Wow! What happened to your 1949 Nash Rambler?
Amen my diesel brother! Love my powerstroke everytime I think about it.
Adrianspeeder
I use a '01 Saturn LW 300 Wagon now. I did use '84, '89, '9, and '96 Olds Cutlass Cruiser Wagon. I like a wagon because it has enough deck space for all of us who go together to put our gear in a place that’s both handy and out of the way. I did drive my ’ 91 Cutlass Cruiser wagon along what was formerly the B&O’s original line through Paw Paw, WV which meant using the CSX service road for a few yards then the old roadbed. Mostly I stick to paved roads although a couple of times I have encountered paved roads that weren’t too good.
A few years ago my wife and I rented an SUV to try one out. we picked it up at th Kansas City airport, and we drove out to Rapid City, SD, and back via South Platte, NE, Grand Island, NE, and Salina, KS. I even used it to do some railfanning in the vicinity of Kansas City where I actually got the rental SUV on a smooth dirt road. We found good and bad in that car. Our Saturn Wagons have more deck space, they have more pickup, and they are more economical on gas.
…after I got done drooling on CSXrules4eva’s JEEP… I drive a (stock [V][:(] (because of lack of $$$)) 1999 Jeep Cherokee Classic with a 4.0 Straight 6 (Black), and a sliver of rail in the reciever for the trailer ball (AKA…BATTERING RAM!!!) I know its not a big engine but it will out run a CN freight doing 60 along HWY 10 before it hits the next crossing! Only 88,406 miles on it and still going strong (knock on wood)[:D]
I hear you about the lack of money issue… I’m still waiting for the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with a blown EFI 605 cubic inch Indy Cylinder Heads hemi running on E-85 to materialize in my driveway… I think it will be many moons before that will happen[swg]
Randy
Me and my dad watch trains in his 2004 Dodge Intreped or a 2003 Mitsubish Lancer.
A Ford Explorer SportTrac (Year and color left to your imagination). That’s the one with the spot where the soccer moms store their groceries cut off and a 4 foot pickup bed added on. It has great visibility from the inside and the 2 piece bed cover is a great photo plaftform. It is also a 4x4 but I almost never chase trains under those conditions.
dd
Lockheed P-3C Orion. 4 Allison 4600 SHP T-56-14 turbines, coupled to Hamilton-Standard variable pitch constant speed propellers.
Do you use the MAD detector for trains in tunnels?
And exactly how DOES your crew react to dropping a pattern of sonobuoys on a train now…now…NOW?
When I’m chasing I drive a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria, Police Interceptor, lights and sireeens. The county pays for the gas…
When I’m chasing trains…I drive a humble 1999 Explorer extended cab…because the roof on the cab provides a) a steady platform to dull the excitment evidenced by shaky hands at a new locomotive seen and filmed… and b) because I can climb onto the roof of the cab and gain some altitude over bushes, fences and other impediments to a clear shot.
Erik
Ahh you speak the speak of someone who knows the drill…“now…now…crap, I just went offline, flight can you come back around…”
MADs probably a bit to noisy overland, but a good IRDS (or even a bad one) will find an old U-Boat…
O.K. guys, C’mon, what’s a “rail chase vehicle” ?? Are you sure you’re you aren’t trying to having us on with this Dukes Of Hazzard stuff? really now, what are you talking about?
Well, when a trian horn is heard off in the distance my keen senses kick in and my tail starts wagging. I then jump into my speeder (google speader) and I chase the train barking the whole way until someone (usually the RR police) say BAD, or NO and I have to go back home. [:D]
The vehicle that one chases trains from photo location to photo location with, of course!
I see two lines of thought here. There’s the 4x4 crowd, such as Sarah whose vehicles are optimized for traveling where the road doesn’t. And then there’s the on road crowd that sticks to the roads, and compensates with additional horsepower to beat the train to the next stop. I think my ex police cruiser falls into this category (though when driving up to East Portal, especially in snowy conditions, I start asking myself just how close to category 1 I am getting![:D])
And then there’s Adrianspeeder that would probably do all right in either category![8D]
My 1999 Honda CRV — which seems to have a very heavy gas pedal, especially through the lovely Wisconsin farmlands. (Not that I would ever speed, all you officer-foamer types!)
And Cris? All the best moms have lead feet.
Kat
Nerves of steel… heart of gold… foot of lead…
I consider my truck (Ram 2500 4x4 diesel) both categories: I have enough horsepower and torque to give chase to trains, yet I have the front axle to pull me through bad roads and some mud. Due to choice of tires, though, I have to shy away from the really deep mud, just too much weight on the front end and not enough mud traction (although in 4x4 on Madison’s snow covered roads, I have near normal acceleration while everyone else just spins).
tatans, if my Charger ever does materialize, it had better be in full General Lee dress, but I’m not gonna try hiding the blower and birdcatcher intake!!
Randy
Nothin gets me goin like a high performance diesel pickup truck. Would love to have your cummins Randy, but I just can’t sit myself into a D***e. hahahaha 
Adrianspeeder
And he fires the first shot!!
Seriously, I don’t really have a brand loyalty, although we seem to lean towards the Mopar realm. My mom has a Chevy Astro, My dad uses a Ford F250 on the farm, but also has a Dakota, and my sister has a Neon (that I found out I can get parts for to build into a stroker racing engine from Indy Cylinder Heads)
I’d really have to get three 4x4 diesel trucks, one from each builder, all set up the same (diesel, manual tranny, same gearing, interior, options, etc.) in order to figure out which one was the best.
Randy
1963 Ford Galaxie w/425 horse 427
Prior to retirement I had a series of UNretired Chevy Caprices and unchallenged access to most anyplace I wished and all the gas I could pump. The ONLY thing I miss is the cars, free gas and my dog.[4:-)]
Hey rvos1979…ya gonna weld the doors shut? Dad drives a 2000 Chevy Venture, Grandpa drives a 2000 Pontiac Montana and a 1996 GMC Sierra, Sister drives a 1997 Chevy Cavaler, I will drive a 2003 Chevy Silverauto in less then a year…MO-PAC BLUE!!! Those have all served as my chase vehicles that I use for "hot persuit agee gee gee goo (Rosco P. Coltrane)…all of them except for that last one, the '03.
Actually, I was thinking something along the lines of full tube chassis good enough to tackle IHRA Pro Mod. I saw a nicely done 1974 Barracuda about two years ago in Mopar Muscle, and would like to do something similar, right down to power windows, A/C, and fully street legal. I’m not sure about the Lenco tranny, though.
To answer your question… It’ll probably be a doorslammer…
Randy
Actually, I quite prefer the Chrysler 300M, with the sun roof. Very capable of taking the long way around on the highway in time for the next photo op. Avoids the need for cleaning that nasty mud off the tires. Legal possesion of documents telling traffic officers “Hey, I am one of you” might improve the chase time, but, alas, that is never to be. (And I sure as hell wouldn’t try to fake it!)
Jay