Who are you?

[Bergie]

Which of the following best describes you?


Polls on Trains.com are not scientific and reflect only the opinions of the users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, the readers of our magazines, nor the public as a whole. Bottom line, our polls are meant for fun and to stimulate conversation amongst our forum users.

[zardoz]

Bergie-
Suggestion for two additional categories:

Former railroader

Hope-to-be railroader

[Modelcar]

....One with interest in all aspects of railroading. Special interest perhaps is on the side of the civil engineering required to design and put in place the railroad plant. These interests go all the way back to childhood...decades ago. Fascination with how so much of this design and construction work was done...again decades and decades ago when equipment was not as elaborate and mechanical as in more modern times.

[Anonymous]

My mother worked for Frisco for 36 years. I was too stupid to take her up on her offer of "I can get you on" when I had the chance. I have mentally kicked myself in the butt ever since. Regretfully yours, Jim

[wcaudle]

I have been a rail fan most of my 53 years. I have been fortunate to have been across the majority of this great nation, railfanning and meeting employees of railroad companies and their suppliers. With very few exceptions, most are pleasant, but professional, and will guide you to a safe but enjoyable area, or give you safe locations near trackside for some great photo ops. Most railfans do obey and are usually rewarded with some fantastic results. However, there are some who do not play well with others, and they are not appreciated.

If we think about this for a moment, would you want a total stranger milling around YOUR place of work, messing around multi-million dollard equipment? I think not.

Please be repectful of the railroads and their personnel, and usually they will reciprocate.

Stay safe.
[8D]

[kevarc]

How about shipper? I am the E&S manager for a utility that burns PRB coal deliverd by UP.

[TOMTANGUAY]

Big railfan & modeler since 1951. See related forum of today on the Model Railroader page.
I am also a railroad supplier in the electrical field.

[JoeKoh]

Been a railfan for as long as I remember.N&W frieghts pounding around the curves in Celina Ohio and then we move to Defiance along the old B&O line.Seen the transformation of B&O to chessie then Csx first hand.Started talking to crews at the ice cream place by the depot.Watched them shove cars into a switch behind the ice cream place(switch is now gone).Taken pictures in a lot of friendly little towns as well as Railroad towns.Best advice Take pictures leave footprints.It will go a long way to make your railfan Journey very rewarding.
and stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

I am 51 years in the industry that I have loved for a lifetime. Since I was a real young
boy. I wanted to be a locomotive engineer on a steam locomotive. I made it on the Korean National Railroad in the 724 th Army Railroad Operating Batallion. then I fired steam for a short time in the USA on the DL&W and was promoted to a Locomotive engineer on the EL then promoted to a RFof E on the EL.,(General)CNJ,Conrail, MP and Amtrak . Did a stint on the MTA of new York City Assistant Director of Inspection and Review mechanical equipment. Now I am a railroad consultant since 1991and has had 56 engineer certificates on railroads all over including Alaska. I have had the greatest life on the Railroads and would do it again if I could .My slide collection is now at 55,000 and I am always going on juants down here in the San Antonio area. I miss the old times that you don't see today. The industry still is my main avocation and will ,till I kick off.

[walthuston]

I began my railfanning at an early age watching the SP run trains up and down the San Francisco peninsula. I got real active at age 11 when I received my first trains. Railfanning (Buffing) has been a bigger and bigger part of my life ever since. Now that I'm married to a rail fan it's even better. We love to ride all types of trains together. Life is so good at 58.

[Anonymous]

My first experience on a train was when I was 10 and traveled to summer camp on a steamer. Later, while working in Philly, I rode commuter trains just about every day. I loved it. Took Amtrak in 1994 from Portland OR to Cleveland, OH. A tremendous event. In 1998 took Southwest Chief Cleveland to Albuquerque NM round trip. I am a retired pastor and finances don't permit much in the way of train travel now. Am interested in Amtrak and other roads' police as I am a police chaplain. I love Trains Magazine.

Chaplain Walt

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the theme from CSI! Maybe we could have a spin-off series call "Freight Yard CSI", where the forensic guys investigate all manner of strange happennings around a busy mythical freight yard. Perhaps even "Mainline CSI", investigating rail accidents.

[Anonymous]

I started my railfanning at about age 7. My uncle was a gate tender on the NYC main line in NYS. I spent all my time in a shanty about 8 feet from the main line. I can still hear and feel those big Hudsons as they pounded the rail at 75 MPH by the shanty. Oh to be there just once more! I spent this summer covering over 8,800 miles via Amtrak. I rode most every narrow gage in the west. My cup is filled to the brim at age 81. [8D]

[Anonymous]

I'm a railfan/model railroader for the past 20+ years. Spent 2002 working for NJ Transit as a train dispatcher, thought combining my hobby with what I love to do for a living (I've been an emergency services dispatcher for the past 11 years) would be an awesome experience. Turned out to be the worst. The job and fellow dispatchers were great, NJT train dispatcher managers made the job the worst experience I've ever had. Fortunately I was able to return to emergency service dispatching and still haven't lost my love for railroading.

[Anonymous]

I worked for a consulting engineering firm which deals with the desin / re-design of on-loading / off-loading rail facilities for the petrochemical & steel processing industries . I specialized in structural design & later, went into project management for installation of same . Iam currently semi-retired & work as an independent consultatant on facility design, installation, & operations . I more or less fell into it ; it's been a real rush !

[Anonymous]

I have to agree that there should be at least one other category; Former railroader.
I grew up around the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. My father was a crew dispatcher at the Parsons yards in Columbus OH. and during summer vacation from school I would go to work with him. I wasn't in the callers office much though, I would either be in the telegraphers office or out riding a switch engine.
I went to work for C&O after my first hitch in the army and was there when the C&O took over the B&O to become the Chessie System.
So, enter my vote as a rail fan and a former railroader.

