Is anyone on TPR a Railfan? (Train Watcher)

[kalvin]

I am a huge railfan. I am pretty much Interested in all aspects of Railfaning.

 

Favorite Railroads- Union Pacific and Pennsylvania Railroad

 

Favorite Locomotives -Alco PA, GP 30 and GG1

 

 

 

If you have a specific favorite locomotive or railroad post it here.

[CoastersNSich]

I too am a rail-fan. I'm mostly a fan of transit railways, such as subways and metros, as well as light rail and streetcar systems. I've been on the ones in Chicago, Washington DC, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Of course, I'm also a fan of monorails, and having ridden Las Vegas' monorail. I've never been on an inter-city system, like Amtrak, but would like to do so eventually.

 

Urban transit rail is not only a fun way to go, but it's an important asset in having a great city. After all, it was Walt Disney himself that thought autopia was more of a dystopia! We might not agree about Walt's exact vision, but he had some elements right.

 

 

Note: I think that this is a worthwhile thread. If I have to, I'll start a thread on railfans!

[mcjaco]

It's not the topic. It's how it's been presented the last two times. Very Poorly.

 

 

I too am a railfan, but I'd at least put more thought into a thread about before I posted.

[CoastersNSich]

It's not the topic. It's how it's been presented the last two times. Very Poorly.

 

 

I too am a railfan, but I'd at least put more thought into a thread about before I posted.

 

Did we really need the poll question? Who in their right mind would say, "No! I hate railroads! TAER TEHM DOWN!!!"

 

I agree, the brief, one sentence posts are annoying, as can be the "... anyone?" topic titles.

[Carnage]

Did we really need the poll question? Who in their right mind would say, "No! I hate railroads! TAER TEHM DOWN!!!"

 

I used to live next to train tracks. Damn things blocked the tracks, giving me an extra 30 minute walk home when my house was just 50 feet away.

 

TAER TEHM DOWN!!

[Vekoma Fan Boy]

I'm a railfan/model railroader. I like a lot of stuff, but, my favorites go like this:

• 
  Modern: Union Pacific, Southern Pacific (defunct), and the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe
   
  Steam Era: D&RGW Narrow Gauge (Which is what I model), ATSF, Southern Pacific, Western Pacific, Union Pacific, and the Chesapeake and Ohio.
   
  Transition Era: ATSF (2-10-4s and Catwhisker FTs on Cajon Pass! WOO!), Southern Pacific, and Western Pacific.
  

 

And I have 2 layout projects. One is an actual home layout, which is D&RGW narrow gauge, and the other is an ATSF transition era modular setup that my friend and I have been thinking about doing to have something to take to shows.

[ebl]

I've said it on this site many times, I'm sure, but I live 100 feet or so from a very busy Union Pacific rail line. We get 12 Amtrak trains, six Metrolink (commuter) trains, and varying numbers of freight trains that pass behind our house every day. If I stand by the kitchen window, I have an unobstructed view of all of it.

 

Last year, I had a five-month job assignment in the San Fernando Valley, and I used Metrolink to get there. It was strange driving a mile down the street to catch the train, getting on, then passing our house going to and coming home from work.

 

Eric

[Hurricane]

I am a huge rail fan. My favorite locomotives are the QR (Queensland Rail) Fleet trains.

 

ICE (Inner City Express):

 

 

EMU (Electric Multiple Unit):

 

 

SMU (Suburban Multiple Unit):

 

 

IMU 100 Series (InterUrban Multiple Unit):

 

 

IMU 160 Series:

 

[Mystery]

I'm a railfan, I actually run one of the largest Dutch railfan websites

[dandaman]

"Y'arr, I'm a big railfan myself, now GIMME AN AMERICAN 4-4-0!!!"

[ebl]

^ Get ahold of a Utah State Quarter. It's the only one with any rail vehicles on it. (Two locomotives at Promontory Point celebrating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in case you haven't seen it.)

 

Those pictures from Hurricane remind me...Amtrak's Coast Starlight will be passing behind my house in 45 minutes, so maybe I'll get a shot or two and post 'em here.

