You know you're a railfan when . . .

[n2mopac]

...you are the only one in your office that actually gets excited about getting caught by the train on your drive to work.

Ron

[oltmannd]

....every local errand just happens to take you by the local road Xing - with your camera.

[chad thomas]

.....your local hobby shop considers you to be the most prefered customer, and cringes at the thought that you might not show up on pay day.


....your local photo-lab technician asks,"Do you ever take pictures of anything besides trains?"

[Anonymous]

Putting your car into the "big hole" when you get a red traffic light. Complete with sound effects. My son puts the car in the big hole when we stop in the driveway.
Mitch

[Modelcar]

...We have several "older" buildings around town that I have noted in the past they have interurban and streetcar history....and there is nothing to indicate that to the avg. person with avg. interests....but they stick out to me like a sore thumb.

[Junctionfan]

......you install a train bell or an electric crossing bell for the door.

[Anonymous]

You've trained your wife to understand the difference between GE and EMD locomotives... she knows what the train brake is compared to the locomotive brake...and she takes time off from classroon work to call you because "there's a UP locomotive [not an 'engine']" leading a train into town.

You plan vacations around places where there's a rail museum.

Oh, and as for trainsets and layouts... it's mighty fine to be the sole employee and boss of the LB&I (Lost, Bewildered & Indifferent).

How many other folks actually collect patches of the museums and railroads they visit?

At three AM, you hear a whistle blow... and know that it's the freight between Birmingham and Macon... about to make a crew change in Columbus, Georgia.

This is the kind of thing that drives normal people crazy...but keeps this particular foamer somewhat sane.

Erik

[tmcc man]

you can name all of the fallen flags

[alcodave]

When someone is talking about trains and you remember an artical in an issue of Trains mag. from 10 or 15 years ago to use as a reference!

[jockellis]

G'day, Y'all;
You can't keep your eyes on the road ahead because you are scanning the country on either side of the road for the tell-tale remains of roadbeds of long ago fallen flags and the waterways for extant bents still rising skyward.
I was once driving through a town when I noted that an area between the highway and a parallel road seemed too flat to be just a city park. "This had to have been a railroad!" I thought. Later, I learned that it was the northern terminus of the Georgia Coastal and Piedmont RR which ceased operations just before WWII.
Jock Ellis
Cumming, GA US of A

[Anonymous]

When you have a room dedacated to trains and have a o gauge layout,like me.

[Modelcar]

mersenne6....Wow, I sure can identify with all of that...Guilty...! Seems I can spot old ROW's anyplace...even when they are well hidden with time. I do a lot of walking {for a healthy reason}, and have an excellent place to walk where we live...{and do so}, but find myself going over town to walk on our excellent trail simply because it used to be a railroad. [8D]

[chad thomas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva

OK your a railfan when you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw up your own imaginary railroad and actually print out operations, layouts, construction plans, rosters both cars and locomotives, maps; that you took the time to think up and type. lol

It's a relief to know I'm not the only one to do that.

While most people count sheep to fall asleep, I refine operations on my imaginary railroad in my head to fall asleep.
(imaginary RR soon to be modeled in HO).[8D]

[mersenne6]

You can look over an old building and quickly determine if it was ever serviced by the railroads and just where the spur entered the building.

If there is undeveloped property near said building you will stop the car and point out to everyone just where the old right-of-way must have gone. If there is no fence to keep you out you will walk out into the weed grown area and find the old roadbed just to prove you were right.

[passengerfan]

When your better half says sometimes I think you think more of trains than you do me. And like a dummy i give her a blank stare and she says you haven't heard a word I've said. What can I say!

[Anonymous]

LMAO... good stuff

[CSXrules4eva]

OK your a railfan when you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draw up your own imaginary railroad and actually print out operations, layouts, construction plans, rosters both cars and locomotives, maps; that you took the time to think up and type. lol

You really know your a railfan when you blow off work or school (and end up getting a F on a homework assignment) to go watch trains !!! There is an exception though. If your job is on a railraod you don't have to blow work off.

[nanaimo73]

You have a closet stuffed with 1400 magazines about railroads and you think about issues you don't have instead of the ones you do have.

[canazar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chad thomas

....Your local train crews say hello to you by name over the scanner when they see you.

Wow Chad , thats hardcore and too cool...

For me,

Your a railfan when you go through a grade crossing and look in your rearview mirror just in case you see the red lights blnk.... Then when you get lucky, you ripoff a U-turn so you can be in front.. [:D] Hey , before you luagh, I have only done twice.

[trainster1073]

You know your're a railfan when you run to see a train that is coming past. It doesn't matter what you are doing at the time you just have to see it. Even if you have seen the Engine a half a dozen times!!!!!!![:D]

[coborn35]

Wading 2 miles through swamp and bog, through thousands of ticks, through pouring rain, almost gettign arrested just cause your 13 and like watching trains.
Oh yeah, I also got a job on the North Shore Scenic Railroad as a utility man. I asked to come down as much as i can.
I think im a railfan!

[nanaimo73]

Having breakfast at the Denny's restaurant next to the La Quinta Motel in downtown Denver on the morning of the 8444 trip to Laramie and hearing the Grateful Dead's "A Touch of Grey" on the radio.

That is from the January 1988 Railfan & Railroad magazine. It makes me feel like I was there.

[petitnj]

You take the Sunset Limited.

[chad thomas]

....Your local train crews say hello to you by name over the scanner when they see you.

[spbed]

Yes you bet. My most fervent wish on this trip is to catch the BNSF/UPRR under/over at GIsland. Hopefully luck will be on my side. Look for the pixs next Sat or Sun depending on what I will be doing on Sat. [:o)][:D][:p]

PS: End of May I will be checking out the UPRR in UT/ID & Western WY including Granger. [:o)][:D][:p]

Originally posted by CopCarSS

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

• Reply