Does anybody know of a pleasant and safe place (park, etc.) in Fond du Lac, WI to watch and photograph trains on the CN main line where one wouldn’t be trespassing? What about Oshkosh?
Thank You.
Subway sandwich shop on Scott street , right on the south end of the yard . There is a mexican restuarant on the opposite corner that has a commanding view also , have a marguerita ! There are alot of crossings in town to take pictures , Western ave is right on a curve with a bridge , you can get some good angles there .
Rule of thumb , if it’s not private property , it’s fair game .
In Oshkosh, there are several streets with parking that are parallel and adjacent to the ROW. The signals at each end of the Fox River swingbridge can alert you to oncoming trains.
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The Subway shop is closed, and the other part of strip mall is rented to a boat rental company…not sure how they’d like you parked there…but give it a shot.
You also might try the Highway F overpass on Byron Hill south of town(stay off the overpass itself), or the Subway Road/Minnesota Avenue crossing on the north end of N.F.D.L., or even the Highway 175 overpass in Van Dyne(175 is currently under re-construction, so drive carefully, and again stay off the overpass, there are some small streets there where you can get good pics.)
DON"T park near the yard office on Lakeshore Drive…unless you like talking to small town cops[:(!] and DON"T drive into the lot at the Shops…same reason.[:(!]
In Oshkosh there is a public area on the NE corner of the swing bridge downtown (CNW6000 told me about this one). Lots of fishermen also park there. Cops come by frequently and bother no one. Unfortunately, the lighting for photography is only good until about 10-11am. But there is also a public park west of the bridge, albiet about 2 blocks away, but still a nice view over the harbor as the trains cross the bridge.
I’ve never been bothered by the cops in either city. Only contact was when I had just pulled off to the side of a county road and had not set up my photo gear yet when a Fond du Lac sherrif pulled next to me and asked if everything was alright; I told him I was just setting up to take train pics and he said “ok” and left.