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Railfanning as a Hobby
Railfanning can be a fun and rewarding experience if done safely. Caution "MUST!" be taken anytime you are near railroad tracks. I have had many pleasurable experiences either chasing trains, or just sitting waiting on a train to pass. Every train is a traveling story. All the different railcars have come from someplace, carrying something, and going somewhere, or are returning from somewhere after carrying something from someplace. Take the container trains, some of the containers may have traveled across the globe to pass before you. If they could only talk, imagine the stories they could tell of their traveling adventures. And how about the engines and other railcars that have transversed the continental US several times over. Just imagine all the different products that have been carried in these trains. Some railfans post reports on web sites of sightings of certain railcars or engines to track their adventures. Others take and collect photographs to share or to aid in building realistic models. These are just two of the many facets of this hobby.As I mentioned in the beginning, safety is a paramount issue in railfanning. OPERATION LIFESAVER is a program developed by the rairoad industry to provide the general public with information about the dangers posed by ignoring the warning of oncoming trains. Another area of concern is the issue of trespasing on railroad property. Those signs are posted for a reason. If you want to enter a posted area, you need to get permission from railroad authorities. Unfortunitely, some have spoiled the opportunities of many of us law abiding fans by doing some really stupid things that have either cost the railroad money or lives. Most yard masters that I have talked to have allowed me into specific areas as long as I follow their rules. Just remember, respect shown usually gets respect returned. Outside of railyards, you may still find yourself trespassing if you enter areas too close to the tracks. It is safer to remain in public accessable areas than to venture out on to the right of way or a bridge. If you find that you just have to get that money shot of your favorite train coming, just ask yourself if it is worth risking your life over. Trains DO NOT stop very quickly. A loaded train may travel over a mile before it can be brought to a complete stop. So in the words of OPERATION LIFESAVER, "LOOK LISTEN LIVE!" So let's go out and watch some trains. And if you are new to railfanning, try to hook up with an experienced railfanner to show you the ropes and help you make some contacts with the proper railroad authorities. Who knows, you might even find yourself at the controls of a real engine moving cars around a railyard. Been there, done that, loads of fun! |
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Model Railroading
I model in HO scale, which is the 1/87 scale. My favorite railroads are the Southern Pacific, which was the railroad I grew up around in SW Louisiana, and the Santa Fe. Unfortunitely, both have been merged into other railroads. Southern Pacific (SP)was absorbed by the Union Pacific (UP), and the Santa Fe (ATSF)became part of the Burlington Norhtern and Santa Fe (BNSF). Whereas BNSF is utilizing the different paint schemes of the 2 roads, like the warbonnett from ATSF and heritage from BN, the UP has opted to completely eliminate all schemes except their own. The SP had acquired the Denver and Rio Grande Western (DRGW) prior to being bought by the UP and had adopted the speed lettering of the DRGW for it own units, but had not eliminated the DRGW scheme on its equipment. The period I am modeling is the time around 1995 and 1996, which is when both mergers occurred. That way I can still run both in original schemes along with a mixture of other road names.
About the WebMaster
I have been interested in model railroading as far back as I can remember. While growing up in the 50's, we had an American Flyer layout built the back of a ping pong table. When we wanted to run the trains, my dad and older brothers would flip the table top over, place the buildings, cars and engines on, and away we would go. The layout was dismantled around 1960 and the trains were packed away in the garage.My interest in model railroading was reignited in 1976 upon my return from a military tour of duty in Korea. With a brand new foreign wife, I prefered to stay close to home to help her get adjusted. We were window shopping at a mall in Ft Worth, TX when we came across a hobby shop. The flame was reignited as i realized what I had been missing. We bought a Tyco set that day and as is said, the rest is history. I still have all of my original equipment from that set today. I have over the past 26+ years acquired a major fleet of railcars and engines. My current major interest is in the new modern equipment such as unit trains and high horsepower. I love to watch a long unit coal or container train go around a layout. That is one of the reasons my newest plan has minimum 40" radius curves and minimum 40' long passing sidings. I want to be able to railfan my own layout. The new layout is going into a 60'x100' building that my brother-in-law and I are building. His hobby is drag racing, so we've combined our hobbies into one building. We will each have 40'x60' work area with the rest dedicated to a small wood shop, a couple of offices and a lounge area. Once completed, it will undoubtedly become our second home.
FAQ E-mail:
carlshobby@hotmail.com
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