Railfanning

[thpbears]

I would agree about the excitement of just a train rolling by. My soon to be eight year old (Trainmaster) and I usrally railfan NS but if a CSX rolls past we don't mind. To see the excitement on his face is worth the wait trackside. Even at soon to be 40 I still find it simply mindboggling how two or three engines can pull all that coal and the cars stay on the track. It is a engineering feat without a doubt.

[MotoLinz]

I would agree about the excitement of just a train rolling by. My soon to be eight year old (Trainmaster) and I usrally railfan NS but if a CSX rolls past we don't mind. To see the excitement on his face is worth the weight trackside.

Indeed. Almost daily, my sons (ages 4 and 2) want to trawl for trains along the NS Knoxville-Chattanooga main in Farragut, and, almost daily, we see regular 'ol NS freight. At first, it bored me to tears. I would honestly sit in my car and pick at split ends while the trains rolled by.  ...and then I realized that my boys were excited to see *anything* - any train was amazing to them - and it made me feel like a really crusty old schmuck to think, "Oh, well...it's just another coal train." Maybe we'd all be better to rewind a bit and remember the most basic joys.

[thpbears]

Well said Moto. The ole times is what built this country. For us to stay in front we must never forget how we got here.

[fireball451]

Intermodals don't really do much for me.
I watch the head end and first  few cars.
Rest of the trains, I watch to the end.
Mostly facinated with the motive power.
Like getting to see DPUs in use.
A set of EMDs and a mixed freight can't be beat......
Unless there is a steamer running!