Funny stuff that happens on these trips. One of the more amusing recording sessions was a visit to the now tourist only Yakima Valley Transportation Co in the early 1980's. One of us drove the car down the stret a half block ahead of the steeple cab, one hung out one rear windown with a movie camera, one hung out the other rear window shooting slides, and I had my cassette recorder on the dash and the mic out the passenger side window.
The driver quietly asks if he's pacing speed is OK. He cannot be heard on the tape. But the movie photographer, who had the super 8 sound movies, CAN be heard - very clearly. "Shut the f*** up! G** D*** you, this is sound movies!" I never did see the movies, but I suppose the photographer can be heard on his own film as well as my tape.
In the mid 1970's I was taping and photographing the D&RGW at the old Highway 550 crossing near Shalona Lake. I didn't have a big sign or anything, but I had an obvious tape recorder and small sign "Quiet Please, Taping" on a small sheet of cardboard. I was well away from the road and had a good location for photos and sound - until a talkative guy showed up and proceeded to give a play by-play description of the photos *he* was taking and then ask - "did you get good sound effects?" Unfortunately my silence and the gesture toward the mic was his cue to continue cheerful chattering. So much of the nice sound of the train receeding in the distance was overspoken by the boob with the camera who showed up at the last minute. I tried the same location again with the second section and got similar results.
Unfortunately, there are some jerks out there, even among the railfan community.
Charlie Mutschler
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