whats your favorite trainwatching spot

[REDDYK]

[Anonymous]

I Like pretty much anywhere along the ex-conrail Chicago line. Ive gone through Waterloo but never really stoped there. I visit Butler, a few miles east of there where the Norfolk Southern Wabash main crosses. Im sure you already knew that, but thats where ive spent countless nights watching Conrail piggybacks roar through at 60 (amtrak 80) over the diamonds. This is one of a few spots i know where trains go full speed over diamonds. I visit there less and less with conrail gone. I spend most time closer to chicago around Porter junction, Burns Harbor, Miller and Willow Creek Indiana so i can view both NS and CSX without going to far into Chicagos rough parts even though the trains run slower through Willow Creek (Portage). I like seeing which railroad put on the better show. As for me, its railroad action at its best.

[Anonymous]

I Like pretty much anywhere along the ex-conrail Chicago line. Ive gone through Waterloo but never really stoped there. I visit Butler, a few miles east of there where the Norfolk Southern Wabash main crosses. Im sure you already knew that, but thats where ive spent countless nights watching Conrail piggybacks roar through at 60 (amtrak 80) over the diamonds. This is one of a few spots i know where trains go full speed over diamonds. I visit there less and less with conrail gone. I spend most time closer to chicago around Porter junction, Burns Harbor, Miller and Willow Creek Indiana so i can view both NS and CSX without going to far into Chicagos rough parts even though the trains run slower through Willow Creek (Portage). I like seeing which railroad put on the better show. As for me, its railroad action at its best.

[UpNorthBob]

Yes, Admiralh, I am jealous. I used to like to play the Davisburg golf course back in my high school days in that area.
My favorite spot is Waterloo, Indiana. It has the elements I enjoy. First, it is a small town - safe and easy to get around. Second, the passenger platform area is well lighted, so that you can see all of the trains that come through at night. Third, it is on a long tangent, so you can see the trains coming from a long way off, and they come through at a good speed, except for the Amtrak trains that all make stops there. I love being able to pull into a parking spot, set up my lawn chair in front of my van, and watch the trains roar by about 20 feet in front of me. Plus, during the les busy moments, I can daydream about what it must have been like watching Hudsons and Niagras thunder past.

[UpNorthBob]

Yes, Admiralh, I am jealous. I used to like to play the Davisburg golf course back in my high school days in that area.
My favorite spot is Waterloo, Indiana. It has the elements I enjoy. First, it is a small town - safe and easy to get around. Second, the passenger platform area is well lighted, so that you can see all of the trains that come through at night. Third, it is on a long tangent, so you can see the trains coming from a long way off, and they come through at a good speed, except for the Amtrak trains that all make stops there. I love being able to pull into a parking spot, set up my lawn chair in front of my van, and watch the trains roar by about 20 feet in front of me. Plus, during the les busy moments, I can daydream about what it must have been like watching Hudsons and Niagras thunder past.

[Anonymous]

To 'admiralh' yes i am jealous.

My favorite sites (so far)

1) Stockton, Calif where BNSF and UP have double-main diamonds as well as sharing trackage rights. Lots of actions with plenty of helpers as northbound is the Feather River valley.

2) Just west of London, Ontario Canada there is place where briefly CN and CP run right next to each other. There is a private drive there that has a bridge that crosses over both of these lines, but the owner allows railfans to enjoy the sites. Going east bound, the CN is climbing a bit and sometimes when the engines go underneath you, only a few feet below you, the exhaust of the engines is awsome. CP has a siding there. Signals for west bound trafiic are there for both lines and east bound traffic for CN is 2-3 mile straight-away, while CP crosses a few grade crossing so you can hear them coming.

Those are my two favorite but I want to see Rochelle, IL and Bayview, Ontario.

Bill Warner (ww)

[Anonymous]

To 'admiralh' yes i am jealous.

My favorite sites (so far)

1) Stockton, Calif where BNSF and UP have double-main diamonds as well as sharing trackage rights. Lots of actions with plenty of helpers as northbound is the Feather River valley.

2) Just west of London, Ontario Canada there is place where briefly CN and CP run right next to each other. There is a private drive there that has a bridge that crosses over both of these lines, but the owner allows railfans to enjoy the sites. Going east bound, the CN is climbing a bit and sometimes when the engines go underneath you, only a few feet below you, the exhaust of the engines is awsome. CP has a siding there. Signals for west bound trafiic are there for both lines and east bound traffic for CN is 2-3 mile straight-away, while CP crosses a few grade crossing so you can hear them coming.

