Hello all. I posted this originally in the thread by the teenager looking for different ways to railfan. Since it is something off topic from that original post, I thought it might be worth bringing up here.
As you can probably tell from my handle, I really like canoes. I live in Green Bay, WI and love paddling. One way I love to railfan is by canoe. There are many rivers in Wisconsin and Illinois that are criss-crossed by railroad tracks. A great day in a canoe is to “put in” upstream of a stretch of river that has a couple of railroad bridges. Then, float on down. If you get to a bridge, drop anchor and kick back. Read a book, cast a fishing line, and soak up some sun. When you hear that rumble down the track, pull out that camera and get ready to snap away. If the spot isn’t working out too well, then float on downstream.
Rail bridges make great fishing spots on rivers. Many bridges are built on narrows to save money on the bridging materials and construction. As a result, many fish are funneled through. Also, structures give off a lot of warmth, which fish like as well.
If you think about paddling a river for this type of railfanning, make sure you study a good river map first. Many rivers offer campgrounds or public camping land on the banks or islands. That way you can make a multi-day trip out of it. Pack waterproof bags for your camera equipment in case you get into some wet weather, or rapids. If you paddle the upper midwest, Mike Svob has written some incredible books that detail short river trips by canoe or kayak. His maps are fantastic and he is incredibly detailed in his trip descriptions.
Enjoy and good luck. If others have railfanned this way, please consider posting your experiences…
Back in the days of the Penn Central, this type of train watching was much more popular, as you could determine the speed of the train by paddling along side it in your canoe . . . rarely did you have to exceed three paddles per minute.
I used to rent a jet-boat and take my kids out on Sandusky Bay along the rail line and bridges. It was a great way to see trains from a differant view. -great fun
One of our regular (and popular) programs on our tourist line is “Paddle and Rail.” There are actually places you can see the line from the river, but the attraction is doing a 3-4 hour paddle downstream, then ride the train back up to the station, where the canoe rental folks pick you up and take you back to where you started.
Some of the other areas of the river where you can see the line require more skill (and usually a little more water in the river…).
A few years ago - I decided to photograph all of the rail crossings of the Colorado River in Texas. I had a lot of fun and got a few great pictures - but I soon realized that with limited access along the Colorado I would either have to charter a plane or take up canoeing to finish the task as some bridges are unreachable by road without serious trespassing. But my canoeing buddy moved so that project is on hold indenfinately.
I did some canoeing in my day, both as a Boy Scout and when the kids were little (they’d never heard me use a “naughty word” before the time we picked the wrong route around an island and found our way blocked!). It might be interesting for the avid canoeists to find the rivers that parallel or cross under railroads often.
But don’t overlook the fact that, especially if you own a canoe, it might be just worthwhile to take it to a nearby launch site and go the short distance you need to get that unusual shot of your local bridge, or something a short distance away. There are lots of places in Chicagoland, for example, where this is feasible (you’d have to watch out for barge traffic on occasion, and the wakes they could set up). But the rivers and canals around here are normally calm enough that fairly stable shots could be obtained.
you could set out at “the bend” here in defiance follow the maumee river to the confluence and turn right up the auglaize for some train shots of csxs bridge.M&Ws bridge is also over the maumee river.The I&O bridge east of napoleon is good too but you need to get a train in daylight.
I recently went canoeing with my senior class on the Housatonic River in Falls Village, Connecticut. Right next to the river is the Housatonic Railroad’s mainline. After canoeing upstream a ways, my friends pointed out the rumble of a train coming up the tracks. The train was short in length with a GP35 on the head end. It was nice to see the train, especially from a canoe.
The lower Wisconsin River from Prairie du Sac down to Prairie du Chein has the WSOR cross it four times. This is a BEAUTIFUL float. The UP line crosses the Wisconsin River right at the Dells. That is a fantastic spot and a nice float.
Further upstream, the UP crosses Castle Rock Lake. You could put in at Petenwell Dam and take out right at Buckhorn State Park.
If you’re in Chicago, you could float the Des Plaines river from Riverside all the way down to Lemont to see some BNSF action.
One spot, that’s not too far from Green Bay, is Gills Landing, just East of Weyuewega. Do a Mapquest search on Gills Landing. It will place the pointer right at the public boat landing. From there its only a few hundred yards to where the CN mainline between Neenah and Stevens Point crosses the Wolf River. Mosty tree lined on both banks.