 

Eric

[haux]

I'm not really a railfan, but innercity railway fascinates me. Like light rail or commuter rail. But I think that's just because they're quick, quiet and clean modes of transportation and cut back on traffic. I rode Denver's light rail a few times when I lived there, and I'm really excited that Phoenix is getting a 10-mile system opening in December.

 

As for the national rail network, eh. Right now I live the closest I've lived to railroad tracks, so when I go on walks, I pass by. It's nearly always Norfolk Southern here. I don't know the engines.

[dandaman]

^I actually do have that state quarter... four or five of them.

 

Canada also produced a series in 1999 for the overall country, not provinces, and the June quarter for that year has a steamer over a trestle.

[DarkStitch626]

The only kind I enjoy viewing are the A-5 or A-4 Class locomotives of steam, I never liked diesels to be honest. Steam engines are all I enjoy, from the tiny tank engines to the large booming mallet class . I enjoyed the Big boys and Challenger series. Strasburg Pen state is a good place for viewing.

 

The Mallard, Dwight Eisenhower,Nigel of Gresley, etc all amaze me all A4 class. A few still remain but the Silver Fox was the most beautiful.

 

There were many made but less than I think 5 are preserved.

 

[KPfreak519]

I used to be, but my love for trains is what lead me to my love for coasters . I still remember a lot about trains, I just don't obsess over them as much anymore.

[dandaman]

^That's pretty much my situation as well. I think it was the "any object moving on rails" that got me fascinated with first watching coasters, then eventually riding them within the past few years.

[coasterdude5]

I used to be a big railfan, coasters have sorta replaced that over time. I still like watching them from time to time, though. Especially if they're going faster than 40!

 

There's nothing better than an Amtrak flying feet from you at 70 mph!

[WillMontu]

I've been into trains since I was very little.

Two rails good, one rail BETTER!

The Tangara is just plain cool looking. Sydney's commuter system runs a fleet of them. Never ridden one, but I did ride the ill-fated "4D" train that ran in Melbourne back in 1993

This is the ultimate in trains. Why? It's attached to a McDonalds (well at least it was). It was at this location from the time the restaurant was constructed (I remember seeing it back in the late 80s, and naturally we wanted to eat our Happy Meals in the passenger carriage instead of inside) and it was removed earlier this year. It was even better when we got lifted by Dad over the fence to play in the cab.

[spaceace12]

I like trians as long as they are moving! Terre huate is known to have stopped trains. Then I hate them

 

[dandaman]

It was at this location from the time the restaurant was constructed (I remember seeing it back in the late 80s, and naturally we wanted to eat our Happy Meals in the passenger carriage instead of inside)...

 

There's a roadside "restaurant" called Webers near Orillia, Ontario (an hour north of Canada's Wonderland, for the record). It has some old Via Rail passenger coaches with fold-out tables installed, among a picnic grove; a separate CN boxcar, if I recall correctly, is actually used for meat processing on-site. Darned if those aren't great burgers, too!

 

Aah, Webers... the greatest thing to do between Canada's Wonderland and whoring the kiddie coaster at Santa's Village!

[ebl]

"Two rails good, one rail BETTER!" (WillMontu)

 

Agreed.

 

So, here are two pictures that I took yesterday right behind my house (see how close I live to the tracks?). The Coast Starlight was accidentally running on time, and I happened to be ready for it with my camera. Not the greatest pictures, but I'm not the greatest photographer either.

 

Just for trivia, this train consisted of a pair of EMD GENESIS series locomotives pulling 11 Superliner cars and one baggage car, more or less the norm since the late '90s when the old F40PHs were retired.

 

Eric

...and there it goes...

Here it comes...

[spaceace12]

So do you live on the good or bad side of the tracks?

[coastercrazed49]

I was obsessed with trains when I was little, but they were a little to tame for me. So thats why I like coasters now. I still do love taking the train from here to there, and I get to take the New England Amtrack down to DC in mid August from Boston.

[pacoasterrider]

I was when I was little. I live only 5 mins away from the Strasburg Railroad, and grew up around there. I even currently work at a tourist trap restaurant really close to the railroad itself.

 

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/

[verticalzero]

I used to be a train spotter when I was younger Today I go on "Railtours round England" and visit Preserved Railways for their Diesel Gala weekends.

 

A few of my Fav Diesel and AC loco's which operate in England.