Those are my two favorite but I want to see Rochelle, IL and Bayview, Ontario.

Bill Warner (ww)

[Anonymous]

My three favorite spots.

1. Durand Union Station and Museum. Durand, Michigan.
The entire platform is open to the public. The museum gives a great history of the station and railroading in the surrounding area. At one time 120 passenger trains a day passed through Durand. Amtrak still does today with the International, Chicago to Toronto. Also lots of CN and GTW freights with a few CPR run throughs and the occasional unit coal train form Powder River. But here is the neat part. The Durand yard is very near by and is an interchange yard for CN, GTW, TSBY, and CMR. The depot sits at a diamond where the GTW Flint sub and Holly sub meet with the northward track of the Holly becoming the lead into the yard. All east-west trains that have switching to do have to break the train, head around one of the wyes, and back into the yard. All this in between the through freights. All of this happens immediately next to the depot's platforms. Its a great place to see railroading very close and personal...and its completely legal.

2. Port Huron yard, Michigan - Sarnia yard, Ontario, Canada. These two yards are spereated by the tunnels that go under the Saint Clair river, right at the south end of Lake Huron. This is also a great place to watch Great Lakes freighters. On the U.S side at the 10th street grade crossing you can look right down the throat of the tunnels. There is also an Amtrak station. On the Canadian side, the Sarnia station is the best spot. It is right at the end of the yard. You can't see the tunnel, but you are right at the top of the grade when the through trains roar up the hill. Frequently, a west bound will have to wait for the tunnel to clear, and they almost always stop right next to the platform. Moer than once I have been able to legally stand inches away from an idling loco reading the maunfacturers plate. The Sarnia yard also uses remote contol cow and calf setups. It's pretty awesome hearing and seeing them kick the cars into the long sticks as they build the trains.

3. My living room. I live on the Holly sub of GTW right at the Andersonville siding. When we built our new house we moved it closer to the tracks, and the"front" of the house faces away from the road and looks out over the tracks. I cleared a few trees and now have a great view from my living room, dinning room, and bedroom. There are not as many trains going by as some of the other places I go, but you can't beat it for convenience.

I know you all must be jealous.

[Anonymous]

My three favorite spots.

1. Durand Union Station and Museum. Durand, Michigan.
The entire platform is open to the public. The museum gives a great history of the station and railroading in the surrounding area. At one time 120 passenger trains a day passed through Durand. Amtrak still does today with the International, Chicago to Toronto. Also lots of CN and GTW freights with a few CPR run throughs and the occasional unit coal train form Powder River. But here is the neat part. The Durand yard is very near by and is an interchange yard for CN, GTW, TSBY, and CMR. The depot sits at a diamond where the GTW Flint sub and Holly sub meet with the northward track of the Holly becoming the lead into the yard. All east-west trains that have switching to do have to break the train, head around one of the wyes, and back into the yard. All this in between the through freights. All of this happens immediately next to the depot's platforms. Its a great place to see railroading very close and personal...and its completely legal.

2. Port Huron yard, Michigan - Sarnia yard, Ontario, Canada. These two yards are spereated by the tunnels that go under the Saint Clair river, right at the south end of Lake Huron. This is also a great place to watch Great Lakes freighters. On the U.S side at the 10th street grade crossing you can look right down the throat of the tunnels. There is also an Amtrak station. On the Canadian side, the Sarnia station is the best spot. It is right at the end of the yard. You can't see the tunnel, but you are right at the top of the grade when the through trains roar up the hill. Frequently, a west bound will have to wait for the tunnel to clear, and they almost always stop right next to the platform. Moer than once I have been able to legally stand inches away from an idling loco reading the maunfacturers plate. The Sarnia yard also uses remote contol cow and calf setups. It's pretty awesome hearing and seeing them kick the cars into the long sticks as they build the trains.

3. My living room. I live on the Holly sub of GTW right at the Andersonville siding. When we built our new house we moved it closer to the tracks, and the"front" of the house faces away from the road and looks out over the tracks. I cleared a few trees and now have a great view from my living room, dinning room, and bedroom. There are not as many trains going by as some of the other places I go, but you can't beat it for convenience.

I know you all must be jealous.

