Tyler's Railfanning Thread

[Tyler]

In the great off-topic tradition of apples and country music, I would like to present the following thread documenting my railfanning adventures. As I continue to explore the trains throughout the greater Chicago area, I'll post a review of each location (as well as a few photos). I'll also sporadically write up some classic locations from Ohio and elsewhere in the Midwest.

INDEX OF REVIEWS - date of review

• Downtown Milwaukee - 1/31/12
• Roosevelt Road Overpass (Chicago) - 12/3/12
• National Train Day (Chicago Union Station) - 1/17/13

To understand what exactly I'm doing (though "why" is a question that likely cannot be answered), I've written this brief introduction to my life in the hobby.

"Railfanning" (aka "trainwatching") is the hobby of watching railroads and their related operations for fun. It's a bigger hobby than you realize. Railfans come in every shape and size, from retired railroad employees for whom the tracks have become a way of life to young children learning to love the real-world version of Thomas the Tank Engine. I was originally the latter. My interest in trains originated with the PBS television show "Shining Time Station" and has been constant ever since.

The most significant moment in my evolution as a railfan came when I was in pre-school. My dad drove me to school every morning, and our route crossed a set of tracks. We would frequently be stopped by trains at the gates, a delay in our morning commute that we both happily enjoyed (to this day, my family actually seeks out the flashing red lights of a railroad crossing, sometimes turning off of our original route if we see one in the distance down a side street). One fateful morning, my dad had an idea that changed the life of my family. "What if we wrote down the numbers of each train?" he asked me. According to his memory, a Union Pacific engine had just passed by, a rarity in north-central Ohio. "We could see if we ever saw the engine again." It was March, 1994. I was a little more than five years old.

We've been tracking the company (more technically the "reporting marks") and number ("unit number") of each locomotive we've seen ever since. Almost eighteen years later, our master "train list" of these entries contains thousands of locomotives from hundreds of railroads. Printed out, it's over one hundred pages long. We've seen trains in fifteen states and one district. Virtually every vacation my family has ever taken has been a trainwatching vacation.

Each entry on the list contains, at minimum, the relevant date and location and then the company and number of each locomotive. But some entries are much more detailed:

• We've chased a train we spotted in the distance off a highway in Indiana until we caught it over the state line in Ohio.
• We've memorized train numbers seen while running 5Ks and scribbled them down upon crossing the finish line.
• We've taken binoculars to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis not to sightsee, but to catch industrial locomotives working across the Mississippi River in East St. Louis.
• We've requested hotel rooms facing the tracks so we can wake up throughout the night to catch every train as it passes.

And perhaps my all-time favorite story:

• My dad and I took a detour to catch a train we spotted while en route to the doctor's office to have my broken arm set and put in a cast.

COMING SOON: My first location review, downtown Milwaukee.

[Bill]

Awesome! I love railroading myself and generally take every opportunity to take train rides when possible. I would love to hear your stories. Can't say I've ever done any trainspotting though.

[Jim]

I knew there were train buffs. But I had no idea there were people that went train spotting. I think that is a fascinating hobby.

I always felt weird that I enjoyed being stopped by a train. I just love to watch them go by. While most people seem frustrated and irritated, as long as I'm not late to work or something along those lines, I enjoy the stop. When we are driving along a stretch of road that runs parallel to tracks with a train going by, I have trouble not looking over at the train while I'm driving. But I do take a couple quick glimpses if feel I can do so safely. I thought I was strange or something. It's good to know there are others who enjoy that too.

I have loved going to a local transportation museum. The highlight for me is the retired engines and rail cars. Although I do find the aircraft and cars interesting as well.

My interest is not strong enough to go looking for trains, but I do enjoy them when I see them.

Since you say your hobby was influenced by Shining Time Station, I'm curious if you collect any of those toys. My kids watched that show. It was one of the kid shows I didn't mind watching. If I remember correctly, Ringo Starr of the Beatles was a narrator.

Do you have any interest in model trains?

Have you bought those railroad software games/simulators? Railroad Tycoon is one of my all time favorite computer games.

