Eastern Railroad Discussion > How many of you....1 or 2?

1. Let trains pass by just watching them and such.

2. Take down numbers, records, etc.

Just a friendly neighborhood poll.

Tony

how bout both...


It all depends if I have my camera or not

Used to be a "2", now slowly fading into a "1".

Tony

Hi:
My answer is No.#2
ns-dash8

1
W}:^B

Just 1. If there is something unusual in the consist, I make a mental note of it, then forget about it later on.

Bill

#2 I maintain a logbook. If I don't have it with then at least have a pad and pen. If the wife is along, I warn her and then I call out the numbers. If I'm solo w/ camera and the units are static, I shoot first and then write down the unit numbers, otherwise I have to wait until the film is developed.

Just watch! Thats the joy of fanning! Too much time is taken up writing things down, then you miss stuff. So why right anything down?

Pj wrote:
>
> Just watch! Thats the joy of fanning! Too much time is taken up
> writing things down, then you miss stuff. So why right anything
> down?

Right, do not write. Use a tape recorder so you can record items as the train passes. "Shooting a pitcher" of every engine or train spotted is not a rite required to be admitted to the railfan fraternity.

"Railfanning IS Serious Business."

Tony,

I'm in the 1 category. I like the experience of being close to the trains, and I like trying to make good photographs of trains. I'm starting to want to know a bit more about the train numbers (not loco numbers) that I hear on the scanner, but I haven't done anything about it.

But I maintain a forum the loco counters can use to post their reports if they want to (as you know).

Rob

I always try to take down as much information as I can on trains I see, including unit numbers, car count, and as much detail as possible on the train consist.

I'm always taking the engine numbers down. I have since about 1986. I keep a printed roster that is up to date on every mjor railroad as well as smaller roads I see often. I then "X" the units I see. It's sort of a way to look back and see what I've seen over the years. I keep a log of retired locomotives seen as well. Sounds complicated, but it's fairly easy. Hardest thing is keeping up with renumberings like the darn UP. I don't miss seeing the trains though, I use a tape recorder most of the time. Since I like to keep track of what I see, I'm not limited to daylight railfanning. Trains run overnight too. That next train coming at midnight just might have an engine I need to check off on my list. See you trackside....

L.G.

What is the address of your forum?
I want to take a look at it. Thanks.

Serve them chicken when they stop. ;-)

DRF

I have notebooks going back to 1978, with engine numbers, interesting cars in consist, track layouts, people I met. Even little things like the rolling date and manufacturer of rails.

The data makes it easy to identify slides when you get the film back, and keep track of symbols. A few weeks ago, I was looking at my notes for the demonstrator GM-10, an electric locomotive which Conrail used in 1976-1977. Have a picture of it in the former Meadows yard in Kearny NJ, sitting alongside a former NYNH&H unit. The units, the railroad, and the location are all long gone.

Sometimes I'll use a voice activated tape recorder so I can remember the 2nd and 3rd units, etc

I do a little bit of both. It just depends on what mood I'm in.
-Happy Fanning!

I occasionally just watch trains - when I do not like the shot, after dark, when I do not have a camera. I try to note lead engine number and train designation when photographing.

I try #2, sometimes I even include a car count. But sometimes the train is going faster than I can write the locomotive numbers, and my scanner rarely picks up the train number. If I forget my log book, then it's #1.

I seldom just watch, but when I do, I don't take any notes. Instances such as this would include not having a camera, or really bad lighting.
Most of the time, I'll take the shot as best I can get, and make notes on my tape recorder of the train ID, locomotive type and number, and any other notable piece of equipment in the consist. Then I'll play back the tape, and enter the notes in a notebook, so I'll have the info when the slides come back.

Same here -- if I take a picture, then I log as much info about the train as I can (engines, car count, time, place, symbol). No picture, no log entry, unless it's something REALLY unusual but a picture isn't practical.