[Anonymous]

i enjoy reading about train locations across the country and especially
like the maps of the locales presented. i am awaiting the tentative mapping of the rail shortcut in and through chicago that is being talked
about so much.

theo sommerkamp, columbus, oh

[lionelman]

I have been watching trains as long as I can remember the Soo Line ran through my parents back yard south of Steven Point, WI. As a kid I would go watch the local switch
the local customers. I rember my brothers coming home and telling me they got a ride in the snow plow one winter when they cleared the siddings. I watched the WC
and now watch the Canadian National.

[Anonymous]

I'am a conductor for the CN formerly the WC. I've been switching cars for ten years now and still love it. It's a whole different life compared to any other job. I started out as a diesel mechanic working out of Shops Yard at Fond du Lac Wi. turned in my wrenches for a lantern and set of switch keys!! Changes in this industry are upcoming which kind of scare me, but I'll keep pluging on for know.

[Anonymous]

I've been wanting to work for the railroad since I was a kid. But, what i do miss seeing is the BIG BOY and the CAB FORWARD, runned by UP, we have one here in Sacto., CA. ( Cab Forward). I would love to these these 2 Big Steamers, run.

[Anonymous]

I worked for a major railroad in Southern California as a trainman. I won't mention their name but they like the color yellow alot.

I enjoyed the work when I had it, however I disliked the B.S. they dish out to their employees. I decided to leave because I did not want to spoil the railfan in me.

I am now back in the profession where I came from and have many stories to tell. People find it very interesting that I once worked on the railroad.

I do not regret making the move to the railroad and I have enjoyed the experience.

[Anonymous]

Worked for the Rock Island Railroad Chicago in office 1948-1953. Worked for C&NW railroad RapidCity, Casper and Chicago until 1979 - retired. Been model railroad enthusiast all my life. Get much enjoyment from Trains magazine. Helps me keep in touch. Britt

[Anonymous]

I agree that there should be more catagories I worked at the shops and yards for C.N. and enjoyed the work, but not the company. Working for a large company is not for me. I have always had a fascination for trains. I grew up near several lines. Though we moved quite often, there always seemed to be a line near us. I have been interested in trains alll of my life. Now even though the nearest line is almost 200 miles away, I have a model railroad and enjoy reading magazines [model or real]

[rblystone]

My maternal grandfather was a signal maintainer on the New York Central. My father and his father operated a farm machinery and new car business and in the early days, most of the equipment was sent to the New York Central depot (that is now part of the museum of which I am Treasurer). Additionally, my dad would take me to the station and/or nearby crossing gate tower when I was about 3-6 years of age. Add S-gauge model trains and a good portion of my life has been spent connected to rails.

[Anonymous]

I spent 40 years of my life working on a small Eastern railroad,retired and now I chase them.

[Anonymous]

I'm a machinist working for Amtrak in Wash., DC. I work on the high-speed trainsets.

[LehighVic]

O.K., deal me in as a railfan. Like many RR fans I've been afflicted for as long a I can remember, from my earliest days in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (served by Lehigh Valley, Jersey Central and the Laurel Line) to falling asleep to the comforting whistles of steam from the GTW tracks four blocks from my home after my family moved to Detroit, Michigan.

One quick story! I couldn't have been much more than 3 years old when my Pop consumed boxes and boxes of Kix breakfast cereal (until his gums bled, according to my Mom) so that I could have the cardboard models of RR rolling stock which were printed on the packages (assembly required!). Mom and Pop were so proud that I could name every railcar that passed along the tracks at the foot Brewery Hill as we often stood behind the black and white-striped crossing gates. Just learning to talk, my first words were reefer, gondola, flatcar and, of course, hopper (filled with mountains of antracite) cars ... the caboose.

Oh, I could tell stories of my life's interface with trains and the railroads. Maybe some other time. Yep, I'm a rail fan.

LehighVic

[Anonymous]

I am a life-long steam enthusiast, and after 1998 cross-sountry trip on Amtrak, a supporter of saving the passenger system in this country. For being a world leader in so many areas, I cannot understand why we lag so far behind in passenger transportation technology and support. All during the crisis of September 11, 2001, while the airlines were grounded, the trains, both passenger and freight, still ran, keeping the country connected. What is we didn't have these modes of transportation? Now, our "illustrious and all-wise" leaders in Washington give David Gunn a nightmare when it comes to getting funds for Amtrak, a service which all Americans can afford at one time or another for travel, while airlines, available to the select few who live near an airport and have the available funds to fly, can just hint at having to stop work and congress simply asks them "how much do you need?" "Oh, and don't worry about paying it back-you're an airline".
I certainly hope our legislators will open their eyes and see that a passenger rail system such as Amtrak can and will benefit this nation, and give them the same consideration as the airlines.

[Anonymous]

at age 56 i was hired by BNSF- last year , as driver, currently a machine operator on the TRANS-CON. working between pampa tx. and waynoka, ok. double track constuction between cimarron river and miami, tx. going well. best job iv'e ever had-look foward to going to work each day! check out careers at BNSF.COM .lots of oportunities for a young person with a degree! always been interested in railroads-have a atsf collection and garden rr. have a grear day! Z TRAIN [nothwest ok. area]

[Anonymous]

My name is Paul Johnson in Jefferson City, Missouri. I am a great railfan and love to go down and watch the trains go by. We are on U.P.'s main line from the west coast to the east coast and have 60 trains a day. We are on Amtrak's line from St. Louis to Kansas City. Amtrak pulled the agent's across the state. I am one of 40 volunteers who go down to the station and meet 4 trains a day. We open the station for the people to get in out of the weather and just to help as much as we can.