[Lions]

I've been a big fan of trains my whole life, although I've never taken it to the level of trainspotting. I brought out my old N-Scale model railroad set a few months ago, and my 2-year old daughter loved it so much that we decided to buy her (ok... me) a couple of Lego trains to play with. She's not dextrous enough to control the speed properly, but loves watching them. My cousin in the Netherlands is part of a train club that operates restored steam engines. There's just something fascinating about a long line of train cars being pulled along a track.

[John]

• We've chased a train we spotted in the distance off a highway in Indiana until we caught it over the state line in Ohio.
• We've memorized train numbers seen while running 5Ks and scribbled them down upon crossing the finish line.
• We've taken binoculars to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis not to sightsee, but to catch industrial locomotives working across the Mississippi River in East St. Louis.
• We've requested hotel rooms facing the tracks so we can wake up throughout the night to catch every train as it passes.

And perhaps my all-time favorite story:

• My dad and I took a detour to catch a train we spotted while en route to the doctor's office to have my broken arm set and put in a cast.

I totally appreciate passion, so stories like this are so cool to me... just right up my alley. For me, this is just like James's country music blog. I've never had any special affinity for trains, but now that I'm reading about someone who is passionate, I find it captivating, and my interest grows accordingly. I'm really looking forward to hearing the detailed stories behind these blurbs.

[Borealis]

...to young children learning to love the real-world version of Thomas the Tank Engine. I was originally the latter. My interest in trains originated with the PBS television show "Shining Time Station" and has been constant ever since.

This is why the real-life version of Aurora GM Will Topham became a big train fan. Of course this guy...



didn't hurt the cause!

[Tyler]

Wow! I'm absolutely delighted to see so many replies to this thread already. I'm glad to hear we've gone some train fans on this forum. Denny hasn't popped in yet, but I know he's a railfan like myself. Even if you're not obsessed as I am, if you like the sight of a train just a little bit for any reason, you're good in my book.

Since you say your hobby was influenced by Shining Time Station, I'm curious if you collect any of those toys. My kids watched that show. It was one of the kid shows I didn't mind watching. If I remember correctly, Ringo Starr of the Beatles was a narrator.

I collected (at the time, "played with") both the wooden and die cast toys as a kid. In fact, I never gave them away or donated them, so they're all still in my possession. My current plan is to pass them on to any hypothetical future offspring.

Shining Time Station was a half-hour American show used as a framing device to show the British Thomas and Friends series (whose episodes were only a few minutes long). The first narrator was indeed Ringo Star, and in the second and subsequent seasons, he was replaced by the one and only George Carlin. I grew up with that man as a beloved childhood friend. You can imagine my shock when I learned who he really was. In the time after I stopped watching, Alec Baldwin and Pierce Brosnan have served as the narrator. That list is, I think, one of the most eclectic I'll ever see.

Do you have any interest in model trains?

Do I ever. That'd be a topic for another thread, but I've been a subscriber to Model Railroader for years and there's an incomplete HO railroad in my basement back home in Ohio that's on indefinite suspension. The moment I have a semi-permanent apartment or house, I'll move all the trains to that location and start to build another layout. Here in Chicago, I currently have a lone HO scale Chessie System covered hopper I bought just so I wouldn't be completely devoid of model trains.

The real problem for me with the hobby is that due to the cost and space required, demographically you need to be a rich retired person to fully enjoy it. It's tricky to do when you're a paycheck-to-paycheck actor.

Have you bought those railroad software games/simulators? Railroad Tycoon is one of my all time favorite computer games.

You've nailed me yet again. I've played Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon II, Trainz, and Microsoft Train Simulator. My favorite is easily Railroad Tycoon II. I'll occasionally play it to this day. It's a wonderful game. As far as the simulators are concerned, I enjoyed MSTS when it came out and recently played it again and found it a bit lacking. It hasn't aged the best. Trainz's user interface is just a bit too clunky to really be enjoyable, but the last version I played was from 2007, I think.

[Bill]

The real problem for me with the hobby is that due to the cost and space required, demographically you need to be a rich retired person to fully enjoy it. It's tricky to do when you're a paycheck-to-paycheck actor.