[AlcoRS11Nut]

My favorite spot is my hometown, only one or two train a week enter the city but, some of the spots provide some good photos, also it is really easy to chase the few trains that do come in, the max speed limit is 30 m.p.h and on the contry road the speed is 35-55, so it is really easy to catch up on a train after it passes. Other than my hometown, I would say Rochelle, ILL; and Acker Road ( 1 hour west of Rochelle along U.S. 31). These spots are my favorite because they are along Union Pacific track. (my favorite railroad)

[AlcoRS11Nut]

My favorite spot is my hometown, only one or two train a week enter the city but, some of the spots provide some good photos, also it is really easy to chase the few trains that do come in, the max speed limit is 30 m.p.h and on the contry road the speed is 35-55, so it is really easy to catch up on a train after it passes. Other than my hometown, I would say Rochelle, ILL; and Acker Road ( 1 hour west of Rochelle along U.S. 31). These spots are my favorite because they are along Union Pacific track. (my favorite railroad)

[Anonymous]

My favorite is LaGrange, IL. You'll see commuters, AMTACK, and of course, LOTS of freights.

[Anonymous]

My favorite is LaGrange, IL. You'll see commuters, AMTACK, and of course, LOTS of freights.

[Anonymous]

anywhere between the dalles ore and ore /idaho boarder you can go lots of scenery
changes trains running along the colunbia river to the 2.2 percent grade of the blue mountians to high desert

[Anonymous]

anywhere between the dalles ore and ore /idaho boarder you can go lots of scenery
changes trains running along the colunbia river to the 2.2 percent grade of the blue mountians to high desert

[Tharmeni]

The south steps of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. While the Amtraks pass in the dead of night, the freight action is always pretty darned good.

[Tharmeni]

The south steps of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. While the Amtraks pass in the dead of night, the freight action is always pretty darned good.

[edblysard]

Hi duck49,
Spring is also home to the joint UP/BNSF dispatching center for all of southeast Texas, its in the old MoPac building.
Your also at the throat of the Hardy Street raceway, if you call that huge sideing a raceway! ha, ha.
Bet you get a little bit of everything through there.
I work at the PTRA, down at the Houston Ship channel, a lot of what passes through Spring ends up in our North yard.
The dispatchers in Spring handle our trains when we have to enter UPs CTC trackage.
Old Town Spring is really quite nice, glad they kept as many of the old buildings as they did, gives the place a nice, old time feel.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

QUOTE: Originally posted by duck49

My favorite train watching spot is in Old Town Spring in Southeast Texas just north of Houston. The old depot burned down several years back when they made it into a restaurant and somebody left the grill on at night! They rebuilt it to look like the old one. There is an old railroad hotel called Wunche's next to track that is now also a restaurant. There are two tracks that converge here, one from the west tees into the north-south tracks that go past the Lloyd yard. Union Pacific tracks of course, but there is some BNSF traffic every now and then. The best feeling is when I come up on the signals and see a green light for a norht bounder. Can't see the train's headlights yet, but know it is probably high balling and will be there soon. All of the engineers know us and wave back when they pass! I like to read the railroad art on the side of the cars, does anyone know how these cartoons come to be placed on the cars?

[edblysard]

Hi duck49,
Spring is also home to the joint UP/BNSF dispatching center for all of southeast Texas, its in the old MoPac building.
Your also at the throat of the Hardy Street raceway, if you call that huge sideing a raceway! ha, ha.
Bet you get a little bit of everything through there.
I work at the PTRA, down at the Houston Ship channel, a lot of what passes through Spring ends up in our North yard.
The dispatchers in Spring handle our trains when we have to enter UPs CTC trackage.
Old Town Spring is really quite nice, glad they kept as many of the old buildings as they did, gives the place a nice, old time feel.
Stay Frosty,
Ed

QUOTE: Originally posted by duck49

My favorite train watching spot is in Old Town Spring in Southeast Texas just north of Houston. The old depot burned down several years back when they made it into a restaurant and somebody left the grill on at night! They rebuilt it to look like the old one. There is an old railroad hotel called Wunche's next to track that is now also a restaurant. There are two tracks that converge here, one from the west tees into the north-south tracks that go past the Lloyd yard. Union Pacific tracks of course, but there is some BNSF traffic every now and then. The best feeling is when I come up on the signals and see a green light for a norht bounder. Can't see the train's headlights yet, but know it is probably high balling and will be there soon. All of the engineers know us and wave back when they pass! I like to read the railroad art on the side of the cars, does anyone know how these cartoons come to be placed on the cars?

