I especially enjoy railfanning at night and in bad weather too. I attribute this to the fact that picture taking for the most part gets put aside (but not always). When the camera goes back in the bag trainwatching takes on a more simple and innocent ora. Without the distraction of worrying about composition and lighting and such, for me anyway, the simple act of just enjoying the trains becomes more pleasurable.
Many of nights after work I would throw my sleeping bag and scanner in the car and head for Cajon pass or sometimes Tehachappi and find a spot to enjoy the action. As stated earlier in the thread Cajon pass at night is a place like no other. There are a few places where you can get away from the highway noise enough to hear the distant chant of diesel engines a long time before you see them. Sometimes it’s just a hint, so slight that you might write it off as imagination. Then blaming it on imagination goes out the window as a very distinct sound of a train in the distance is heard. Then you have to ask yourself where is it. At night in the cool crisp air sound more readily reverberates off the mountainsides leaving the illusions of false direction and distances. This leaves your imagination to wonder. And for me at least it always seems closer than it is putting me on the edge of suspense. Minuets seem like hours as the throbbing of diesels get louder and quieter as the train snakes its way up the canyon ducking behind sound blocking canyon walls and rock formations. Occasional increases in volume as the wind carrys the sound waves through the air give your mind clues as to where in the darkness that distant train is. Snaking its way steadily twards you. To a moment in the future you know is going to happen. The moment you can first see the headlights that tell you the approaching encounter is near.
This anticipation brings the otherwise dark and still night to life. You strain your ears to hear the slightest changes of volume and tone. You strain your
I did it at Riverside CA last year where you can also just be by yourself no major hwys nearby. I found it OK at best. Maybe up in the mountains it is better then on level ground like Riverside is. All the things that you described at Cajon are also at Riverside. Where I was due to the grade crossings proceeding up to the merge there is also the sound of the air horn being blewn miles before the train reaches you which builds up your expectations of a on rushing train. [:o)][:)][:D]
I’m trying to work myself up for possibly submitting some material for the mag.
I’m still not sure I got what it takes (besides a spell checker). But if I get positive feedback on the material I post here then I might take a crack at the bigtime.
Well I never really get bothered by bugs like some people do. And I never had a problem on Cajon…Except this one time…
I hit Cajon after work late one friday night. Instead of going to one of my two usual overnight spots I decided to stop at the 138 / north track overpass. After a few trains went by I got tired and decided to take a nap, a rareity for me. I wanted to get away from the highway noise a bit but did not want to drive any distance. So I drove down the maint. road to a little knoll just above Sullivans curve. Bedroll in hand I went to the top and rolled it out in the flattest spot. I didn’t even crawl into it I just layed down on top of it. Within minuets (if not seconds) I dozed off. After an undetermined amount of time I awoke to find myself covered in ants. Not those little ones either. I mean these huge fire ants. Man I must have done the funkeyest dance ever trying to get those little bas***** off of me. Glad no one saw it. After that it was back to the car where I madly shook out my bedroll making shure they were all gone. The rest of the night was spent laying on the hood of my car.
I have to agree with this topic railfaning at night and in bad weather is awsome! Sometimes I like to go out and photograph trains in a blizzard, or when a flash flood warning is in effect. I think some bad wether is pretty, and if you can catch a train in the background it makes the trip even better.
Unfortunitly, I don’t go out railfaning too much in the heat of the night because, you never know who is in the lonely spots at that hour. I did one time go out with a friend of mine doing some night railfaning in West Conchohocken, PA. We ended up train chaseing at night back and forth from Abrams Yard in Norristown, PA to the industral sidings in West Conchohocken, PA. Which is only 6 miles from each other. That was fun, at one point we ended up doing 75 mph in a 40 mph zone just to get to a train. I had lots of fun!
Used to stand on the platform of the Rantoul, Illinois station after dark and watch the trains go by. You can see them for quite a distance in both directions, and having that little pool of light lets you see what’s actually going by.
[;)]Sitting in Haley Tower in Terre Haute at night watching trains go by is fun. It’s dark outside, the single light in the tower is shining on the board, the telegraph & sissor phone are sitting on the desk next to you as you are writing down the trains as they go by on your train order sheet, The place smells old & all is quite except for the noise from the the refridge cycling on & off making the old place seem alive. Now that’s what I call nighttime railfanning.
