You're going WHERE??

Mgoldman · 08-11-2009, 07:12 AM

I see my "neighbor" Nick has made his way from Pennsylvania to Crawford, Nebraska...

Ah, Crawford, Nebraska.

With so many places to see - New York, NY, San Diego, CA, Honolulu, HI, Moab, UT... is it not amazing that we find ourselves in places like Crawford, NE or Ithaca, MI and even more interesting, if not perplexing - perhaps been there done that, and still going back!

Honey - "Floy, SD called..."

Don't we all love these questions from our families, friends, passengers sitting next to us on the flight over -

You're going where???

Have a good time Nick!

PhotoID: 293310
Photograph © Nick Anshant

Then again, some of the best and most amazing history and scenery can only be found on a railfan's list of places to be...

PhotoID: 290918
Photograph © Mitch Goldman

PhotoID: 289823
Photograph © Mitch Goldman

PhotoID: 166066
Photograph © Mitch Goldman

/Mitch

Freericks · 08-11-2009, 07:16 AM

LOL -

All of these are things said to me when I told non railfans that I was visiting these locations.

Scranton PA - "Visitng family, huh?"

Allentown PA - "You must be from there, because no one goes there"

Bakersfield CA - "Running low on meth?"

Mgoldman · 08-11-2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freericks

LOL -

All of these are things said to me when I told non railfans that I was visiting these locations.

Scranton PA - "Visitng family, huh?"

Allentown PA - "You must be from there, because no one goes there"

Bakersfield CA - "Running low on meth?"

And you said - "uhm, yeah, that's it"?

/Mitch

Freericks · 08-11-2009, 03:31 PM

I usually actually just smile and nod... but if my wife is along, she actually tries to explain...

Going back to your original post... you mention "New York, NY, San Diego, CA, Honolulu, HI, Moab, UT..." although I have never been to Moab, I also think it's funny with the other three, and with places like Paris, France and London, England, how even when we railfans end up in the touristy spots, we will end up trudging into parts of them that no tourist ever goes to.

The parts of NYC, San Diego and Paris that I have sought out for train images, while my family lay asleep in the hotel room, were certainly not ones to be found on any postcards. While others were lining up at Rockefeller Center, I was looking for the right angles on a crumbling platform at Jamaica Station.

ken45 · 08-11-2009, 03:49 PM

I get this a lot...I still think it's funny that people still ask why I'm going there, especially when they know I run around photographing trains.

But sometimes I can really turn the tables on them and have some fun...down on the Needles Sub, there are several colorfully named stations that can get a triple take from non-railfans.

"Hey Ken, you going anywhere this weekend?"
"Oh, I think I'm in the mood to head to Siberia on Saturday. Maybe swing over to Bagdad for some shots as well."
"

...you're just joking, right?"
"No, I really am going to those places...it's just they're in California."

travsirocz · 08-11-2009, 06:35 PM

Staying close to the tracks have brought me to see the real America, not the store front view you get from the interstate. This track side view has shown me some really cool places and things I would have never imagined existed. We really see the real world from our seats.

cblaz · 08-11-2009, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Don't we all love these questions from our families, friends, passengers sitting next to us on the flight over -

You're going where???

I like when the conversation goes like this:

Co-worker: You're going where?
Me: Iowa. (or Michigan, or Maine, pick one.)
Co-worker: When are you leaving?
Me: Thursday night after work.
Co-worker: And you'll be back Monday for work?
Me: Yup.
Co-worker: What airline are you flying?
Me: Not flying. Driving.
Co-worker: [walking away, shaking head] You're crazy.

I lost count of how many times on the looooong ride home AB2 and I have just started laughing about how crazy the trip was, but how it always seems to be totally worth it.

- Chris

JimThias · 08-11-2009, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

....and even more interesting, if not perplexing - perhaps been there done that, and still going back!

Back up on Donner in 11 days.

Freericks · 08-12-2009, 12:10 AM

What about when you do go to a family event, say a wedding or family reunion, and arrive a day early... and the organizer says to you, "I can pick you up at the airport and we'll have you over for dinner and take you to such and such local site/event/fair," and you have to tactfully explain to them that you flew in a day early because you're planning on railfanning Buffalo/Phoenix/Portland?

And they are now somehow hurt?

Even though everyone else is coming in the next day and if not for railfanning you would have come in the next day too.

