The engineer usally toots at me because i’m a young railfan.
No, its dosent bother me, and Im kinda like you, I do the “I dont really care” wave, were you just raise your hand up, and let it down. Its just that it seams like they dont wave as much as they used to.
When I was in Calgary, Alberta I had one engineer give me the middle finger salute after I waved to him. I was not impressed in the least. Most of the front engine number had peeled off, so I couldn’t take it down and report it. Would it have made a difference?
wrong the last time i called the cops was on a 14 year old also 2-10 year old several adult type foamers several riders . I dont have a age group. and 911 has nothing to do with it, i reported more people before 911 than now, you just dont get it, the main thing is i dont care what you think you have rights to or what you want, the main thing is your saftey and my job, It says in the rule book if you are on company property ask you to leave if you wont leave call the cops. if you think of taking a picture better not i hate defending my actions caught on camera, the people i do wave at earned the respect and i have let some of them on board play with the controll stand blowing the horn release brakes even rev the engine, they was not your typical whinny teenager thinking we are not doing what they want,they was well manered teens and they got the respect they deserved. think about what you may have done in the past that may have cause this response from the crews, but also remember that this is the real world and that the actions of others may be causing your problem, this means if you want respect it may take a little longer for you to earn.
Since I’m not on railroad property, you’d be wasting your cops’ time by doing so.
If you didn’t do things that need to be “defended,” you wouldn’t have to worry about this.
Your attitude is part of the reason railroads enjoy the absymal rep they do among the public. Good work.
I will wave if my grandson is with me otherwise i dont. I would feel like a boob waving without my grandson. My grandson is my excuse to watch trains. We were watching a NS crew kick cars and the engineer honked the horn blinked the lights and waved. A real nice guy!!
My wife and myself go up in the N.S. Horseshoe Curve area every once in awhile.Just about always get a wave.
Yes the engineer must concentrate on the road ahead,but if he is doing so ,he is aware of people along the tracks waving at him.He doesn’t even have to look at them, but just pick up his arm and wave.They waved in the steam era and it took a lot more work and concentration to run those babies than the locomotives of today.
Terry
An engineer who has to time observe people trackside and make a determination as to whether they are on the railroad’s property and represent a threat (terrorist or otherwise) to his train, as we’ve been told in this thread, also has the time to lift his hand to return a friendly wave.
Unless he’s purposely being a jerk.
engineers on CSX freights going thru Alexandria and Crystal City VA don’t wave much as they’re usually busy oogling the women on the platform; well at least a few of the women
Well now they have AC & in the old days no AC which could be the reason! Look at the recent pix I took in Southern California & you will see the cab windows are almost always closed on the locos [:)]
I get waves almost all of the time, but even if I don’t, that’s okay too. If I don’t get a wave, I usually get a toot on the air horn.
There was one day while I was with my little ones, and they started waving, and this UP crew member saw them, and opened his window and waved like crazy with both arms… Both my kids found that immensely entertaining. Got a smile out of me too… The train was leaving Proviso Yard, and was just beginning to roll
I love the attitude shown by some on here… wah, wah, I deserve a wave. Get real, people. There’s a lot to do in the locomotive. Sometimes that means the crew is too busy to give a wave. Other times, the crew may just not see you, or see you too late. Sometimes railfans look so goofy, the free hand is needed to stifle laughter. Other times the crew is coming onto their 12th hour on duty and is dead tired and sick of that train - and there you are, all smiles and waving. Other times, crews can get tired of waving to people every 5 minutes.
Saying that, I usually try to give a quick wave, esp, to members of the fairer gender and always kids. But to say not getting a wave means the RRer is a jerk - is completely uncalled for, and will not get you that most desired wave.
Waving is a tradition that is only understood by railroaders and those who understand railroading. I would say that relatively few bystanders initiate a wave. I have never encountered a train crewmember that refused to return a wave. I just see it as a kind of “thumbs-up” greeting. It’s common courtesy. It should be taken by an engineer that you are probably a friendly observer as opposed to a bystander with unclear motives.
When they had cabooses, a wave to the conductor or brakeman might be taken as a reassurance that everything looked OK as the train passed. I always took their return wave as a thank you. And if there was a problem in the train such as a hotbox, sticking brake, shifting load, etc., you could indicate it to the hind end. Of course if they still had cabooses and you did that today, you would probably get charged with a crime.
You can wave at the EOT if you wish - if you’re lucky he may wink back…
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
Of course, how could I forget the directive that random people standing by the tracks were actually performing run-by inspections. I can’t believe the things that some people get bent out of shape over.
Not necessarily on all counts. If I am observing with my eyes and have one hand on the automatic brake handle and the other next to the horn in case you get in front of my train so I can use the horn to warn you off or apply the train brakes it doesn’t leave me with a free hand to open the window and wave at you, does it?!
Besides, you strike me as the kid with the brick anyhow, or perhaps that’s just a BIG chip on your shoulder…
Don’t criticize until you try to run a mile in our shoes…
LC
LOL…See Rule #1 above
LC
i was at horseshoe curve this weekend and most of them waved. its the helpers we have problems with. those poor guys go up and down all day.
I’m not a kid and never have hoisted a brick. I’m fascinated to see that when someone suggests you display some common courtesy while doing your job, you suddenly throw out insults.
Says a lot about what kind of person you are.
No; doing the job comes first. Courtesy is second.
Go stand by the highway and wave at all the cars and trucks. See how many wave back. See how many use more than one finger. Railroading isn’t super-happy-fun-time. It is work.