| The hobby of railroading has many exciting | | | | risk of watching repetitive scenes. The |
| avenues of pursuit. Train watching is perhaps | | | | scenic areas are the crossings of the |
| the least expensive of all aspects of | | | | Susquehanna River, the areas around |
| railroading. Depending on what you see, it | | | | Philadelphia, and the Northern New Jersey |
| can be a lot of fun or the most boring and | | | | areas north of Trenton. |
| unrewarding sport you ever tried. Here are a | | | | |
| lot of words that will make train watching | | | | A word of extra caution: Trains in the |
| interesting. | | | | Northeast Corridor travel at speeds in excess |
| | | | of 120 miles per hour and since the entire |
| First off, you have to know where to look to | | | | line is electrified, you do not even hear |
| find where the trains are..and where they are | | | | trains approaching. Exercise utmost caution |
| not. If you find a stretch of track where | | | | if you visit this train watching area. The |
| there is only one set of rusting rails, the | | | | blast of air coming from the slipstream of a |
| chances are great that you have come upon an | | | | high speed passenger train can knock you |
| abandoned or seldom used line. On the other | | | | over. |
| hand, if you see a multiple track rail line | | | | |
| with shiny rails, you will see trains appear | | | | Also remember that the Northeast Corridor is |
| frequently. | | | | a very strategic piece of real estate. Even |
| | | | if you plan to photograph trains from a |
| If you are fortunate enough to have a | | | | railroad overpass, it is a very good idea to |
| railroad underpass located over a busy rail | | | | check in with local law enforcement or Amtrak |
| line, you are in train watcher heaven. Here, | | | | security to let them know who you are and |
| you might see all sorts of yard activity as | | | | what you are doing. Failure to do this could |
| well as main line freight and possibly a few | | | | result in your arrest and detention as part |
| Amtrak passenger runs thrown in for good | | | | of the Homeland Security initiative. |
| measure. If you live in an area where one or | | | | |
| more of the four principal railways are | | | | 5. Point of Rocks MD |
| located, you will most certainly find what we | | | | |
| call a railroad hot spot. Check your local | | | | The Point of Rocks Brunswick MD Harpers Ferry |
| street map or better still, the USGS maps for | | | | WV area is a very scenic place to watch and |
| your area. Also, it would be a good | | | | photograph trains. Over 60 trains a day go |
| investment to buy a railroad radio frequency | | | | through there. Point of Rocks is where many |
| scanner and look up the radio frequencies | | | | trains leave the southern branch of CSX and |
| where railroad transmissions are found. | | | | proceed northward directly to Baltimore, |
| Scanners can be had for between $100 - $300 | | | | bypassing the Washington DC area. |
| but they will let you know when you can | | | | |
| expect to see a train appear. | | | | 6. Gaithersburg MD |
| | | | |
| If a railroad underpass overlooks a railway | | | | There are several good train watching spots |
| yard, you are one league above and beyond | | | | in the ex-B&O southern branch that passes |
| train watcher heaven. In addition to main | | | | through the Washington DC metro area and then |
| line activity, you will also see yard and | | | | swings north to rejoin the line at Baltimore. |
| switching moves. A railroad underpass is a | | | | Gaithersburg is a good location because the |
| very safe place from which to watch the | | | | trains are at grade level and train watching |
| trains, since it may be on a public | | | | does not interfere with the Metro Red Line |
| thoroughfare and will always be removed from | | | | that begins at Shady Grove Station. Here, you |
| railroad property. However, in finding a | | | | can see CSX main line freights, MARC commuter |
| railroad underpass, you must observe highway | | | | passenger trains, and Amtrak Capitol Limited. |
| safety at all times. Do not park or stop your | | | | |
| car anywhere on the roadway that passes over | | | | 7. East Main Street Overpass, Rochester NY |
| the tracks. Parking or stopping your car on a | | | | |
| highway can cause a bad accident. | | | | You would not think Rochester NY would be a |
| | | | good train watching spot, but it is. Here at |
| If you find a pedestrian walkway that | | | | the East Main Street Overpass, you can look |
| overlooks the tracks, act responsibly. Never | | | | directly into the Goodman Street Yards, and |
| throw any object you might find down onto the | | | | see mainline CSX freight as well as switching |
| tracks or onto a passing train. Avoid | | | | moves and branch line operation. At one time, |
| standing in a roadway that does not have a | | | | this was the fabled New York Central Water |
| sidewalk or at the very least, a pathway that | | | | Level Route. It subsequently became the Penn |
| adjoins the roadway. A little bit of common | | | | Central after the NYC merged with the |
| sense will go a long way in your getting | | | | Pennsylvania Railroad, and it ultimately |
| spectacular train views from up above. | | | | became Conrail. When Conrail fell part, it |
| | | | became the NYC portion of CSX. |
| There may not be any railroad underpasses in | | | | |
| your city from which you can watch trains | | | | 8. Fairport NY |
| safely. Your next best bet is to find a local | | | | |
| grade crossing where the railroad right of | | | | Fairport is located about 15 miles east of |
| way crosses a public road. Your first and | | | | Rochester. Here, the old New York Central |
| foremost word of advice is stay off the | | | | West Shore line comes in contact with the |
| tracks at all times! You must do your train | | | | ex-New York Central main line. A number of |
| watching from a public right of way and must | | | | freights go around Rochester on the West |
| never venture onto the railroad right of way. | | | | Shore, thereby bypassing congestion at |
