Had a good day of exploring a lot of different locations with Bill who posts here quite a bit. Just another example of the good people found here.
Took shots and chased trains from the interchange yard in Knoxville, an empty CSX coal train passing through the diamond, local T21 coming back up the K&A line with high-hood power, a mixed freight in Harriman, another mixed freight at Oakdale, the tail end of a coal train in Harriman and a grain train coming down the K&O toward the Sevier yard with NS, HLCX and ex-UP power. I took as many notes as I could and tried to derive what I could from the scanner. Got a couple train numbers. Overcast and gloomy and cold all day. Missed some pictures just because of the poor light and missed even more becaues of my own poor photography. But was still a lot of fun all around.
One side note......don't mess with the KPD.....THAT 20 minute period of the day I wish I could forget.......
Clearly the wrong day or time of year to see Oakdale. There was a little activity but not nearly what I expected out that way. Will have to plan to be in that area longer next time. And hopefully with better light.
For anyone interested.....start here and click through my album....I posted maybe 15 pics from today:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ssmith1627/Trains#5276878894304531506
Thanks for looking.
Steve
How did those camera settings work for you? Please share your experience with KPD as well.
With the poor lighting, would you have kept the ISO 400 setting ? I'm wondering if that was a good idea or not. I'll keep experimenting. I got a few decent shots but could've done a lot better. I'll be trying again early next week along the west end.
We did a bad thing in crossing a track with the gates already down as a coal train was approaching. In downtown Knoxville. A police car was there like a helicopter dropped him behind us. Quickly joined by another. They were not very amused. I can say that was the ugliest "run in" I've ever had with law enforcement and I hope the last. Watch for a guy with an orange polar fleece jacket on the next episode of "Cops".
Luckily the trip improved a great deal after that.
Steve
Quote from: ssmith1627 on December 06, 2008, 10:54:28 PM
With the poor lighting, would you have kept the ISO 400 setting ? I'm wondering if that was a good idea or not. I'll keep experimenting. I got a few decent shots but could've done a lot better. I'll be trying again early next week along the west end.
Steve
Yes, 400 ISO is fine. In fact, 800 ISO would be ideal if it was really dark, such as just after sunset or at night.
I looked at your pictures, and I see more sharpness than before. Nice work!
The KPD was a little rough in their presentation at first, but when they found out we had no warrants, etc., then they were alot nicer to us as they saw that we are law abiding citizens (minus the going around the gates). That coal train was going west and was crossing the diamond as we went through the crossing. W e went through the crossing at the Concord St./Safety City crossing.
We saw that same coal train sitting on the OPM at Sevier yard earlier in the morning.
Nice shots, Steve. That train in Oakdale with the CSX 4531 was 161. We weren't on it in that picture because we dogged the train at Camp Austin, but I was pretty close to seeing you guys! Not a bad engine, but the heater was broke!!
Wow! We saw a PTI van coming from the direction of Camp Austin. We were going that direction because we saw the cut of grain hoppers sitting in the yard, and when we got to the north end of it, we saw that there was no power on it. That is when we saw the PTI van. So my guess is that the PTI van dropped off the recrew at your train at Camp Austin.
Then we beat the 161 back to Oakdale, where we took the pictures. At Oakdale, 161 awaited permission to go over the crossing and she told them to come on, so we saw the clear signal on our way out and heard them call Tunnel 25, 26, Harriman Jct.
Then we saw the pumpkins in downtown Harriman, which we later realized were DPU's on the rear of a loaded coal train headed to Oakdale. It had done a reverse move of some kind.
Anyway, we really had great fun Saturday.
I'm glad everyone had fun and stayed safe. :)
We must remember that no train picture is worth driving around crossing gates with a train approaching. This is considered a serious offense by both law enforcement and the railroad, and, while many train crews don't mind a railfans taking pictures, they do mind crossing violators. Thus, if you are lucky, expect to be reported if you attempt to beat a train; if your not lucky, death, serious injury, are serious damage are highly probable.
These statistics from Operation Lifesaver show us just how serious the consequences of crossing violations can be.
* 1. Nearly half of all highway-rail crashes occur when the train is traveling under 30 mph.
* 2. 64% of all collisions occur in daylight hours.
* 3. Three of four collisions occur within 25 miles of the drivers home.
* 4. In the USA, approximately every 2 hours a collision occurs between a train and vehicle or A train and a pedestrian.
* 5. At 55 mph, the average freight train may take mile or more to stop.
* 6. Nearly 50% of all collisions occur at crossings equipped with automatic warning devices.
* 7. You are 20 times more likely to die in a collision with a train than in a collision involving another motor vehicle.
*8. Never drive around lowered gates. Never race a train to the crossing ? even if you tie, you lose.
*9. You have no frame of reference to determine train distance and speed.
Stay safe and have fun! :)
Quote from: NS Boxcar on December 07, 2008, 09:55:34 PM
I'm glad everyone had fun and stayed safe. :)
We must remember that no train picture is worth driving around crossing gates with a train approaching. This is considered a serious offense by both law enforcement and the railroad, and, while many train crews don't mind a railfans taking pictures, they do mind crossing violators. Thus, if you are lucky, expect to be reported if you attempt to beat a train; if your not lucky, death, serious injury, are serious damage are highly probable.
These statistics from Operation Lifesaver show us just how serious the consequences of crossing violations can be.
* 1. Nearly half of all highway-rail crashes occur when the train is traveling under 30 mph.
* 2. 64% of all collisions occur in daylight hours.
* 3. Three of four collisions occur within 25 miles of the drivers home.
* 4. In the USA, approximately every 2 hours a collision occurs between a train and vehicle or A train and a pedestrian.
* 5. At 55 mph, the average freight train may take mile or more to stop.
* 6. Nearly 50% of all collisions occur at crossings equipped with automatic warning devices.
* 7. You are 20 times more likely to die in a collision with a train than in a collision involving another motor vehicle.
*8. Never drive around lowered gates. Never race a train to the crossing ? even if you tie, you lose.
*9. You have no frame of reference to determine train distance and speed.
Stay safe and have fun! :)
I agree even when I worked at Tate&Lyle us being railserve and ns were restricted to 5mph in the plant and we had several near misses me being one when a truck came in front of the train on my blind side I got the motor and 30 mtys stoped at about a 3 ft from the drivers door of the truck and T73 actually hit a truck that looked right at them since i have had experience working on the rails I have gained much more respect for stopping distance and such
I agree. It's just not worth it. Not to be repeated.
Steve
Quote from: J-man on December 07, 2008, 12:53:16 PM
Nice shots, Steve. That train in Oakdale with the CSX 4531 was 161. We weren't on it in that picture because we dogged the train at Camp Austin, but I was pretty close to seeing you guys! Not a bad engine, but the heater was broke!!
That's really neat. Thanks for posting that. What do the crews think of railfans for the most part ? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that. Do most mind ? Get annoyed ? Don't care ?
If you don't mind my asking -- where was train 161 to/from ? That one is blank on the spreadsheet I have. I'm trying to add everything I can.
Many thanks,
Steve