Western Railroad Discussion > Is this trespassing acceptable and photography is not?

The original subject was, "Why railfans get a bad rap...or Darwin candidates". It was misleading for my intended message.

While on a recent summer solstice trip out to God's really hot country in Arizona and California on the BNSF Transcon, I watched this situation unfold before my very eyes.

I won't mention the location, but many here on Trainorders familiar with the Transcon will recognize it. My purpose was to photograph a westbound "pure" Z train (all trailers). While waiting, two eastbounds went by within 10 minutes of each other on the double track mainline. The human element in the three images were sandwiched between the two trains. I wonder why we get a hassled photographing from a station platform?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/12 19:37 by Super_C.

Are they really rail fans? I don't see any cameras. Also looks like local kids/teenagers, on summer vacation, putting rocks, etc on the tracks. As for Darwin candidates, I think we all as kids played around the tracks at some point.
Your photos look great. Also, a mothers love is unconditional. The unit gives the train character that a new unit wouldn't have.

needles_sub Wrote:
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> Are they really rail fans? I don't see any
> cameras. Also looks like local kids/teenagers, on
> summer vacation, putting rocks, etc on the tracks.

My thought as well.

Looks to me like they were looking for the pennies, or whatever, that they had put on the track before the first train.

Again, something we all did as kids, at least once.

I'm really sorry, but the shots were not "ruined" by the other train or the older unit. I may express frustration when another train passes in fromt of my "target" train (in my case it's freight-car research, not photography), but just being able to see a railroad doing its thing in such quantity is enough to offset the possibility that I may have missed out on something.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

Don't look like railfans to me.

That's not the locomotive I'd want leading a train I had hoped to make a showcase photograph of, that's for sure. A better-looking leader doesn't guarantee a great photograph, but an ugly one is a huge detraction unless its ugliness is a story in itself.

erielackawanna Wrote:
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> Don't look like railfans to me.

Hmmm. I can't find where I referred to those people as railfans. The guy bending over is probably close to 60 and the kids are less than 12. Whether or not we all "played" on railroad tracks while growing up is not the point. This guy is hardly setting an example for being safe around railroad tracks; especially a high density main line. And, no, they are not a terrorist threat. However, BNSF management and lawyers look at this activity as ripe for litigation if one of those folks gets injured. My point is that this "innocent" activity is what brings the grief to railfans who merely want to photograph trains from a platform or other public location close to a mainline.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> That's not the locomotive I'd want leading a train
> I had hoped to make a showcase photograph of,
> that's for sure. A better-looking leader doesn't
> guarantee a great photograph, but an ugly one is a
> huge detraction unless its ugliness is a story in
> itself.

Looks like it may have had nose surgery recently and the healing process hasn't been completed yet.

Bill G.

Super_C Wrote:
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> erielackawanna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Don't look like railfans to me.
>
> Hmmm. I can't find where I referred to those
> people as railfans. The guy bending over is
> probably close to 60 and the kids are less than
> 12. Whether or not we all "played" on railroad
> tracks while growing up is not the point. This
> guy is hardly setting an example for being safe
> around railroad tracks; especially a high density
> main line. And, no, they are not a terrorist
> threat. However, BNSF management and lawyers look
> at this activity as ripe for litigation if one of
> those folks gets injured. My point is that this
> "innocent" activity is what brings the grief to
> railfans who merely want to photograph trains from
> a platform or other public location close to a
> mainline.

Um.. your title is "Why railfans get a bad rap... or Darwin candidates"

Which is the only human antecedent to the photo of these folk.

:-)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/12 19:11 by erielackawanna.

For anyone who hasn't figured it out yet that is Parks, AZ (Maine on the AT&SF). Most of the people I've met in my many times railfanning there were retired folks and they were usually very friendly. There is a grade crossing right there and most of the locals know that they live by a very busy mainline. However, living out West for 16 years I've easily noticed there are many uneducated and stupid people that live near the tracks especially in rural ares such as this. This scene does not surprise me at all. Many people I've encountered in other parts of the country which would probably be labeled as "Rednecks" seem to be a lot more educated about railroad operations than these people seem to be.

You got some nice shots there--main lines, siding/set-out track, and all good looking trains and scenery--very nice. Thanks for showing.
Brian Stevens

Great shot of the solid Z train. I always enjoy seeing the different trucking companies now using rail instead of road.

Adam

I think the original title was not implying that they were railfans but rather it is people like this who are on the mainlines looking for pennies or rocks or what have you that make it hard for the railroads to accommodate railfans.

Either way the train images are very nice and do I spy yellow wedge 7695 as the 3rd unit in that pure Z consist? To bad that wasn't leading. I know its just another ugly wedge but at least its a little different.

I agree I like the photos... There are very good.

It seems that anytime a child is on or close to railroad tracks (with or without parental supervision), death is likely or imminent, guess I should have been dead many years ago....

However I do realize the world is "different" now. The rule seems to be anytime your feet are touching ballast, you shouldn't be there. I've accepted this reality...

I used to like BNSF,but they have really fallen badly lately.
NS is now my favorite RR.
GO NS!!!
90mac

You guys crack me up. How the unit looks doesn't really matter, I'm pretty sure it got the train to its destination. As for the trespassers, call the police and report them.

Simple, ain't it?

BNSF7400 Wrote:
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> I think the original title was not implying that
> they were railfans but rather it is people like
> this who are on the mainlines looking for pennies
> or rocks or what have you that make it hard for
> the railroads to accommodate railfans.
>
> Either way the train images are very nice and do I
> spy yellow wedge 7695 as the 3rd unit in that pure
> Z consist? To bad that wasn't leading. I know its
> just another ugly wedge but at least its a little
> different.

Actually, the 7695 WAS leading until it went belly-up just east of Grants, NM. The train was delayed while the unit was relocated to 3rd. out DIC.

John, I undestand your pain. I recently saw a similar picture on TO, might
have been the same unit, and wondered why BNSF rushed this back into service
when they have so many units with better paint stored? It seems to me they
could have activated one of those and put this into storage until they
decided to paint it. I know, I know, paint doesn't pull freight, but perception
is truth, and what kind of perception comes from this?

All "pig" trains are getting hard to get. Anymore, it's usually the NBY trains,
either direction, that can be all pigs. UPS going to containers will have a
negative impact on this. None-the-less, BNSF continues to haul a lot of trailers.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Super_C Wrote:
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> Actually, the 7695 WAS leading until it went
> belly-up just east of Grants, NM. The train was
> delayed while the unit was relocated to 3rd. out
> DIC.

If I knew the 7695 was leading an all pig train, only to find out that a boring H2 Dash 9 was put on the point in front of it before I could snap a photo or a video, I'd be upset, too. Seeing kids disrespecting the railroad with coin and pebble tricks would add to my irritation.

Nice catch on the 4097, by the way, with the unique nose job. Reminds me of the "brown-noser" UP SD9043MAC 8141 (not renumbered yet).