The Lighter Side Of Railfanning....

CAGY 2777 · March 26, 2012, 03:42:30 AM

We all know too well that there are fustrations with this hobby....the train you woke up at 2am for to drive thru the predawn darkness to get at just that right spot. You get there and wait and when it seems that forever has made a reprise you finally hear the distant horn. You raise your camera and just as it rounds the curve that one proverbial lone cloud blocks the sun. You jump in your vehicle and drive after the train like the "where will you be when your laxative starts working" guy trying to find a restroom so you can salvage another shot. No chance. Red lights, tractors, traffic congestion, Mr. Magoo, road construction are all there to put a kink in your hopes and chances.

So we've all probably been there. While mulling over my pics from the past 10 years yesterday, I thought back on some rather funnier instances while trackside waiting to get the all important shot. Nothing usually makes us happier more than the finished product from pointing our cameras. But what about the times when things just went wacko? When things you saw or encountered along the journey trackside had you rolling with laughter or scratching your head? Let's share some of our bloopers :p

Chris Martin

nsgelocos · March 26, 2012, 10:30:45 AM

Emory Gap in Harriman Tennessee marks a time of a blooper. After a Southbound train running on an approach signal telling me it is meeting a northbound at E.G. Tower, a NS employee in a hi-rail truck tells us to pack up our camera and leave. "It makes the crews nervous" he says as the northbound rolls by with the engineer waving at us. :

Glenmary, TN. - Waiting on a northbound that we have heard in dynamic breaks for a few minutes on the far track when a silent but deadly southbound sneaked up on us on the near track before the northbound got there. The large autos and auto parts cars blocked the view of a former CR SD60M leading the northbound we had been waiting for. :'(

Just a couple a couple I can remember from the top of my head.

florida581 · March 26, 2012, 01:55:45 PM

May biggest railfanning blooper came in the early 90's. At the time, I lived in Warner Robins, GA. It's located just south of Macon on NS' GS&F main to Jacksonville. I was only 12 or 13 at the time. I lived about 5 miles from the tracks, so my mom had to drive me to the old depot so I could watch trains. I always took the video cam with me...except this particular time. When we got trackside, a huge group of people were lining the tracks. A fellow railfan told me that the 611 was heading back north from Jacksonville! It was too late to go back for the camera because the 611 arrived just minutes after we did. The she blew her whistle for the entire length of the town. Such a beautiful sound! My mom and I got back in the car and paced it all the way to Macon. Afterwards, we headed home. My dad got home later that evening from work and I told him all about it. Of course, he wanted to see the footage that I got, but unfortunately it only existed in my memory. He was of course disappointed because the J is his favorite locomotive. The 611 would never come back to Warner Robins because a couple years later, NS scrapped its steam program. My family went the the museum in Roanoke where we met up with the now sleeping 611. I admit, she does looks better galloping the rails. However, I'll always remember her final dance through Warner Robins.

chipallen16 · March 26, 2012, 02:18:02 PM

I was in Oakwood, GA one day last fall, and I caught NS 237 with a BNSF pumpkin leading. 30 or so minutes went by, and I decided to go south for a better shot of the next train. I waited on a slow truck to pass so I could get on my way, and as I pulled up to the crossing south of town, the gates came down. Following a pumpkin was... You guessed it... a warbonnet. After an unsuccessful chase south, held up by a slow car, I missed it again. Luckily though, the slow car saved me from a steep speeding fine. Oh well. I go out a lot more now just to make sure that if I miss something once, it won't happen again!

-Chip

GP30Rider · March 26, 2012, 02:43:14 PM

Quote from: florida581 on March 26, 2012, 01:55:45 PM
May biggest railfanning blooper came in the early 90's. At the time, I lived in Warner Robins, GA. It's located just south of Macon on NS' GS&F main to Jacksonville. I was only 12 or 13 at the time. I lived about 5 miles from the tracks, so my mom had to drive me to the old depot so I could watch trains. I always took the video cam with me...except this particular time. When we got trackside, a huge group of people were lining the tracks. A fellow railfan told me that the 611 was heading back north from Jacksonville! It was too late to go back for the camera because the 611 arrived just minutes after we did. The she blew her whistle for the entire length of the town. Such a beautiful sound! My mom and I got back in the car and paced it all the way to Macon. Afterwards, we headed home. My dad got home later that evening from work and I told him all about it. Of course, he wanted to see the footage that I got, but unfortunately it only existed in my memory. He was of course disappointed because the J is his favorite locomotive. The 611 would never come back to Warner Robins because a couple years later, NS scrapped its steam program. My family went the the museum in Roanoke where we met up with the now sleeping 611. I admit, she does looks better galloping the rails. However, I'll always remember her final dance through Warner Robins.

I have found that some of the greatest train watching is NOT done through the camera lens. Just watch, listen, and take it all in.

GP30Rider · March 26, 2012, 02:50:56 PM

One of my favorites that my group still talks about..........

