Next year I’m thining about recording the trains go by on a camcorder when I go to Kennewick, Washington, is it legal to stand about 20 feet away from the train tracks while recording the trains go by?
Even if it’s legal, 20 feet is too close. Besides, you will get better pictures if you are a little further away. If you feel you need pictures from that close, put the cam on a tripod, and stand a safe distance back. My cam has a remote control for that purpose.
dd
Recording trains with a camcorder twenty feet from the tracks is too close from the standpoint of safety ; what happens if the a car has a protruding load? I agree with didance you can better pictures from further away because you can take in more of the area; it also may help you to identify where you did the recording. I strongly recommend mounting the camcorder on a tripod to obtain a steady picture. If your camcorder has a"steadyshot feature use it to minimize or eliminate the shakiness of the picture, but don’t rely onit altogether to get a steady picture.
I agree all of the above. Your best bet would be to stay back 75 to 100FT from the Track.
Allan.
come on guys, dont be WIMPS [:p] ive been close enough for engine grabirons to touch my hair [:D] everyone has at one point. but i never new the dash 9 wash so big [:0]
Trying hard to be a Darwin award candidate, aren’t we?
Gee, now I can go post something in this thread.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=46738
Unless the train is moving at a crawl, I prefer to stand back a bit…I’ve heard stories of steel banding used to hold lumber loads breaking and dragging along the ground, or in the air along the train…or chains …etc…get hit with one of those when a train is flying by at 40 or 50 miles an hour and it can kinda ruin your day…to put it mildly…
I’ve seen flapping banding from lumber loads - it is about 1 inch wide and knife sharp. But a more common hazard is flying debris kicked up by the train - rocks and stuff like that. It may not be as injurious but is none the less unpleasant. Stand back - be safe.
dd
To admit it I once stood close to a BNSF train that was going about 50 miles an hour and it totally knocked the wind out of me, it was like standing outside on a very windy day, I was probably about 20-30 feet away and I stood within 5 feet of the railroad gates.
I never really thought about the debris flying around as the trains go by, thank you for the tip, I’ll probably stand about 15-20 feet away from the railroad crossing gates just to be safe.
…Used a camcorder…some years ago…at Horseshoe Curve and for part of recording I was down at parking lot level…{not up at track location}, and simply followed a drag fighting up hill from east to west and besides getting a good overview of the surroundings at it passed I got excellent sound reproduction doing it…Sound bouncing off the shear wall on the far side of the middle of the curve really gave me great sound as well as a good view of what the train was fighting in terrain to get up the mountain.
This is an interesting subject for me, because I am going back home this month and one of the timgs I love to do is watch the Metra Scoots go by not far from the family home. Now that we have a camcorder, I would love to record these Metra trains going thru the town. I went over to a good place the last time I was at home, and had 2 different cameras and kept them both going. I took about 70 pictures!) The trains were coming, almost too fast for me to get set up! [:D] It was 5PM on a Friday so I was getting not only the rush hour, but a Friday evening! These particular tracks are your typical 3 track set up, common in Chicago. At times it semed that the trains were on all the tracks, within minutes of each other. The middle one appeared to be the express, as it flew right past me.
Has anyone recently here tried to record the trains in a city? I am worried about being stopped by the police, whether the Chicago cops or the Metra ones. The area I was in, is very busy all the time. I was next to a major road, and there are many businesses there. Also besides the heavy traffic, there is a good amount of foot traffic, which was obvious on several of my shots. He kept trying to get in my shot!
This particular set of tracks are the reason I love trains so much. As a child, my friends and I use to play on the tracks. (Actually my 80+ year old Mom remembers the sounds of the steam trains, all the way at the house, especially at night.) No one ever bothered us when we played on the track… And we were always careful, making sure we cleared the tracks in plenty of time before the train passed. (just in case someone was curious)
How can I record these rush hour trains without looking like a threat?
This is my biggest concern. However, who would bother a 50+ year old woman?
I would like to have some comments on how I can get the trains recorded without being hassled.
Debbie, in Texas
…Sorry I’m no expert on what you are attempting to do…It sure sounds like a great place to record…much, much traffic. Just be careful of your surroundings and I hope you get it figured out and get some good recordings. Perhaps someone on here with good expertise will add to your requests…
Stand back, and use the zoom for those close up shots… It’s safer and allows more flexibility in case you want to zoom out for a wide shot.
My thoughts exactly, but ggnutsc beat me to it. Assuming you’ve got a decent zoom, you can all but read the label on the conductor’s bib overalls from a safe distance. As a variation, consider finding a spot where the track curves and set up at a point where oncoming trains will be coming almost directly at you then veer away.
First and foremost, stay safe. As has been said many times, these are big machines. Accord them the wide berth they deserve (not to mention easing up on the crew’s nerves).
If you want to unnerve yourself, start with a wide angle shot of an oncoming train, then rapidly zoom in. Almost guaranteed to make you jump back…[:D]