Can I share my strange hobby with you?

[FJ and G]

I’ll just get right to the point and admit that I have a highly unusual interest. I am a ferroequinarchaeologist, who loves to hike along abandoned or torn out tracks or ROWs; even through the woods, using topo maps.

Also, I enjoy photographing abandoned or extremely lightly used tracks in a particular fashion that I’ll share with you (been doing this all over the US, but these are from my area near Crystal City, Va., and about the first dozen were taken on a recent trip to Austin.

Kinda lonely doing this sometimes as I seem to be the only one interested. Most others are looking for trains.

[chad thomas]

Nothing wrong with that. If you enjoy doing that then that's what counts. The one thing I enjoy most about this hobby is there are so many sub catagories and intrests. If you get bored with one aspect there are others to be persued.

[tatans]

Can't get much more "railroady'' than this, a very different aspect to railways, great photos.

[eastside]

1. You should have these images published, not as railroadiana, but for their esthetic appeal.

2. Unlike most digital images posted to this SIG these are corrected properly and generally good quality. All that's lacking is the application of unsharp masking.

[Murphy Siding]

Nice photos, and an interesting perspective. I worked with a guy who used to go way up in the mountains to take photos of little flowers that grew on the rocks. One time, he got chased by a bear. When someone asked why he didn't have a picture of the bear, he said he had no interest in bears- it was the flowers he was there to photograph.[:)]

[samfp1943]

Here in town there is a last vestige of the Katy main line from Parsons to Oklahoma City. Don't have any idea the last time it was used, but there are some trees growing between the rails (+- 6"). it is protected more or less a mile north of the end by a bolt on derail. Kind of interesting to see the natural growth reclaiming the ROW.
Sam

[eolafan]

Very interesting and colorful and also photogenic. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Anonymous]

I've been known to do a bit of this - have walked the old Bristol Harbour Railway system a few times, mainly as it's between the campsite and the city centre. I've picked up a lot of useful information via Google Earth as you can see alignments much more easily than from ground level.

[Bergie]

That's sad... not your hobby (that's cool and probably offers a great "thrill of exploration") but the fact that you've been able to find so many tracks in that condition. Thanks for sharing your photos. Those are pretty cool.

Now, just remember the old saying, "Leave of three, leave them be" (in reference to poison ivy).

Bergie

[Anonymous]

I quite like those pictures....very nice composition, and great consistent look. A good "eye" as they say. =) What equipment do you use? There is an undeniable charm to abandoned or nearly abandoned lines...almost a "what might have been" sort of feeling. I get that feeling every time I ride Amtrak through New Jersey and Philadelphia...great stuff!

-Nate

[PBenham]

Cool! There are a lot of kids that could follow your example and do some research and get themselves some badly needed credits toward going to(or getting through) college. Something I couldn't do since I was not good enough for college way back when. Well, no use crying over a wasted life. At least I can recall the Lehigh Valley, the best diesel roster in the northeast-bar none![^]

[CMSTPP]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G


I am a ferroequinarchaeologist,

I'm sorry if I have to ask this but what is a ferroequinarchaeologist. It's kind of a mouth full to say.

The photos look great otherwise.

James

[georgel]

Great photography, keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing

[FJ and G]

Bergie,

I'm one of the few persons unaffected by poison ivy. Thorns and ticks are more problematic.

My boyhood railroads were the 3rd Ave El when I lived in NY in 1950s, 60s and the FJ&G, where I lived in 60s and 70s; both gone. Guess I've developed a fondness for hiking off the beaten path

As I said, it's lonely but serene work.

Red Rabbit,

I've got slides of same dating from a couple decades ago, using cannon A-1, AE-1, F-1, but these days, I use a Nikon coolpix 4MB, as film is free and I can shoot a thousand photos a day. Sorting is a bit harder tho.

Murphy,

I was LOL reading that.

PB in NY Socialist republic; kids aren't interested in physical exertion these days. When I was a kid, we'd be outside on our bikes or playing sandlot; these days, they're on chat lines.

james; iron horse archaeologist (Latin?)

Thanks everyone for encouragement. Nice to open up a bit and share.

[Green Bay Paddlers]

Great hobby - incredible pictures! Thanks for taking the time to share them!

[DPD1]

In all seriousness... I can almost guarantee you that somebody would be willing to exhibit these at a gallery, and probably do a book on some level... A concise body of work is what the art world looks for most.

