Yesterday as I was going over the RR tracks in my truck I noticed they (flat cars) was filled with military vehicles! [:p]
Oh I was excited again because I had once got to take photos before with the MP (Military Police) standing there (he was cool) with directions to shoot to kill orders. Got those photos with out any damage. I never crossed the ditch to the rails. [8D]
Well I had cameras in hand and never once crossed this ditch and did not see ANY MPs at all. I just drove and taking snap shots of different histroy making equipment. [:p][:p]
Now this red car pulls up infront of me. Guy jumps out with a black “sheriff” shirt on which you can buy on eBay or any 5 and dime store. [:(!]
He ask what I was doing and I explained I was photographing histroy like that some was in WW2. He told me he was with sheriffs dept, told him to get his ID and he bowed up at me. [}:)][:D][}:)]
I could tell this guy was green as once I was when I was on the force. When he came back we both showed each other our IDs. [;)]
I advised him about the shirt…hats…etc… and he just wanted to know what I was doing.
We had a nice coversation after that [:)]
Seems lately the lack of police and sheriff code of conduct and code of dress has gone out the window here. [:(]
I had two not-quite-so-similar experiences recently as I was video taping UP trains on the Sunset Route through Arizona. I had my camera and tripod set up east of Benson, Arizona, along a dirt road that parallels the track, and was sitting back in my truck while waiting for the next train to come along. I saw a Cochise County Sheriff’s SUV pull up behind me. When I got out and greeted the deputy, he quizzed me about why I was there and what I was doing. Hellooooo, isn’t it pretty obvious from the video camera, railroad patches on my jacket, and Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club hat that I’m wearing what I’m doing? I guess it was not. I didn’t want to spend time being taken all the way to Bisbee to have mug shots taken, fingerprinting, etc., so I carefully explained the obvious. He said a locomotive crew had called them because they have been having trouble with people traspassing on railroad property. He then wished me a “happy pursuit of my hobby” and went on his way.
Two days later, I was sitting in my truck at a location named Cienega Creek, a state park along I-10 between Benson and Tucson, when a Pima County Sheriff pulled up in his SUV. He, too, stopped and asked me what I was up to. I felt like saying, “Oh, about 5 foot 6 inches,” but thought the better of it. He accepted my explanation and went on his way.
It appears that the UP is getting very nervous about people parked along their tracks and photographing trains, and are contacting local law enforcement agencies when they see people who look as suspicious as I do. [}:)]
These are serious times and there is genuine fear that railroads will be targeted. The days of railfanning by the tracks is gone.
Rene,
Is there anyway we can get permission from the Railroad companies to take pictures. I ask you since you are connected to the Kalmbach people who are in turn connected to the railroads.
Capt Carrales
I think your right Don. [:(]
Sorry but I am not in fear, every day I drive my truck some 250 to 300 miles and I should be in fear of some one or something killing me on the road or off but I am not.
Even when I get fliped “the bird”!
Now I can see because that was a convoy train heading to Galveston, Texas to the ship yards but what puzzled me was this.
Why is it sitting there full of ammo, food and trucks that carry gass?
When me and the guy was speaking another train passed both trains up on the main line. But yet these two trains had not far to go to Galveston.
If I remember in college that a fuel tank is MORE empty one is dangrus than full one then there was a huge people there because peoples houses was no more less than 1.5 football field long off the tracks.
One night I had a call of a car stuck on the tracks code 3?!?!? (Lights and Siren? I thouhgt) So, I made my way there and yep now I can see why car was said to be on the tracks.
The whole frame was sitting on the track and the drunk woman was racing home!
While I had a much bigger problem I could see a Santa Fe train coming to me!
Radio dispacth to alert the train to stop but just for chips and grins I pulled my car with lights going sideways so I hope they could see that to!
I jerked the woman out and there was already a tow truck driver there and I told him to get it.
Train stopped, guess where??? right infront of police car…the dispatchers did there job! Then the he told me what was on the train. Nuclear waste oh my God, I thought and it comes through Manvel 3 times a night!
If that train would have hit that car no telling what I would have been doing.
Never fear – that nuclear waste is so well sealed that it would not spill or endanger anyone if the train was involved in a derailment or crash. It is probably also of a very low radiation level, and is most likely spent fuel rods from a power plant.
