In a recent article in Trains Magazine a locomotive engineer’s last trip before retirement was described.
I understood that engineers and conductors are not allowed to bring, let alone use photographic equipment in locomotive cabs. I was not aware of that rule. Is it a general rule? When was it introduced, and why?
There are exceptions. The Providence and Worcester is one. The P&W trusts engine crews not to let photography interfere with their duties and will use photographs for the railroad’s publicitiy, including their excellent photo-calender.
And P&W locos are maintained to look clean and provide a good image for the railroad.
No exceptions to the FRA emergency order banning electronic devices used by operating folks while performing duties, though.
So while P&W can allow photography, they can only allow it where/when the feds say it is ok.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L02283
Link to the rule….conceived in part as a response to the Metrolink/UP collision in Chatsworth.
Safest route is to simply turn your phone off and store it in your grip.
Carriers have called the conductor and or the engineer on their cell phone to catch them violating the rule, if the FRA catches you, it can be a $20,000.00 fine to the employee.
No text or call I can think of is worth that to me.
I’ve got a Morning sun book called “Trackside Along the Erie and its Connections” by Jim Kostibos. Mr Kostibos was an Erie engineer from the 50’s until his retirement around 2000. He was also a railfan who always took his camera with him on runs.
The books has a lot of great shots of vintage diesels and equipment, but always from the ground, almost none are from the cab. I suspect the “no camera in the cab” restriction may be older than we think. Or, Mr. Jim was a thorough professional who knew how to keep his mind on his work. I suspect the latter.
We occasionally have guests in the cab. We let them use their cameras. We don’t use them.
How about my Canon QL17, which I have had for thirty-five years, and it still does everything I want it to do? It does have some electrical circuitry in it, to set the aperture according to available light and the shutter speed that I set.
I imagine that most cameras that use film do not fall under the prohibition of electronic devices.
I guess folks could use what I use, an Argus C-3. NO electronics AT ALL! OK, there’s the flash circuit, but that’s it.
Or I could use my Argus C-2 with no flash circuit!
That’s a $20,000 gamble with the FRA. Not one I’d be willing to bet on.
My carrier consider a camera, any camera, film or digital, an “electrical device that can distract” and prohibits their use while the train is in motion.
You would have to check your carriers General Orders to find out if a film camera is prohibited.
Most film cameras that most people have ever used would fall under that by technicality, (anything with a light meter has electrical components) but I do have a few cameras that one could argue in court don’t fall under the rule…however, it’s never good to bet against common sense.