Kind of wish I'd thought of it. :-)

Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the TrainTenna Railroad Scanner Antennas -

[wallyworld]

Not strange at all either that or there are alot of us pursuing strangeness. It's a great way to hike. Many of the books I have read about former interurbans in my neck of the woods ( Southern Wisconsin\Northern Illinois) take great pains to provide directions to find former rights of way as well as providing "markers" in the way of photographs. I enjoy the discovery of these "lost" roadways. They are often just a slash visible across the landscape after the vegetation dies off in Fall. The Woodstock and Sycamore, The Illinois Terminal and the Wauconda, Lake Zurich and Palatine are some of the paths Ive trod. Ive met alot of nice folks whose buildings Ive come across that are former railroad buildings readapted for some other use. One couple in particular became suspicious when they spied me taking pictures of their farm storage building and we got into a great conversation. I got a free tour of the former IT station in Forsythe and they were surprised to learn about how extensive the IT was. Good stuff.

[LVJJJ]

FJ&G, cool! i don't think it's so odd to tromp around in the woods looking for abandoened train tracks, I mean I stand around for hours in desert heat waiting for trains that never come (until I leave). At least you're moving around. I understand the fascination with old transportation routes cause when my wife and I are RV'ing about the old west, in addition to always looking for trains, am also attracted to old highways. Some day, I'm going to start stopping and photographing old pieces of highway, usually abandoned when the interstates were built. And along side said hiways are often old rr road beds. Since our family used to travel the west extensively during the 1950's, I remember traveling on many of the old highways, often trying to beat the trains to the next crossing (there were many more crossings at grade in those days). Back to the subject, keep up the good work and I hope you will share more photos. Larry in Blaine

[tree68]

Outstanding collection. I'll second the idea of a book - great coffee table piece, even for someone not interested in railroads. A showing in a gallery would be great for you, but at least I can pick up the book at a bookstore or on-line.

Nice job!

[Anonymous]

Very cool! I know of many photographers (RR and non) who like to focus on a specific detail or theme like this and find the beauty in these common items. Some of my favorite photos are ones I took of very mundane objects. You could deffinately publi***hese!

[jwillard44]

> Everyone wants to go to Heaven; but no one wants to die. <
* Actually, I am looking forward to my death. The dying may not be fun, but I know where I am going when I do die.

* I came over here from the Tranis news E-mail. I thought it said, "Can I share my strange hubby with you?" That peaked my interest.

[Anonymous]

Dear David:

I too love to walk along old railroads. I was just recently in Northern California- from Santa Rosa to Eureka there is an abandoned rail line. We were in the area for 2 1/2 weeks and I really wanted to get out and hike along the line but my wife and bother and mother were not interested. I did take some pictures of a 1910 bridge over the Ell River. If I knew how to include them in this file I would. Thanks for the great pictures.

Cliff Herd
Tenn Valley RR Museum
Chattanooga TN

[cefinkjr]

I'm still waiting for you to describe your strange hobby. I don't see anything strange in what you've described.

I recently returned from a trip through the Panama Canal during which we stopped briefly at Puntarenas, Costa Rica. While strolling along the waterfront, I saw a bit of 3' gauge track and part of a turnout buried in the asphalt in front of the bus station. Not another thing in sight related to railroads but there obviously was at one time. Sorry I didn't get a photograph; it would have fit right in with yours.

Chuck

[selector]

Dave, those are very interesting photos..and nicely composed, too.

Last summer, I walked over 7 km of the abandoned Esquimalt & Nanaimo Ry. on the north shore of Cameron Lake, between Parksville and Port Alberni. My interest is in abandoned rights of way, but mostly in trestles. I hope you won't mind my adding a couple of my own modest photos to demonstrate that I, too, enjoy much of your unique hobby.

Regards,

-Crandell

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G



Kinda lonely doing this sometimes as I seem to be the only one interested. Most others are looking for trains.

It may be a lonely hobby, but what you do is unique, at least to me it is, and I really enjoy the photos.

[Teditor]

Great Garden, there's probably one like it here in Australia too, best thing is you have gone to the trouble to record yours. Keep it up!

Teditor

[Zwingle]

Excellent photos!

This my favorite hobby as well. I spend a lot of time on it. Its nice to know I'm not so alone here. Google Earth is an excellent resource. (Don't rely on their "railroads" button for anything accurate, though.) I love old maps too. Often times I'll look up lines on old maps.. then find exactly where they went using Google Earth. Afterwards plan field trips. I have found neat old relics doing this =)

Another thing I'll do is go to Google Images and type in keywords like: http://images.google.com/images?q=abandoned+rail&ie=ISO-8859-1&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

[Zwingle]

This is an excellent site to look up old maps:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrmaprailindex1.html

I check this site every so often:
http://www.trainweather.com/aban.html

[upchuck]

Yes, adding some unsharp masking will add some snap. Try 125, 1.5, 5 to start,
and adjust as needed. Also fade the unsharp masking to luminosity so as not
to affect the color. (Use 100% fade amount.) Great shots, I retouch advertising
photography for a living and enjoyed your work. Thanks for posting them.

[Anonymous]

great pics you should seriously consider doing a book. i used to walk the old monon line in and around bloomington indiana, and had a wonderful time at it. ain't history great!