| | | | Goodman Street Yards. Result: Fairport is an |
| If you like to photograph trains, you will | | | | excellent place to watch trains |
| need a telephoto lens to get that up close | | | | |
| feeling when trains go by. You can obtain | | | | 9. Hammond IN |
| some great rail photos if you still keep your | | | | |
| distance away from the railroad right of way. | | | | Hammond, Indiana is a very active piece of |
| Some railway security officials have | | | | railroading operation. Rail lines belonging |
| indicated that your safe zone is fifteen feet | | | | to CSX and NS run through here, and there is |
| from the nearest rail. | | | | scarcely a moment of quiet where you do not |
| | | | hear the sound of train horns as they signal |
| One last word of advice. If you find yourself | | | | their approach over the many grade crossings |
| trapped away from your car by a train that | | | | in the area. |
| has stopped in the middle of a grade | | | | |
| crossing, Never try to get back to your car | | | | 10. Avon Yard, Indianapolis IN |
| by climbing over or under the couplers | | | | |
| between cars or else trying to climb over a | | | | Avon Yard is located just west of |
| railway car using its ladders. You could be | | | | Indianapolis. It is a former New York Central |
| killed or seriously injured. Not only could | | | | yard serving the line between Cleveland and |
| you end up in the hospital, but the police | | | | St. Louis. The area west of the yards is a |
| will arrest you for trespassing. | | | | good spot to watch the trains up close, since |
| | | | two public roads dead end at the tracks. |
| Here are a few of the railroad hot spots you | | | | There is a service road which goes into the |
| might wish to consider in your quest for | | | | yards which is not accessible unless you are |
| ideal train watching locations. Many more are | | | | a CSX employee or you have permission from |
| listed in railfan publications | | | | CSX to enter the area. |
| | | | |
| 1. Horseshoe Curve, Altoona, PA. | | | | Webcam Sites |
| | | | |
| This is the first and foremost train watching | | | | You can do a lot of train watching without |
| spot in the USA, with the exception of the | | | | even leaving your home. A number of operators |
| Tehachapi Loop in California or the crossover | | | | have set up webcams that overlook railroad |
| of two main lines in Rochelle, Illinois. The | | | | hot spots. All you need is a broadband |
| Pennsylvania Railroad first opened the | | | | internet connection and a computer which has |
| Horseshoe Curve as a park. It has remained a | | | | a fast internal processing speed. You must |
| railroad attraction ever since. The Penn | | | | also understand the pros and cons of |
| Central subsequently maintained it. The | | | | trainwatching through webcams. The pros are |
| Horseshoe Curve has since passed over to | | | | obvious. You can see trains anywhere you are |
| Conrail and now belongs to the Norfolk | | | | linked to a webcam as soon as the train |
| Southern. | | | | passes by. Come rain or shine, the trains run |
| | | | and you see them without getting wet or |
| 2. Rochelle, IL | | | | getting chased away by railroad security. |
| | | | |
| Rochelle, Illinois is where the Union Pacific | | | | The cons are also significant. Some webcams |
| (UP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) | | | | do not focus in too well on the railroad |
| main lines cross. Over 100 trains a day pass | | | | scene, resulting in some blurred scenes. |
| through this area. The City of Rochelle has | | | | Sometimes, unwanted objects are photographed |
| built an observation gallery strictly for | | | | along with the trains. You can get a listing |
| train watchers, and this has drawn | | | | of webcam sites from Google or other search |
| international interest as a place where US | | | | engines. |
| railroading passes by. TRAINS Magazine has | | | | |
| installed a webcam that operates round the | | | | The Rochelle IL webcam is one of the very |
| clock. | | | | best to be found anywhere on the internet. |
| | | | Here, you see the railroad crossover between |
| 3. Cresson PA | | | | the BNSF and the UP main lines. Over 100 |
| | | | trains per day go through here and the webcam |
| Cresson is located on the Norfolk Southern | | | | quality is very good. You can see the |
| main line that runs from Pittsburgh over the | | | | detailing of each of the locomotive types |
| Alleghenies to Harrisburg and Philadelphia. | | | | that go through here as well as the type and |
| There are a number of bed and breakfast | | | | characteristic of the trains themselves |
| hotels located in Cresson, where you can | | | | |
| watch the NS action all day and all night. | | | | In Conclusion |
| | | | |
| 4. Northeast Corridor Amtrak | | | | So, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. |
| | | | Watching big trains can be fun. It comes in |
| Any place from Lanham, MD to Northern New | | | | all sizes and shapes. In subsequent articles, |
| Jersey is fair game to watch Amtrak Northeast | | | | we will show you the various rail museums and |
| Corridor trains in operation. All of the | | | | railfan groups that are out there and will |
| activity is passenger trains, except for way | | | | direct you how to get into these groups and |
| late at night when the passenger train | | | | enjoy them. Remember also that railfanning |
| traffic subsides for the day. Then, you may | | | | can be a single sport which you can do |
| be privileged to watch one or two NS freights | | | | yourself, but is loads more fun when you can |
| sneak out onto the Corridor to cross over to | | | | do it by belonging to a group. You can even |
| the coal docks area north of Baltimore. | | | | start or participate in an on line conference |
| | | | room, where rail enthusiasts around the world |
| The Northeast Corridor is a steady repetition | | | | can gather to share ideas and show off their |
| of passenger train operation and you run the | | | | photographic work. |