Some of you, myself included, enjoy photographing 1:1, esp. to inspire ideas for our model toy trains. So far, I have no bad experiences when it comes to running into law enforcement. However, I’ve stopped photographing metro trains in D.C., despite wanting to badly get photos of the new McDonald subway paint schemes and a yellow center cab metro ROW engine, seen near Tacoma Maryland along with some rolling stock with friction-bearing axles (not roller-bearing types).
It all started yesterday morning when I ran about a mile from parking to metro in the heat. I arrived carrying a thick backpack, sweaty, along with my digital camera I always carry.
When I went down the escalator to the platform, a speaker voice announced that passengers should turn in to metro police anyone who looks suspicious, such as carrying a backpack, sweaty and taking pictures.
Boy did I feel self-conscious with my camera and sweat (the station I was at was probably 100 degrees in Ballston, Va).
When the very pretty McDonald’s fruit train went by, the camera stayed in its case.
Mind you, it’s not illegal (yet) to take pictures. But who wants to get handcuffed and strip-searched? Or, possibly even shot and killed if I ran away.
Those roof fins must play hell with wires and bridges.
Roger,
Can you find the train in this street scene? Heck, it’s difficult enough to follow the signs to the airport.
Dave, I think you are more likely to get busted for the airplanes than the trains, but there some gung ho types in law enforcement these days. Have you been following all the topics over on Trains Magazine’s forum? Sounds like one guy even got picked up by the FBI. Most of the other run ins have been with railroad or local cops.
As long as you are on public property, it is not (yet) a crime to photograph trains.
By the way, running and sweating with a backpack and a camera makes you look suspicious. Either that or a tourist.[swg]
Wow you were 3 for 3 and nobody did a thing!!! The real issue here is how prevalent are the run-ins with gung-ho legal types anyway? True there has been a lot of discussion over on the Trains board but just how many people are we talking about here? …and compared to how many of us out there day after day with nary a complainer, snitch, busybody, wannabe Dragnet etc. in sight? I’d say the odds are heavily in favor of you being able to take a picture without so much as a by-your-leave from anyone in the vicinity.
Personally, I’ve been stopped a couple of times.
The first time, I must admit I was on railroad property, though it was a well known and PUBLISHED location that had never been enforced prior to 911. It is basicly a gravel parking lot next to the public street, but it was convenient, and close to the tracks which made it nice. Now it is difficult to go there and take pictures. That was a railroad cop that stopped me there. These 2 photos will give you some idea of what the area is like.
The second time I was stopped and questioned by a regular railroad employee. I was about 10 feet off the sidewalk waiting for the Empire Builder which was late, scanner and camera in hand. No biggie, he was just doing what he had been told to do.