I know I posted this picture before, but it just seemed to be so “On Topic” for this thread [;)] Don’t you just love the way the officer is smiling at the kid [?][:o)] Like he was sooo much looking forward to ah, vist with him [:D]
I need to know how hopper cars hoppers (coal) are latched. Now, there’s a small RR yard west of here that serves a power plant. It would be so easy to walk down the tracks and take a picture…but this is along the Lake Ontario shore, and I just bet I’d be busted for a terrorist act, trasspassing, etc. Oh, well. My model didn’t have to really have working hopper doors anyway…
SandyR
I will remember that Rocky!!! [}:)][:D][}:)]
Well I thought back to the days of the old west. Yes those men/women who robbed the trains and stage coaches ARE terrorist.
Those KKK people that killed 3 black kids in a church (I think it was Alabma?) with a bomb ARE terrorist.
And the list can go up and down the histroy line.
Now we have a rush gov’t that puts people in fear with colors. Media is just as worse. Sites to visit for more terrorist
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/terrorists/fugitives.htm
http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/tgpndx.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=Am+I+Supporting+Terrorist&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=
So back to the photos we have instock I guess[?]
Any one want to go Railfanning?
I have travelled the world a fair bit and when i visited Cleveland i came to the conclusion that the worse a place is the nicer the people are., as that was the worst place i had been too up to that time and the people were terrific…
However much later i visited a place called Hiraklion (the aitch is silent and i’m sure i spelled it wrong), this is the capital of the Greek island of Crete. Well this is a truly rotten place and so are the people, so i guess you can be wrong.
We have been talking about security, the minute I got off the plane I got abused in Greek by the airport security for taking photographs around the airport, they gesticulated vigorously towards signs in Greek that evidentally said that you can’t take photographs or similar.
Then a few days later right at the far end of the island near a place called Harnia I was again taking movies opf 3000 year old ruins this time and how was i to know that in the far distance there was a naval base, fullof warships, I coulkd barely see it, it was so far away. We’ll I had some more of officialdom accost me a tried to grill me, again in Greek, they gave up after a while as they just couldn’t make me understand too much and they had a hell of a time with my Sydney version of English. Well anyway they made a note in Greek in my passport, didn’t they.
Years later I was travelling through the customs gate from Tijuana to San Diego and the lady border guard got interested in me as I was an Aussie and she asked about the notation on my passport in Greek and I said it had to do with operating a video camera in Greece. She took my passport away and spoke to someone else in the distance and gave my passport to them. I thought to myself I’m in trouble here, but she came back and she said the other guy could read Greek and he didn’t qute understand what they were getting at or why they had put any notation on my passport at all.
So the moral of thge story is , well I’m not sure what it is but don’t do it
Hi guys,
It sounds as though the Police will be acting for the railways very soon and ask you for a royalty payment for taking photographs of their stock. We’re already paying it in the hobby for certain lines. I suppose the train could stop, we pay the engineer and then get some posed shots??!!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
I seem to have comitted the greatest sin then. Last year I was standing next to the track in Tucson photographing/filming the UP thundering by. I noticed that old rail spikes(I think you call them) were strewn around. I picked up a couple. Being totally different to the srew-in type that we use, I retained them as souvenirs and brought them home in my luggage.
This year,I was sitting at the waterside in Boston Harbour along with many american tourists. I was doing the tourist thing, photographing/filming. I turned around to see where my wife was and was confronted by a stern-faced police officer plus car with flashing lights. Asking what I was doing, I said I was just a tourist. Seemed satisfied but insisted on taking all my details and then wished me a nice day. Imagine the view my wife got as she approached. Why me? I don`t carry a sign round with me that I am British.
Cheers Ian P
Cops are PIGS…They have nothing better to do herass Railfans.
What about being taken in for questioning, for usinga tripod near the Trevi Fountain in Rome, seems it has something to do with copyright and they figure that if you have a tripod you take pretty good pictures; how wrong can they be.
It is true it is illegal to use a tripod in much of Italy particularly in Rome and Florence
Regards ian.
Totally WEIRD LAW! No Tripods? Very Weird!
At the risk of sounding distasteful with apologies in advance…
I believe the “no tripod” law was designed to prevent people from peeing on the track.[:D]
Just don’t pee on that third rail in the subway ZZZZZZZZZZ! [;)][:D]
I was a Police Officer here in Texas for 7 yrs and yes I would stop and see what they are doing but have some taste please Officers.
I think the members here that have been in law enforcement would back me up on that.
Just some cops have no since of humor, me I did, untill you pissed me off!
I just can not get over these photos are historic in nature. Who supplys these historic places with prints??? Not them…