Re: If you aren't paying, at least be courteous.

I posted this on the Chama Freeloaders discussion. So I copied and pasted this on this discussion. There are some observations here that point out that some of these issues have been around for along time. This isn't a problem that manifested itself recently. As a pointed out in the discussion, look at the latest NS steam program excursions for the serious railfan. The only thing you can do is chase it!!!!!

Here is my observations:

I have been on railfan trips for some years. Starting with a trip behind SR #4501 Between Cincinnati,OH and Lexington, KY. with a Instamatic camera in 1967. Life was simpler then, we had old technology and a different culture of railfanning. Over the years I have been on fantrips, Charters and other special events and watched as the general nature of some of these trips have changed.

Those early railfan trips were much lower cost and simpler to do. Railroads often had personnel to supervise them and promote them. Then it was museums or charter trains on mainline railroad that had the charters. Only one or two photo runbys and even the non-railfan riders would get off and stand next to locomotive/train and stare at some obscure part or get in front of the line and stand 100 ft in front of everyone and watch.

The first disagreements about photoline etiquette was sound movies vs still photo shooters. So the talkers and still photographers would fight with the sound movie crowd. Then it was the video camera and the same arguement started again. So the answer was one side of the line was for movie/video and the other for still shots. Eventually as fantrip organizers got better at crowd control it was yelling (bullhorn on some trips) before doing the runby "everybody ready and in position? OK quiet on the line no talking". This seem to work as we moved into the digital age and more participants became used to the idea.

As other have said, we are entering a new era of the social media, internet, picture phone age and and NOW DRONES, anything and everything is game. People now post the latest sighting and try to get there moment in the sun. Instant gratification. Many postings can be from general interest types or lookie loos.

First, many of the charters that are now sponsored by a select group of railfans and operators THAT FEATURE PHOTO CHARTERS, not railfan passenger train trips. The new direction is for replicated vintage looking trains and in classic settings. This means the charters are now more expensive because more work is put into them than before. Someone has the take the risk to operate them and still make enough money on them not to go broke. ONE former tour operator fell into this pit and went bankrupt (also for other reasons). Also many of the older charter operators have left the business or have passed away.

Bottom line is you want to be a SERIOUS railfan photographer and get the (as our British Railfan Friends would say) MASTERSHOT OR GLINT SHOT, it maybe necessary to join one of these tours or charters. Otherwise if you just want some sort of general photos to show at the next NRHS or Railroad Club meeting you can ride the train or chase the train on a regular trip.

John West has been on some the tours that I have operated/tour guided in the past. John can tell the story of our hike up the opposite mountain at the "Devils Nose' on the Guayaquil and Quito narrow gauge. I nearly passed out from the altitude climbing the mountain and it took 30 careful minutes. When we finally got to the spot to shoot the trains, I gave him my walkie-talkie since I had to get my breath back, so he could radio my wife on the train a mile away to start the runby. I am sure he has and some others on this forum and have crossed paths and know what it is like to do these trips.

Hats off to the C&TS, John Bush, Alan, and all the crews and FC&TS for pulling this off. Unfortunately I have medical problems that prevented me from participating this time. Hopefully once I get through this process I can take in one of these charters myself. In addition lets use common sense and courtesy on these trips. One mistake and maybe the next charter will be cancelled due to issues with dealing with arrogant of rude passengers.These are still essentially public trips, you can not control the access to the railroad or public property. Maybe just set up a table in the yard and sell chase passes to recover some of the costs. To the one poster that said all they want is money, remember money talks, nobody walks. If you don't like the cost, look somewhere else. The latest Norfolk Southern steam excursions do not have runbys or open windows. Prices are not like they were under the first steam excursion era, they are higher priced and not for railfans that are photographers.

My Soles worth from Lima, Peru. (exchange rate this week 3.22 to the dollar)

Dale Brown
Wings and Rails International Expeditions
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2015 12:08PM by DWBrown.