The bolded above is really my problem. I have the money (to start at least) and likely the time, but no space to devote to it. I've considered joining a model RR club to accomodate the last issue, but don't really fit the demographic.

[Denny]

Denny hasn't popped in yet, but I know he's a railfan like myself. Even if you're not obsessed as I am, if you like the sight of a train just a little bit for any reason, you're good in my book.

Guilty as charged As chance would have it, I didn't get to this thread earlier because I was busy chasing down the possible locations of a rail junction pictured in a Facebook friend's family photo from the 40s. Does anyone here know anything about B&O stations in southern Ohio? :eek:

The real problem for me with the hobby is that due to the cost and space required, demographically you need to be a rich retired person to fully enjoy it. It's tricky to do when you're a paycheck-to-paycheck actor.

That is definitely the stereotype, but you'd be surprised at what one can accomplish in a few hours a week on a limited budget. I've been inspired recently by Lance Mindheim's East Rail switching layout--something like it could be created in just a few feet of real estate and operated using just one locomotive and a handful of cars. Of course there you wouldn't be able to have the satisfaction of just watching a train slowly orbit the layout, which can be very calming, somewhat akin to watching an aquarium.

My favorite is easily Railroad Tycoon II. I'll occasionally play it to this day. It's a wonderful game.

Mine too! I have played the "Heartland" map of RT2 more times than probably all other rail games put together.

[Bill]

That's a good point Denny about small layouts. I guess it would be doable to setup something like that in a corner space that you aren't using anyway.

I'll have to think on that...

[Steel Dragons]

Having spent 32 years working for first British Rail and now a succession of privatised franchises I shall just shake my head in dispair and bow out of this thread

[klewis]

I'm not a total train fan but here is my contribution to this thread:

When I was a child, I did own a railroad set. I thought it was very cool to see a piece of toy just power itself in a figure-8 :) But alas those darn plastic railroads kept breaking!

My nephew is a train nut! He loves Thomas the train! He has two railroads and basically just loves anything that moves (trains, cars, boats and airplanes). His favorite movies are the Cars series by Pixar.

This probably doesn't really count but I've successfully converted a few friends and family to board gaming by exposing them to Ticket to Ride But I hear there are plenty of wonderful railroad board games that really immerses yourself into the railroad world (Ticket to Ride doesn't really immerse you to trains). I have heard good things about Age of Steam, Steam, Railroad Tycoon, and Railways of the World.

Sheldon on Big Bang Theory is a train lover too

Lastly, any train aficionado needs to visit Germany! I have always been amazed by these videos. It makes me want to go check it out.

[Jim]

My favorite is easily Railroad Tycoon II. I'll occasionally play it to this day. It's a wonderful game.

Mine too! I have played the "Heartland" map of RT2 more times than probably all other rail games put together.

The Heartland map was my favorite! I can't remember the name, but I also enjoyed one that connected the Eastern US, across the mountains to the West (with an option for goal destination of Seattle, San Francisco, or a 3 rd city which eludes me at the moment).

I also really enjoyed using the map editor to create landscapes to play within. I probably created literally thousands of maps, just to play a short while and discard.

I found a later version of Railroad Tycoon on the discount software rack. I really liked the fact that in this later version, instead of concrete resource sources limited to one building or location on the map, there were regions or areas rich in a given resource. I could play that version for a short while, until it would freeze. I tried it on two different computer systems without success; and finally gave up on it. Some day I have intentions of trying it on my latest system.

any train aficionado needs to visit Germany!

Holy Mackerel! That is unbelievable. I remember being amazed by a miniature train setup in a museum in Chicago about 35 years ago. But that was nothing compared to this marvel you've pointed out.

[John]

Lastly, any train aficionado needs to visit Germany! I have always been amazed by these videos. It makes me want to go check it out.

That is... amazing. I mean, I cannot fathom the work that went into that. Thank you for sharing. I am in awe.

[Steel Dragons]

When Manchester City played Hamberg a few seasons ago in the Europa League quarter-final I had this on my to-do list but unfortunately I couldn't get a ticket for the match so I didn't go. And when I saw City in Munich this year it was just too far a detour to do it in the time I was in Germany.