for as long as I can remember, WITHOUT COMPLAINT FROM THE RAILROAD, has suddenly become off limits. Yes its their land, and yes its their choice , but YES IT DOES SUCK!!!![V][V][:(!][:(!][:(][:(] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:13 PM As Plankton would say on Sponge Bob Square Pantes well that Stinks Reply Edit JoeKoh Member sinceApril 2003 From: Defiance Ohio 13,313 posts Posted by JoeKoh on Sunday, February 29, 2004 2:00 PM Having info about an excursion trip and then have it be cancelled while waiting to photograph the train. stay safe joe Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener"). Reply 12345 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D]
QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered "No greater love hath a woman for a man than the woman who sacrifices her new Nikes for a train..." Erik[(-D]
QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered Back in my dating days I had a habit of testing girlfriends by taking them out train hunting. (Be vewwee vewee quiet... we are huntin that wascally way freight). One spring day I picked up a gal whom I considered to be the outdoorsy type and we drove from Phoenix, AZ to Picacho Peak, about midway down the interstate to Tucson. (This was while the SP was still alive.) I actually had a tripod for my camera and had planned this shot for years... so I happily set up and began to wait, having set up a stick at trackside to use as a "click" point. The skies got cloudy. I waited. It got cold. I waited. There were a couple of drops of rain. I carefully cleaned the lens of my camera, and waited. This WAS a mainline, I thought. Then the heavens opened up, and I glanced over at my "date". She was patiently sinking ankle deep in caliche (pronounced Kah- lee- chee). So was I. Since we were now soaked to the skin we decided to try, try again, preferably on a sunny day. As I got back onto the Interstate, sure enough, SP graced us with a mixed freight barreling by at about a million miles an hour. Sometimes you get the picture and sometimes it gets you. Erik
I'm back!
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"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
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