Four of us were chasing the 611 down the CNO&TP south of E.G. Tower and we were in two separate cars. I was in the lead car and made a right turn down a road that turned out to be dead end before it got to the tracks. The other driver in our group was several seconds behind but saw where I turned and followed. This was a very narrow road but I managed to get turned around and headed back out not knowing that he had indeed turned in behind me. There was a slight curve in the road and I met him going in as I was going out. We managed to keep from hitting each other head on. He threw his car in reverse and I kept it going forward so we were going down this little road nose to nose as fast as he could drive in reverse. By the time the Keystone Cops routine was over the smoke from the 611 had about cleared and the train was gone.

CAGY 2777 · March 30, 2012, 05:19:41 AM

My few notable incidents were more of the embarrassing kind. I go to Artesia, MS while plodding around on Sunday evening watching the KCS to just get out of the house. In between trains mother nature decides to hit. Why not, no trains anyway, so..... Off I go to the woods next to the tracks. A train was coming so I waited for the head end to clear...no problemo. So once that takes place, business gets underway. Unbeknownst to me, the train was just a yard job that had pulled cars off the main. About that time the last car goes by while I'm facing the train watching it. Well as luck would have it, a conductor was hanging on the rear car and I'm sure I had to look like a deer in the headlights. He laughed and I, well, tried to recover what dignity I could.

Wish I could stop there but there were other incidents. Around the Christmas season many small towns and large ones alike across America have Christmas parades. The kids dressed as elves, the high school marching bands, the Lions Club, The Rotary Club, The Clubbed Foot club and eventually Santa takes his place on the end of this Main Street Of America move.

I had taken a friend out to view the BNSF's Birmingham Sub and remnants of NS's former Southern Railway "West End" line that had been pulled up between Belk and Berry, AL. We got sniffed by Sherrif Barney Fife at Windfield, AL after someone called us in sitting trackside which kinda put a damper on the whole mood. On the way back home we are both bitter from having to hear the "since 9/11" spiel from Barney. It's already dark and we just want to get home.

We get into Millport, AL just 20 mins from home. Up ahead at the edge of this small town we see alot of blue flashing police car lights. I knew that from where they were located that a grocery store sat there. My friend and I start debating on what the problem was, maybe the store was robbed or whatever. We are the only car ahead of the police so we drive by without regard to them. Bad move, very bad move. As soon as we get by I look into my rear view mirror to see headlights whip in behind us and lights go to flashing. We are both like "Oh great! What now?!"

The flashing lights were red. Fire truck lights. Then I start seeing candy strewn all over the ground. Just as I start trying to figure this out I see Santa setting on the back of the fire truck. Somehow, I managed to land us in the middle of Millport's 2002 Christmas parade. I apparently cut Mr. Clause off in the parade. It was quite the giggle seeing the looks on people faces waving at us only to stop with puzzled looks only to go back waving because Santa was right behind us. We went from a sour mood to one of side splitting laughter all in an evening that I won't soon forget.

Chris Martin

lwjabo · March 30, 2012, 10:45:13 AM

About 2002 a Veterans organisation (40&

has there annual meeting in Columbus Georgia. They have a parade and you would think someone would have talked to NS. Well the parade starts and NS decides to run one of there trains where the tracks run down the middle of the street. Yep the street where the parade is. There was a picture of this. Wished I had it. Also the 40&8 uses trains as there theme. Has to do with World War One when the troops were sent to the front on trains. One load would be horses or mules and the next men. Naturally they did not clean out the cars between loads. No one seemed to be more confused than the crew of the train. The Conductor of the train look was something else.

E.M. Bell · March 31, 2012, 07:11:36 PM

I could come close to writing a novel on this subject, as to me the fun we have waiting and driving around between trains is what it is really all about. The things you see, and the things people do (and say) are the best part. Many a funny thing has been caught by my camera...to the horror of a few folks!

If you go out shooting with me, you are never safe from the camera if you do something funny...or stupid!

A few years ago, we where up shooting on the 1st district at Mason Ky one morning, when this big ol horse comes down the road, and proceeds to hang out and watch trains with us. Gordy finally got ahold of him and the farmer came and got him back home.

Another odd animal moment...Carmon and the deer that wanted to be petted at Nortonville KY. That thing followed her around like a dog!

Jason Cagle shows how he feels about rabid foamers...hang em high!

The Turtle Tree at Waddy KY was a famous thing...made famous by me I guess. If you went to Waddy, you HAD to let the tree bite you..it was tradition! Here, Caleb offers a sacrifice to the beloved tree..it was said to bring good luck and lots of EMD's

Its the middle of winter, 10 degree's and Greg had to poop..the look on his face says it all. I bet his butt cheeks are still frozen.

Jacob (NSRailfan) and his fancy little pink camera in Knoxville. He said it belongs to his wife....its OK bud, we dont judge around here

Mark Wurst takes one for the team, keeping things clean and tidy at Debutts yard in Chattanooga.