As an aside, I'll always remember explaining to some friend of my mom's that we were not able to spend an extra day with them in San Francisco because we had to go to Milpitus to see the Fab Four (Western Pacific's last four working F7s) the next day - and the strange, strange, hurt look we got. But my parents, being true to their word, took me to Milpitus the next day (and the dang things didn't run until one showed up the morning after that).

Andrew Blaszczyk (2) · 08-12-2009, 04:19 AM

Friend: "Hey, so you have any trips coming up?"
Me: "Yeah, going to Michigan the last weekend of the month."
Friend: "Weren't you just there?!?!"
Me: [pause] "Yeah..."
Friend: "Same thing again?"
Me: "Yup!"

I wasn't going to get into the technicalities of Train Fest versus photo charter.

Joe the Photog · 08-12-2009, 06:32 AM

Before I got into TV and freelancing, I was working at a grocery store in Chester, SC. I got late word that there was going to be a CSX Operation Lifesaver on the CN&L sub coming up from COlumbia to Spartanburg. I was supposed to work, but I had a good relationship with my boss even though I was still fairly new there. This is the conversation as best I can remember --

Me: "Boss, I know it's late notice, but I really need Thursday off if I can get it."
Boss: (thinking about it for a moment) "I can probably do that, but why do you need off?"
Me: (short, but oticeable pause as I decide whether to tell him the truth or not) "Well, I like trains and there's a CSX passenger train...."
Boss: (Cutting me off) "If you don't want to tell me me truth, just say so."

He walked off without saying anything else. When I got the shots back from the lab -- seems so long ago -- I showed them to him. I think he'd rather have thought I was actually lying about it from his reaction.

travsirocz · 08-12-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe the Photog

Before I got into TV and freelancing, I was working at a grocery store in Chester, SC. I got late word that there was going to be a CSX Operation Lifesaver on the CN&L sub coming up from COlumbia to Spartanburg. I was supposed to work, but I had a good relationship with my boss even though I was still fairly new there. This is the conversation as best I can remember --

Me: "Boss, I know it's late notice, but I really need Thursday off if I can get it."
Boss: (thinking about it for a moment) "I can probably do that, but why do you need off?"
Me: (short, but oticeable pause as I decide whether to tell him the truth or not) "Well, I like trains and there's a CSX passenger train...."
Boss: (Cutting me off) "If you don't want to tell me me truth, just say so."

He walked off without saying anything else. When I got the shots back from the lab -- seems so long ago -- I showed them to him. I think he'd rather have thought I was actually lying about it from his reaction.

lol

lock4244 · 08-12-2009, 04:42 PM

My friends, relatives, and everyone here at work knows what I do and they must be used to it by now since I don't get strange looks (to my face at least) or any grief. The GF doesn't get it and was totally bored in Powder River... also bored on the A&M, Tehachapi, and the Columbia River Gorge. Should have seen her face in Bill, WY, population 11. Aw, no shopping here baby... I'll just be a minute

My recent vacation found me in Cheyenne for a night and it just happened to coincide with the Frontier Days western show. So besides every hotel being booked, as soon as a local finds out we're on vacation they all ask "Are you here for Frontier Days?". "No, I'm photographing trains". They always looked puzzled.

Too me, going to Douglas, WY, as part of a dream vacation, or being excited to stand at a storied location with history as rich as Thistle, UT, or Glendive, MT is totally natural. What I can't understand is why people spend time and money to go to Disney World to have their pockets picked clean or to fly to an island to sit on their ass for a week getting drunk and fat... I can do that at home anytime I want. Which is more strange?

WembYard · 08-13-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Blaszczyk (2)

Friend: "Hey, so you have any trips coming up?"
Me: "Yeah, going to Michigan the last weekend of the month."
Friend: "Weren't you just there?!?!"
Me: [pause] "Yeah..."
Friend: "Same thing again?"
Me: "Yup!"

Had a similar thing in my previous job.

Colleague 1: "Not off AGAIN are you?"*
Me: "Oh yes"

Colleague 1: "Where to this time?"
Me: "Germany"
Colleague 1: "But you are always going there, got friends or something?"
Colleague 2: "She's got thousands of friends out there.......trains"

Me: "Yes, you could say that, but it is more interesting than always going somewhere hot to roast on the beach and eat / drink too much

"

* = bit of a standing joke, that I was off on a trip somewhere or other more than I was at work.

JimThias · 08-13-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WembYard

Me: "Yes, you could say that, but it is more interesting than always going somewhere hot to roast on the beach...

The other day, my girlfriend said going to the beach for her is like railfanning for me.