I happen to believe that the railroad turns into someplace special at night. I discovered this after-dark world while I was still in high school, learning to pass lantern signals as readily as I could handle hand signals during the day. It was under the watchful eye of a night operator that I copied my first (and only) train order (never could get a pen to write well on that tissue paper!).
As a railroader, I found out that not all nights are good ones, but–just as when I was “only” a railfan–you treasure the nights when the moon is out, and a nice breeze makes the leaves rustle (a stronger one used to make the wires sing, but there aren’t many wires left), and even the railroady smells seem stronger. And somehow that headlight in the distance is so much more exciting at night, maybe because it reflects off the rails. You can’t tell just anyone about the thrill you get from such seemingly insignificant things; they’ll think you’re slightly goofy. But there are some who share your passions, and I’d bet more than one will be reading this!
Ok, I guess I am not alone… I will share this story now…
I am fairly new to the whole train thing. Been into my HO layout pretty heavy now for a coupel of years… Am really getting into the railfanning now too. Over the winter we went up to Flagstaff, AZ to watch the mian TransCon of BNSF. We camped right off the tracks. We saw a train in one direction or another atleast 2 an hour, up to one very 15 minutes.
At one point, its dark, like 830ish and the wind is blowing hard, (maybe 30pmh40 gusts) with a light snow fall. I went out there watching a train that got held by the lights. While I was waiting, one went past on the eastbound track. (The girl was in the truck, comfy wathcing a movie on the DVD player) I hung around the tracks up on a ballast pile wating for the train to go when it finally started. From my vatnage pioint on the rocks, I could see the siginals down the tracks. The lighst changed and it was go time.
I hopped over on to the crossing gate to get a better view of the train… When it finally went by, one of the crew leaned out to say hi. We had a very quick exchange as now the train was really beginnign to roll., I wished him a Happy New Year (it was the 2nd) and said the same back. With both crewman waveing. Mind you its below freezeing and windy as hell, and this guy in a T shirt leaned out the window of the warm cab to talk to me. Thought that was pretty cool.
I get back to the truck and climb in the back in the shell and the girl says " I was getting worried about you, you were gone along time" It occurred to me that I stood out in 20 somethign degree weather in very little consdiering, good jacket and blue jeans, got snowed on and blown all to hell for over half an hour to watch a silly train startup… Well, I told her “Time flies when your havein fun.” it was worth it as I now have a great life long memory.
I took my desktop wallpaper shot at night. It was about 11:00 PM in winter, and I got a couple NS extra height box cars that blur together along with one of my best friends in the lower right. The shot goes from black to red to brown upper right to lower left.
It’s one of those “magical” photos that’s totally unplanned and turns out absolutely excellent. I love it
For about two years (2000-2002) I used to shoot night video, playing with night vision and available light in city and country settings. I always liked the night better, liked the way light played off of the trains and buildings. I have also loved the sound of engines (notably SD45s) rolling across the landscape at night.
Back in the late 70’s, before I was married (and before kids), Friday nights were spent with a group of buddies at a model railroad club. Around 10pm we would head to the local deli, have a sandwitch and beer and then head out west of Valpo to Ft. Wayne Crossing. This was where the GTW crossed the Conrail (ex PRR) and NW (ex Nickle Plate).
We would sit and talk and then sure enough we would hear a distant rumbling. The headlight would appear and the train would pound the crossing. It was a great experience.
Probably my best railroad photograph taken was at night, when on one of those Friday nites Amtrak’s Broadway Limited was rerouted off of the Conrail to the NW and the train stopped at the NIckle Plate depot to pickup passengers. The steam escaping from the E units, the play of darkness against light was a powerful image.
Now that spring has arrived I sleep with my bedroom window open. I enjoy laying in bed, just before going to sleep and hearing the trains working thru town.
Often, I believe we become a slave to the camera which is in our hands. Everything becomes focused thru the viewfinder and we miss the larger picture.
However, be prepared to explain yourself to the law, when they ask why you are sitting out in the middle of the night. Maybe you should print this thread to show the cops why you are serious about “waiting for a train” at night.
BTW, I agree; trainwatching at night can be very interesting and completely different.