Then, there are always the funny things you see when traveling.. Carmon and myself found this rather interesting rock formation a couple of years ago..it hit us at the same time what it looked like...I will leave that for your own interpretation

.

Its the traveling boob museum!

A place called the pink pony...which had a pink pig mobile.

cmherndon · April 01, 2012, 12:18:02 PM

Quote from: E.M. Bellto me the fun we have waiting and driving around between trains is what it is really all about.

Absolutely. The camaraderie involved comes first and foremost. There have been many funny things seen, heard, and said in our time watching trains.

One funny thing I heard last year on the radio happened on the same day that rapture was supposed to occur: "You think we'll make it home before the world ends?" (about 5:30 p.m. in Danville, when the world was supposed to end at 6.)

I prefer the photographic aspect of the lighter side. The memories are frozen forever.

First up is one of my favorites for fairly obvious reasons. It's my two year-old son watching some switching going on at DeButts Yard. Also, thanks to Mark Wurst for removing that used prophylactic!

Sometimes, the lighter side may just include a funny sign.

Emmett, Greg, and Randy all perform the "digital bow" after shooting at Junction City.

And of course, no "lighter side" discussion is complete without mention of a ride through the old CS Tunnel 24.

JCagle · April 01, 2012, 11:19:07 PM

Lol I am surprised you didn't pull any shots of the old toyota and the high tech mods for this.

Matt L · April 20, 2012, 08:58:37 PM

I had an embarassing moment last weekend. I got together with a group of fellow Lehigh Valley fans to check out some restored equipment and a rail trail. This included a restored LV caboose. Getting up the narrow ladder into the cupola was hard but I couldn't get my footing trying to get down and almost took a fall. Thankfully, my friend Scot found a step ladder and I finally could down with any further embarassment. G*# $%^& I hate ladders!!!

Anyway, here is a shot of me in the caboose before I realized he who must go up must also come down.

Photo taken by my friend Bob Lukowski using my camera Saturday 4/14/2012 in the Village of Victor, NY.

Here is a shot of the restored Lehigh Valley caboose from the outside.

Photo taken by me Saturday 4/14/2012 in the Village of Victor, NY.

stillbre · May 07, 2012, 12:26:06 PM

I got a couple that I can think of. I probably have more but they aren't coming to mind. Two of which came at the same location.
Several years ago I had gone up to the Yadkin River between Spencer and Linwood to shoot I believe it was 338 crossing the bridge. This shot required crossing the tracks and taking a short walk down a hill through the woods. I was showing some friends this spot and as we trekked down through the woods, with me leading, I lost my footing and slid down the hill on my butt. It was like taking a slip-n-slide ride all the way down the hill.
On another trip to the same spot, my wife (girlfriend at the time) was riding shotgun. We were on our way to someplace else, non-train related, but something was coming and I could easily pop off the interstate, grab the shot, and get right back on without wasting too much time. I parked the car and lead her across the tracks, with her complaining about us tresspassing. I reassured her everything was OK and the train was still a few miles back in Salisbury. We walked into the woods with her complaining about how she wasn't sure about walking through these woods. We got down to the river bank where the local fisherman would come and hang out. All their trash was still laying around so she was a little uneasy about that. I reassured her as I walked up the river through the woods to where I was going to get my shot. As I was looking back reassuring her about the safety of this spot and how I had been down here many times I walked right through a web of tangled fishing line and got a fish hook stuck in my forehead. Needless to say I didn't live that one down the rest of the trip.
On another trip I had headed south down towards Gaffney and Blacksburg SC trying to catch either 204 or 212 with either foreign or leaser power leading. I grabbed a shot at CP Cherokee, another at Grover, and another at Kings Mountain. I managed to stay right with the train up to Bessemer City but had to cross the tracks to continue the chase. I had to wait for the train to clear before I could cross the track and turn north parallel to the tracks. As soon as the train cleared I shot across the tracks and looking left to make sure no traffic was coming blatantly ran a red light. To my right was a local cop. He of course looped right around to pull me. As soon as I saw him I just pulled over knowing what was coming. When I told him I was trying to catch up to that train he just laughed and told me to keep going but to slow down.
The last one I could think of was up on the Rathole. My wife and I were staying at my grandparents in Somerset for a couple days. The forecast was calling for dense fog down on Lake Cumberland in the morning so I made plans to get up really early and head down towards Keno to a spot that Emmett, Caleb, and a couple other locals had showed me on a previous trip. The first time I had gone down there you could just drive down the access road and out onto a mound next to the tracks. This time NS had closed and locked the gate. I just nosed the car up to the gate and walked down to my shot. I then had to back the car up the narrow access road. My wife offered to walk up the hill to guide me as I backed up. I finally found a spot to get turned around at a pull off that the local residents used to dump their trash. Apparently this was also the home to a big bee's nest which proceeded to swarm around my still sleepy wife. She was running, waving her hands trying to get into the car. I'm just laughing thinking she is just being silly. That of course didn't go over well either.