Good day Folks!
What would be your ultimate railfan vehicle? Make, year, model? What would you have in it? (scanners, gps, etc.) Special paint scheme? (C&NW colors etc.) If you already have yours, why not post a picture.
…For me, it’s a bicycle. No cars, 4x4s or even ATVs are going to make it everywhere I railfan, and walking is a royal pain!
Mine would be the George Washington obs off the Congressional Limited or Mountain View with master suite and shower off the Broadway limited.
Well if we want to go that way, I’m going to have to change my answer to a much more quiet track speeder!
I think a simple 2-8-4 would suffice for me!
Hmmmm…How about one of the highrail cherry pickers. But not in NS but with a big Keystone on the side lol. Fold out grills, on board computer with wireless internet for editing on site, and posting on railpictures.net. Use the cherry picker to get those wonderfull overhead shots. With a pop-up camper in tow. Mike
Perfect except for the logo, change mine to a Chess C! [8D]
Since we’re off into dreamland here, how about the Black Diamond? For those unfamiliar, that was/is(preserved) the Reading 2-2-2T inspection locomotive.
Chuck
I own the ultimate railfan vehicle! It is a 1995 Ford F-350 Crew Cab w/ an 8’ bed. It is a 4x4 diesel with an automatic tranny. I put a 6" lift on it with 33" off road tires. It has spray in bedliner, two 9,500lb winches (one on each end of the truck), head ache rack, bed rail protectors, stainless steel running boards, heavy duty ranch hand grille guard, roll bar, (6) KC (SUPER bright) lights, beefed up front end suspension. Oh and did mention that the diesel engine is a 7.5 liter Powerstroke Turbo? How bout the performance chip I put in it that adds an additional 150 horsepower (about 450hp total).
Since I follow trackage here in Kentucky that seems to be followed by various highways,I think anything with a sunroof will work,as long as cops don’t try to get me for not being buckled in(someone else would drive,I’d stand up and look out via the sunroof,as long as it’s 65*F+,gets kinda nippy when it’s 40 and you’re doing 45 on a roadway.)
hmmm rail fan vehicle? how about my 80’s farmont speeder? its still in CN paint thats as good a railfaning vehicle i curently have, like i said, sitll in cn paint, nothing special though.
For me its a 1952 International harvester w/ 4wheel drive, wench, and dump bed. I have the truck, needs bit’o work. and why, already with it I can roll into any “off limits aria” and be fine. All the old guys will come up and talk about the one they had years ago, the young guys will be scoping out the rig and woundering why it doswen’t have a computer under the hood. (techenology and I have amutual hatred of each other) This leaves me free to go and scope out fun stuff they hide out of view.
I’d settle for a good ol Velocipede, lol Goes down the tracks and keeps you in shape at the same time 
Though i guess NARCOA woulden’t let you use it, unless you found a branchline that was’nt bein used or somethin. Or you be crazy and do what these guys did, lmao! http://youtube.com/watch?v=BWvq6I86DrU
i still think mines the best [:)]
One of these would do very nicely
this = much better
Wow. . .That looks fun, but also very dangerous. . . .If that thing derails, they’ve got no protection from the ground at all. That, and it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere near 40mph. . . . .
I prefer the good ole’ 4x4 gandy dancer meself
I’d say either a handcar or an electric speeder. Maybe with zip-up plastic sheeting for bad weather, a heater, and a laptop for editing photos and surfing the net while “in the hole” for opposing trains.
How I’d get the railroads to let me run on their lines I don’t know, however. I s’pose you could chain yourself to the end of a train and ride along with it! [(-D] (Yeah right, the slack action would kill you!)
Well, My mustang will suffice most of the time.
Personally, I’d take my mom’s expediton, and put rail wheels on it, get it to have wi-fi and a scanner.
Although the Dodge Magnum Monster Garage did would be nice.
It has 2-way ham radio, 2 meter and 440 FM transceiver with GPS and APRS for keeping caravans and scouts coordinated using local repeaters. (Not all remote places have cellphone coverage, but you can smack a repeater just about anywhere.)
[oX)]