Railfanning, train crews, and you...

[kolechovski]

So how many of you are used to seeing a number of the crews over and over again out where you're at? For those of you who see the same crews, do you hit it off well with them? Do you just wave to them? For those of you who hit it off, do you often go and chat with them? Joke around?

[wcfan4ever]

Well for me, its hard to do that cause the train comes into town at 11pm or so. Back in the day when WC was around and the train was run during the day, sure, we made conversations. Got to be real good pals and then they both retired. Now with CN...its kinda hard to get close.

[Anonymous]

I see a lot of the same crews through my area. Generally they don't stop in town unless there's a meet, which is once or twice a week. But I get a lot of waves and points, many of which I can tell they know who I am, or have seen me out and about before. Often I'll get an extra whistle or something else that says hello, switching on and off the headlights etc.

[Anonymous]

Ya the Train crews know who I am, I get a wave from time to time but most of the time I just don't even bother with them, and they just leave me alone. Because they do have a job to do.

[Anonymous]

Tough to see the crews in the new AC4400s on the CP, they all have tinted windows!

Can't even see if there is anyone up there?!?

[Junctionfan]

One of the crews was in our model railroading club so often will whistle and wave as long as he can see me. I railfan often enough that even the crew that I don't remember, wave at me too. I even know a CN police officer and talk to him when he's about. He came to our club as a guest speaker to talk about safety and some stories of what he has seen in his line of work.

[heavyd]

Yah, you sit there long enough you get to know a few. One thing leads to another and you go a get coffee for them while they are waiting for a meet, get a tour of the engine, small talk, it is kinda nice! But there are always the crews that totally HATE railfans, so always let them come to you, don't bother them, they have a job to do!

[Kathi Kube]

Between my schedule and WC/CN's, the best time and place for me to catch trains is late nights on a footbridge over CN's main line in or near Sussex (headed toward Duplaineville).

By the time the train gets close enough, all I can see is headlights — huge, blindingly bright headlights. The cool thing is that every time I've been up there, every train's crew has blown the horn while I wave. I don't know how often the same crews run that route (I would imagine fairly often), but I suspect they probably recognize me when they see me. After all, how many crazy chicks are they going to see on a bridge waving hysterically at a train in the middle of the night?

It's all gravy, baby.

Kathi

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by heavyd

Yah, you sit there long enough you get to know a few. One thing leads to another and you go a get coffee for them while they are waiting for a meet, get a tour of the engine, small talk, it is kinda nice! But there are always the crews that totally HATE railfans, so always let them come to you, don't bother them, they have a job to do!

That's why I mind my own Business when im out train watching.
I don't bother them,They don't bother me!

[JoeKoh]

Take pictures leave footprints. some crews wave some dont. Most do when the Matt is with me. hard to talk to crews when they are just passing through town.
stay safe
Joe

[CSXrules4eva]

When I get on the train, SEPTA there isn't a time where I don't talk to the crew. That is how I got to know way too many engineers, conductors, trackmen, and forman who work for SEPTA. Most of them are really friendly. Because, I know them I don't have to pay sometimes when I get on, I also get to ride in the cab sometimes. If their superiors aren't around.

However, when I go out railfaning it's a different story. I get crews who wave, and I get some who show off; then I'll sometimes get the crews who don't wave or anything. Like today I saw a empty coal train on the NS mainlines in Chonchocken, PA. It had two dash-9s. One was a BNSF dash-944CW, the other a dash-940C. When the engineer saw me he decided to rev the dash-944CW, by leaving the reverser in neutral, brakes applyed and advancing the throttle reall fast to like N4, then back down to idle. He looked over at me an smiled. I had to laugh. I think I'm going to play the engine # 4975.

[joegreen]

I railfan in the same spot a lot of the time.So they see me and wave or honk the horn a few times

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

QUOTE: Originally posted by heavyd

Yah, you sit there long enough you get to know a few. One thing leads to another and you go a get coffee for them while they are waiting for a meet, get a tour of the engine, small talk, it is kinda nice! But there are always the crews that totally HATE railfans, so always let them come to you, don't bother them, they have a job to do!

That's why I mind my own Business when im out train watching.
I don't bother them,They don't bother me!

I keep telling you to come to Lincoln and we will bother them together!

Mookie

[rrnut282]

Miz Mook
I would, but I'd have to leave after about two trains in order to make it back home in a weekend.

