How far have you gone to see a train? I traveled 5 miles just on the side of a busy road to.
Well lets see from my city in SE Florida to one of my favorite train watching places in S. California according to Mapquest is 2,700 miles. Is that far enough to see trains? If you want to see pix from that area click on the link I am supplying you
http://vgalleries.com/members/railfan1/The+Trainfan.vrg
[:o)]
Back in the 70’s, I travelled from Illinois to London, Eng. to ride the 125mph trains there. Went from London to Bristol to Bath, and back to London. (Also saw my brother in London who was staying there at the time. 
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As one of the main parts of a 2-week vacation I took in 1982, I drove about 900 miles from Chicago to New York to watch LIRR at Jamaica, the GG1 to E8A handoff at South Amboy, and various NJ Transit operations (U34CH’s) in the New York area.
H;mm at the time of that trip I lived in NJ & commuted on the North Jersey Coast line each & every day so maybe I saw you watching the changeover from electric to diesel or vice versa when you were in S. Amboy[:)]
Twice I’ve been to Chief Logan Reserve in West Virginia to look at the C&O K4 2754 to get photos cause my dads building a 7.25" live steamer of that loco … from Australia !
As SPBED will know I’m headed to Tehachapi , Donner Pass and Keddie soon !
Well I wish you good trip. If I did not mention it if you look at my web site you will see pix of the BNSF entering the UPRR @ Bakersfield & would also recommend a stop there as well. My bro is working on posting in streaming video a BNSF train entering Caliente & navigating the horseshoe curve there. Maybe we will get it posted prior to your trip. [8D]
From my Alabama home I went to Alaska and rode the White Pass & Yukon Route (very good ride) and the Alaska Railroad. I ve also been to California and saw Tehachapi and also went to the north and went to Horseshoe curve.
Michael Stephens
McCalla, Alabama
The farthest I have been train watching is about 700 miles to Tampa, Florida making stops at Folkston, Ga and Jessup, Ga on the way back. I plan to visit Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA in the future. I mainly stay on the East Coast.
When I moved to Colorado, the older members of RMRRC always talked about Sherman Pass in the days of steam. There is still enough steam in Colorado on narrow guage lines to get hooked on it. So when Trains Magazine featured China with mainline steam, I booked a trip. Jingpeng Pass in Inner Mongolia was incredible, every train double headed with 2-10-2 QJ class locomotives chanting away at a steady pace. I then could understand how people felt about Sherman Pass when steam ran there in regular service. I went back every six months until steam was replaced in regular service, which amounted to three more trips. Next month I will top that distance for travel - South Africa for three weeks of charter steam trains. But I am still a regular on Colorado’s steam trains.
Keith Jensen
Englewood, Colorado
Been there. Done that. I highly recommend it. Great museum at the bottom of the hill and you can either ride a Pittsburgh-like incline or ascend a zigzag staircase to the observation area (at least they were there in 1995 when I visited).
motor
Well I am leaving today from almost the extreme most SE point in our country & going to the extreme most NW point in our country. How far is that?
I have taken many different trips to see trains. I think the farthest was to Australia to see the Iron ore trains. Driving wise the longest was about 900 miles. I’ve also seen trains in Argentina, Scotland, and Peru. I’m going to Canada this summer. Last summer was Alaska.
Probably the furthest we’ve been is 600+ miles to see trains on the world famous Horseshoe Curve outside Altoona, Pensylvania as well as the railroad museum there. We’ve also visited a train museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is 800+ round trip. I’m the train nut and my husband likes aeroplanes, so this was a twofer.
Before the price of gas went through the roof we used to make weekly pilgrimages to Burlington West, Bayview Junction, Guelph Junction, Paris, Brantford, Welland, to name a few. We also used to go to a spot on the Halton-Sub just north of 10 sideroad, east of 25 Hwy, near Scotch Block.
Sometimes we’d cross to the US side and go and watch trains at the Amtrak Depew Depot, on the outskirts of Buffalo, also at the firehall on Broadway, near the CSX Frontier yard. Now, because of the price of gas, that only happens if we have to cross the border for other reasons.
Like Renegade, I too went to Australia (from UK - 12,000 miles?). The main reason for my 2001 trip was to visit my son in Melbourne but, of course, part of the plan was to see some trains. Rode behind narrow-gauge steam locos on the Puffing Billy Railway, travelled 200 miles at speeds up to 70 mph behind a big Hudson on the West Coast Railway and rode in the cab of a 2-8-0 on the Goldfields Railway. I wonder if that regular Saturday steam service is still running on the WCR? Does anyone know? By the way, nice to see spbed here!
I generally just go 15 miles to TUSCOLA, to a busy junction of CN-UP-CSX trains.
When I lived near San Francisco I went to Zimbabwee for two weeks of chasing Garretts. The short mileage is about 10,000 mile.
I have traveled on Amtrak from L.A. to Boston and ridden thier Commuter trains and rail transit.I especially went to ride the PCC cars in Boston.I have also been to Alaska to ride the Alaska Railroad. The farthest I went to see a specific train was a trip to Benjimin Hill in Mexico to see the FT A-B set that was in storage in the yard there.
Hi,
Give me a excuse and I will try to go any place to ride a train! My wife gave me a cross country trip on Amtrak in 1999 and I was able to ride on 7 trains of Amtrak and I went to Seattle and rode to Washington the year before on the Coast Starlight. My wife and I went to Hawaii in 1997 and I found the Sugar Cane Train in Maui and rode it. I have been to Alaska the last 2 years and rode the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks and the White Pass and Yukon from Skagway, Alaska. I have also been to the Grand Canyon to ride their train also. I work in Richmond, Ca by the BNSF. and chase trains on the way home daily if possible.[:)]
rails99