Train Watching and Rail Fanning

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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I have been noticing while rail fanning around here (South Central Kansas/ Eastern’End’ of BNSF Southern T-con) that even though there is an element of ‘sameness’ as the rail traffic passes by, there are elements that happen which make the effort interesting.

Stack trains, seem to be alke in their sameness, but there are some differences within those consists. Damaged cans seem to ride the top layers; damaged roof sheets, lifting pockes that have feen damaged, door frames, and so on. Besides the consist, either import/export cans, and the, around this area, the ubiquitous,J.B. Hunt, almost solid consists, which seem to pass in uncounted numbers.

One notices, ‘new’ logos on cans or trailers, which have either not been seen before, or a reefer that has not apeared before; lettered for a ‘new’ owner.

The K-D’d flat trailers seem ride on top of the first loads in the train, just behind the engines.

Speaking of engines; has anyone else noticed the exhaust stack 'surrounds on top of many of the GE’s? There does nlot seem to be any model for their replacements, the new surrounds seem to be in a variety of sizes and heights(?) We do not seem to get a whole lot of EMD’s(?) thru this area. Seems that mostly through here, are GE’s. (?) They seem to favor running the EMD’s via Wichita and Nortth(?), or so it seems.

(Addendum) ) Almost forgot, we used to see a couple of solid auto carrier tains each day,mostly westbound. Since Covid has ‘let up’, they are far from regular thru here; possibly, one or two a week. Westbounds used to have a mix of ‘foreign power units’; BNSF favors their own unts as leaders, but I have seen in the past, solid power with all CSX, and also NS powered, without BNSF Leading units. Lately, not so much. There are also regular

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I used to do a lot of railfanning during my lunch hours if I happened to be close to where the tracks were. Mostly it was a lot of CSX and Amtrak sameness but every once in a while I’d get a surprise of “foreign” locomotives like UP or BNSF on run-through lash-ups, or if the CSX engineering train came through. Sometimes private cars in Amtrak consists too. If you were patient you might see anything.

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I’m currently travelling in Italy…the rail scene here is very interesting to say the least. Travelled from Rome to Naples today via fast train and then from Naples to Pompeii on a local. If you want to see new things, travel! Off to Florence and then Venice next week…all by train…

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I watch trains on a daily basis via a couple of the online cameras. OTOH, I rarely catch the 2-4 trains that actually run through my area.

A friend is currently in Europe, and is doing some travelling by train. He’s been a volunteer on our railroad, and worked for a shortline for a while, so it’s something of a busman’s holiday for him.

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Thanks for the observations Sam, they gave me something pleasant to think about while I drifted off to sleep last night.

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I manage to get some railfanning in while I’m going to and from work. I’m a daily rider on Metra’s Southwest Service so I can check out Landers, the 75th Street Corridor, NS at 47th Street and the CUS approaches. Sometimes it’s ordinary and sometimes I see something new (like ALC42’s) or different (like KCS).

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MY Pleasure, Dale!

As I forward into old geezerhood, it has become a fun passtime![:-^]

It is good to see you back in these Threads, hope all is well, up in your neck o’ the woods![swg]

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I believe BNSF added those as stack covers when they would store (LUGO) the units.

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rdamon, You are probably correct… It is just a prominent feaure when the engines pass by here. Of course, no way to tell if a particular engne is either been stored, or is heading to storage(?) In a world of seeming ‘sameness’ one watches for the oddities, turbo burns on engine housings, and those surrounds on the exhaust areas; just seem to stick out as well…[:-^]