Freericks · 08-13-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimThias

The other day, my girlfriend said going to the beach for her is like railfanning for me.

Both involve sunny days.

travsirocz · 08-13-2009, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freericks

Both involve sunny days.

Both involve a 400mm zoom lens.

Mgoldman · 08-13-2009, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travsirocz

Both involve a 400mm zoom lens.

As for sunny days, I'll take a good storm any day at either location.
Not any 'ol storm, but a perfect storm!

/Mitch

Mgoldman · 08-13-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimThias

The other day, my girlfriend said going to the beach for her is like railfanning for me.

Sorry to hear that, Jim.

Must be embarissing - all that foaming on the beach with you right there besides her. Does she arrive at a certain time of the day or just chance it?

Kidding of course...

/Mitch
(Still cleaning the foam from Owosso, say no more).

Freericks · 08-13-2009, 11:19 PM

Course, this ties back into the OP for me -- as I live three blocks from one of the world's most famous beaches and am a good hour away from most good railfanning...

So on some nice sunny days I am the guy going against traffic... as half the world is fighting to get to where I live and would probably pay beaucoup bucks to park in the empty spot I left in my driveway, I am heading the other way, to some hot spot in the desert along an industrial siding or fire road where I'm going to shoot some pictures of some choo choos.

What the heck is wrong with me?

Peter MacCauley · 08-14-2009, 03:53 AM

I, too, actually had a pretty good one recently. The family and i went down to train Festival 2009, and at the border on the way down, the guard seemed okay with the idea - maybe he was a railfan, i don't know, but he let us through with no trouble. "Train festival? Cool!" Coming back was a different story. After waiting in line, we pulled up to the border guard.

Guard: "Citizenship?"
Us: "Canadian"
Guard: "where you from?"
Us: "Hamilton, Ontario"
Guard: "how long you been outside the country?"
Us: "four days"
Guard: "where did you stay?"
Us: "Owosso"
Guard: "what's up in Owosso?"
Us: "Train festival"
Guard: "TRAIN FESTIVAL!?!?"
Us: "yup" [with the female half of the family nearly killing themselves laughing so hard]
Dad: "what, don't believe us?"
Guard: [staring at us in complete disbelief] "uhh, no, uhh, i believe you, i guess...."

And, after realizing that we had bought nearly nothing except for HO train models and other assorted train parafanalia,
"Have a nice evening" [laughing]

I'm not exactly sure how many Canadians went down to Owosso, but i gather it was a decent number. Apparently not enough that the border guards had to deal with us on a regular basis, though. The look on theis border guards' face was priceless: he must of thought we were comletely out of our minds until he saw all the train parafanalia we had accumulated over the weekend. At least it gave my mom and sister something to laugh at (and tease us with) the rest of the way home.

Peter.

Dennis A. Livesey · 08-14-2009, 10:15 PM

Train Festival 2009 was the catalyst for a 15-day midwestern odyssey for me. I basically saw every railroad spot I had ever wanted to see there in the past 50 years. It was glorious.

Examples:
Alma Michigan,

18th St Chicago Illinois,

Image © Dennis A. Livesey-liveseyimages.com

Others: Hinsdale Illinois, Blue Island Illinois, Union Illinois, Elkhart Indiana, Connersville Indiana, Lima Ohio, Marion Ohio, Hamburg New York, Arcade New York, etc.

Now, my extended family has known for years what I'm into. However, it was still sweet that even during the trip I could fire up RailPictures and show them my first POTW.

THAT knocked them and other non-railfans up-side the head.

"And you took this where?...

"O-W-O-S-S-O Michigan."

WembYard · 08-16-2009, 09:23 PM

Got me thinking about beaches.........I did actually spend an hour or so on one for the first time since childhood about three weeks ago. Of course there was an ulterior motive

JimThias · 08-16-2009, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travsirocz

Both involve a 400mm zoom lens.

Pervert!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgoldman

Sorry to hear that, Jim.

Must be embarissing - all that foaming on the beach with you right there besides her. Does she arrive at a certain time of the day or just chance it?

Hahaha...nice. We actually went to the beach today, but just as we arrived, a storm cloud appeared. We made it back to the car just as it started to downpour. No foaming for her today.

lock4244 · 10-29-2009, 11:02 PM

Resurrecting this thread, the we took off early recently for a long weekend vacation getaway in Olean, NY. Actually, we stayed one night in Springville and one in Hornell, but that was to avoid the pricey hotel in the tourist hotspot of Olean