| Powered by phpBay Pro |
can people railfan here, or is this railroad property?
near logistics park chicago in elwood, illinois there is a road leading nowhere like the second you cross the tracks its a dead end and right before the 2 tracks on the mainline there is a small dirt circle like a place in which you can park or where utility vehicles stop to work on a utility box that is there, and was wondering if people can park there just to catch a couple of trains since its in the middle of nowhere and ive only seen a bnsf truck there once. and was wondering if that is an illegal spot to go since it might be railroad property?
27711 S frontage road, channahon, illinois
at that location there is a warehous trucking spot and literally right down the tracks near there is a crossing and from the road that is obvious on the way i would take there before goin on the tracks there is a little dirt circle and was wondering if thats okay to park there?
More than likely its not a legal place to railfan from. though since railroads do not enjoy railfans, this is why we do what we can to get our "fix" of trains. worst that can happen legally is you get busted with tresspassing, a fine, jail time, or all three at once. worst that can happen to you personally is you get killed from not practicing safe railfanning.
Its the unsafe railfanning that railroads and employees have come to harbor on. and this is why they will call on you everytime. if you look at it from their perspective, they have every right though. because they dont know your a railfan or terrorist. they dont know if your smart enuf to stay safe or your totally whacked and are gonna cause a problem. and they dont have the time to ponder such questions, they have a multi million dollar train and their own persoanl safety to worry about. fact is, thats a more than full time job already.
best advice is to go to your local deeds office and look up the property plat and see where the lines are drawn. position yourself just outside their property. your safe, your legal, and it wont take the focus of train operation out of the crews mind. everyone goes home safe, and the engineer can sleep that night without the nightmares of almost killing someone that day.
railfanning isnt just about trains. the crews are people too (???). and must be considered above all else. they, just like you, are more important than the picture or video your making. now im sure some reading this will say oh hell with it, id do it anyways. and those would be the lamea**es that ruin it for the rest of us.
i would contend you aim yourself to a new movement among railfans these days. that being getting well associated and known at the local crew office. make yourself obvious, so as to not alarm the crews or their bosses. if they know your there before hand, chances are they are way more receptive to your cause.
nowadays railfans are considered "potential terrorists". it never hurts to have your personal ID on file with the local office. explain in detail your intentions. ask questions, for which you may not get answers if theyve not the time. atleast at this point, before any police or ambulance is called, youll already know if you can be at that nice lil spot you picked out.
this applies to all railfan spots, all carriers, and all railfans themselves. we must realize if we are gonna be in this hobby, then we must recognize and uphold the same safety rules and regs the crews are expected to adhere to. with that said, maybe railfans and railroads can finally exist together peacefully, and productively, all under one umbrella of safety and personal concern.
Items Recently Purchased From This Site:
| Powered by phpBay Pro |