I know, I'll bother the crews here in your honor.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Mookie

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

QUOTE: Originally posted by heavyd

Yah, you sit there long enough you get to know a few. One thing leads to another and you go a get coffee for them while they are waiting for a meet, get a tour of the engine, small talk, it is kinda nice! But there are always the crews that totally HATE railfans, so always let them come to you, don't bother them, they have a job to do!

That's why I mind my own Business when im out train watching.
I don't bother them,They don't bother me!

I keep telling you to come to Lincoln and we will bother them together!

Mookie

Sure that's fine with me but the only problem with me is,I might not WANT to come back home! As for bothering the BNSF crews.....nahhh,I respect the BNSF too much.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrnut282

Miz Mook
I would, but I'd have to leave after about two trains in order to make it back home in a weekend.

I know, I'll bother the crews here in your honor.[:D]

And I am honored!

[Anonymous]

One engineer told me "You know this is the best job in the world. Can you think of any other job where people come out and take your picture and wave?" We always wave at folks. If you don't get a wave, it's probably because we are busy in the cab. I don't know of any CP employees who hate railfans. A few can't figure out why anybody would be interested in trains. They refer to fans as FRN's . You'll just have to ask a Rail yourself what it means. One of my coworkers accused me of being a FRN. That is until I caught him at the end of the yard on his day off taking pictures of engines!

[heavyd]

I'll take a guess, FRN - Foaming Rail Nut?
Foaming Rail Nerd?

[Anonymous]

Well, you got the rail nut part. As for the "f", perhaps it is best to leave it that it probably isn't appropriate for a family oriented forum, if you get my drift!!

[Anonymous]

I have to add a personal FRN story! While at a CP class, one of my classmates was inquiring about a certain interconnection in the Twin Cities. The maps from CP were really pretty crummy. The next day I brought the copy of Trains magazine which had the article about Twin Cities railroads. It had a great map showing how the roads connected. The instructor saw us reviewing the map and gave me a hard time about being an FRN. At the end of the class, I was packing up my paperwork and that copy of Trains. The instructor came up to me and in a quiet and sheepish voice, asked "Say, you aren't taking that with you, are you?" I smiled and told him he probably wouldn't want to be seen reading FRN stuff but he could go out and buy his own copy to read in the privacy of his own home! Touche' !!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by luckyboy

Well, you got the rail nut part. As for the "f", perhaps it is best to leave it that it probably isn't appropriate for a family oriented forum, if you get my drift!!

I know what it is but ain't saying a thing..........[censored] Rail Nut.

[Anonymous]

I've been a railfan for 45 of my 50 years, and a railroad employee for 31 of those, an Engineer since 1979.
My best memories of railfanning are of a few dacades ago, in a more informal atmosphere, when it was easier to make friends with train crews, and get invited to partake in "unofficial" cab rides. Those days, the train crews were like sports characters, they UNDERSTOOD why they had fans, and enjoyed the limelight. On occasision, when an enginehouse foreman or yardmaster would catch you "trespassing", if you were lucky, the ensuing conversation my evolve into a lasting friendship which included: "from now on, when you want to come here, check in with me first".
I remember a story from steam days, when a photographer would post a plywood sign in advance of his location, it would read: "PHOTOGRAPHER - ONE MILE AHEAD". As often than not, the engineeer would thus make extra smoke, resulting in a more dramatic photograph.
Things have changed drasticly since those days. Maybe the railroads are hiring the wrong people.
Could you imagine a veterinary hospital that hired only people who HATED animals?

[Anonymous]

I've really only met 3 crews 2 of which like me and my railbud the other crew which is our local NS Doesn't really like us but they tolerate us taking pix an such. The other 2 the OC&T and an NS crew from sharon like us just fine i've been offered to throw a switch for the OC&T and my bud got a cab ride, plus the Sharon crew we met let us in to our local's engine to explain what a 3step is. most of the time when i'm in Northeast the crews usally wave on CSX and some wave on NS.

[Trainnut484]

I knew some Santa Fe crews (both road and yard), a track crew supervisor, and a special agent years ago back in my small hometown. When they saw my pickup or me, they knew I was there sitting trackside taking pictures and leaving only footprints. Now, the special agent has long retired, and the crews are probably retired or close to it.

Thanks to them, I gained knowledge of their jobs through their stories, and an occasional timetable or that day's lineup. I never asked for those things.

In gratitude, I took a picture of the yard crew posing with their locomotive and gave them a print.

In today's world, some of this is difficult to come by.

Take care,

Russell