i would like to post this. pepole do like take pictures of trains right? then why must we get yelled at by big shots and police of railroads its just a hobby right?
one must think that this country of ours must be falling into the hands of the bad guys where everyone is scared of simple people taking pictures of something we like to do. one railroad the eje is so scared that they are reporting anything and everything that seems to be near a train why dont railroads have ids like the fec does for railfans? life might be a little safer sure they can still report things if they want but it would be better if railfans could have a back up just in case
One time I was out photographing trains and an intermodal went passed with three business cars on it filled with BNSF guys…then just as the next train went passed the BNSF police pulled up. I think one of the guys in the business cars reported me…my goodness, I was photographing the trains on public property in the middle of town. At leased this policeman didn’t tell me to stop. There wasn’t any reason to stop me anyways…what’s so bad about taking pictures of trains? I know they’re suspicious because terrorists might do things like that to study the railroads, but…one good thing I did was wear a shirt with a BNSF AC4400CW on the front of it…I don’t think terrorists would go to that level.
well i guess to show proof of us as railfans we should do something like this to prove we are fans and mean no harm to railroads and its surroundings like a shirt have a issue of trains or another railroad magazine have other train pictures you have taken from maybe before 9/11 if you started taking them then and be nice to those who are the law and work on the railroads maybe if you would return to that spot the people who work there might remember you.
I think it’s stupid that BNSF is running their railfans off. Around here no one cares if you’re around the tracks, you can even walk all over them and no one usually says anything. Now, I’m not saying you should walk on them, I just said that to show that people around here don’t care. Here a while back, a NS business train (research car) came by with executives on board, and they saw us by the tracks and they all just waved really big and didn’t care that we took pictures of them. Earlier, a friend of mine was videotaping a train at night, his camera had a blue flashing light on it which scared the conductor, he called the local police, but all they did was ask to see the camera and then politely said it’s o.k. to be by the tracks and video tape trains. The cop even said he has several friends who video tape trains. So, If you all want to video tape trains without any problems you might consider coming down to Southern Illinois, around Fairfield, Sims, Wayne City, Princeton IN, Mount Carmel, and Golden Gate, the NS around here doesn’t care if you videotape trains. I’ve never even seen a railroad cop, I guess they stay in big cities most of the time.
Call or stop in to the police before you go railfanning so they already know just what you will be doing just in case someone does call you in. Id would rather be safe than sorry.
Allan.
I emailed NS about taking photos of their trains, the reponse I received stated that as long it is from public property, it is OK to take photos of their trains and to use them for whatever I want.
I think I will print that email and carry it with me when I go take photos of NS.
Steve
From the other side of this arguement. Introduce yourself to whom ever is incharge of your local district, area, etc. Take them a picture of yourself . Better yet, find out who are railfans in your area and go as a group to introduce yourselves. Take pictures of yourselves. Take a map of the area and put red Xes on the areas where you usually shoot pictures. The point is to get involved with the law enforcement of your area. Trust is only built through rapport.
How many times are we going to discuss the same topic.
How hard is it to look back!!