[bigboy4024]

my best frends driveway in delano minnesota (my home town) or for my year in germany it would be the bahnhof (depot in german) in the town of Meckenberuen where i am staying big boy

[bigboy4024]

my best frends driveway in delano minnesota (my home town) or for my year in germany it would be the bahnhof (depot in german) in the town of Meckenberuen where i am staying big boy

[Modelcar]

...."I see a lot of kids riding trains between cars......" These are freedoms the railfan legally never had. Surely it's common sense people shouldn't be doing this...The more stricter enforcement may save some lives or serious injury.

[Modelcar]

...."I see a lot of kids riding trains between cars......" These are freedoms the railfan legally never had. Surely it's common sense people shouldn't be doing this...The more stricter enforcement may save some lives or serious injury.

[Anonymous]

My favorite train watching spot is Tower 55 in Fort Worth Texas. A few years ago you could see the AT&SF, MKT, MP,BN,CRIP. Now it is UP and BNSF that is all. Plus you can see the railroad security.if you are on private property there is a camera on a pole that shows you on private property. So keep off private property or they will ask you what you are doing there.......wow what else are you doing with a camera. I see alot of kids riding trains between the cars on the roofs and grifitti every where it shows again the rail fan is easy prey for security. This is more of our freedoms being taken away from us daily. When are we going to do something about this and many other freedoms we are loosing. I believe the terriorists won and we are the loosers.....the rail fans

[Anonymous]

My favorite train watching spot is Tower 55 in Fort Worth Texas. A few years ago you could see the AT&SF, MKT, MP,BN,CRIP. Now it is UP and BNSF that is all. Plus you can see the railroad security.if you are on private property there is a camera on a pole that shows you on private property. So keep off private property or they will ask you what you are doing there.......wow what else are you doing with a camera. I see alot of kids riding trains between the cars on the roofs and grifitti every where it shows again the rail fan is easy prey for security. This is more of our freedoms being taken away from us daily. When are we going to do something about this and many other freedoms we are loosing. I believe the terriorists won and we are the loosers.....the rail fans

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

My all time favorite is the NS yard at Bellevue Ohio..Lots of action and no one bothers you unless you start getting stupid..I have witness several railfans being told to leave after they acted like they owned the yard.

Did you check out the museum too?Thats where the picture on my profile came from.
stay safe
joe[:)]

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

My all time favorite is the NS yard at Bellevue Ohio..Lots of action and no one bothers you unless you start getting stupid..I have witness several railfans being told to leave after they acted like they owned the yard.

Did you check out the museum too?Thats where the picture on my profile came from.
stay safe
joe[:)]

[Anonymous]

I guess that I favor the old NYC (now CSX) Lakeshore Line..I've spent quite a bit of time around Westfield, NY taking pictures and just plain trainwatching...of course the old Nickel Plate (NS) parallels these tracks...

If you want to travel a little farther west, the RR museum at Northeast, PA is an interesting spot and you can check out the locomotives and various running stock on display while you're waiting for the next CSX or NS train...

I've got to mention Sand Patch, too...remote as the dickens, but picturesque...Travel to Cumberland, MD..spend the night at the Holiday Inn that's next to the old B&O mainline and the next day travel to Sand Patch, which is, if memory is serving correctly, a little north of Meyersdale, PA...lots of helper action, bridges, sweeping curves, and tunnels...beautiful location and Cumberland, MD is a quaint, tremendously historic community...!

[Anonymous]

I guess that I favor the old NYC (now CSX) Lakeshore Line..I've spent quite a bit of time around Westfield, NY taking pictures and just plain trainwatching...of course the old Nickel Plate (NS) parallels these tracks...

If you want to travel a little farther west, the RR museum at Northeast, PA is an interesting spot and you can check out the locomotives and various running stock on display while you're waiting for the next CSX or NS train...

I've got to mention Sand Patch, too...remote as the dickens, but picturesque...Travel to Cumberland, MD..spend the night at the Holiday Inn that's next to the old B&O mainline and the next day travel to Sand Patch, which is, if memory is serving correctly, a little north of Meyersdale, PA...lots of helper action, bridges, sweeping curves, and tunnels...beautiful location and Cumberland, MD is a quaint, tremendously historic community...!

[Anonymous]

Chicago: Pullman Jct, Dolton, and Blue Island. Heavy traffic, a wide variety Class 1's and Short lines. Great!!!