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re:railfan

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  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Memphis, Tennessee
  • 446 posts
Posted by SD60M on Friday, July 6, 2007 12:15 AM
Forever! When i was really young i always passed under BN's Tennessee Yard and thats what got me started.
Long Live The Burlington Northern!
  • Member since
    March 2006
  • 60 posts
Posted by bakupolo on Monday, June 25, 2007 8:51 PM

Since the late 60s when I was an undergraduate at University of Hawaii. In the Hamilton Library I found a bunch of bound magazines called "Railway Mechanical Engineer" stretching from the late 30s to the late 50s. Between classes and such I read every one of them over the 4 years- watched diesel-electrics take over, read about huge steamers being introduced, looked at advertisments by all kinds of builders (I liked Lima's "Modern Super Power" ads best), etc. I was mesmerized, partly because there are no trains in Hawaii (I grew up there) so it was all new.

In many issues a guy named Walt Wyre told a little vignette in the life of a railroad electrican - and he was a very good storyteller. I learned about 2 and 3 phase motors from him, kindasorta understood the way early diesel-electrics "changed gears" by transitioning between series and parallel windings in their traction motors and how the old generators had to be "excited" before they would make current. Each story involved some perplexing and strange problem that he would solve.

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: Phoenix, Arizona
  • 1,989 posts
Posted by canazar on Monday, June 25, 2007 8:27 PM

For me it was genetic.  I didnt have a choice.

Wink [;)]

Best Regards, Big John

Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona.  Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the  Kiva Valley Railway

  • Member since
    May 2007
  • From: Maywood, New Jersey
  • 4 posts
Posted by blackpearl420 on Thursday, June 21, 2007 5:29 PM

Since I was 2yrs old,thats when i started to be a railfan. now i draw them, print out pictures. and also see them in live action.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 17, 2007 5:19 PM
Since I was 12 years old.  I'm 51 now. Erik
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: The Beautiful North Georgia Mountians
  • 2,362 posts
Posted by Railfan1 on Saturday, June 16, 2007 4:09 PM
As long as I can remember....................
"It's a great day to be alive" "Of all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, It might have been......"
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • 164 posts
Posted by blade on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 5:44 PM
how long have you been a rail fan?

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