Railfanning Question

hAVING BEEN A RAILFAN FOR OVER 25 YRS, YES IT CAN, HOLIDAYS CAN ALSO BE A FACTOR,  TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFO AS YOU CAN, BEFORE YOU GO. TRY TO CONTACT LOCAL FANS OR FANS THAT HAVE BE THERE RECENTLY.

I guess maybe on a shortline or regional, but there is no "weekend" where I work out of. Every train runs every day...(CSX)

As Jeff said, it would depend on the railroad.

Most regionals and short lines are weekday operators only. However, operations on the class one railroads (CSX, NS, UP, BNSF, CN, and CP) don't change much on weekends.

Hi Hokie 71

(1) Where are you Rail-fanning at now?

(2) When and where is this trip you are planing to take?

(3) Do you want to do rail-fanning photos & videography?

I see folks out rail-fanning using ATCS Monitors on android phones and laptops to follow railroad traffic. This photo below I took at my Amtrak Station and it is set up by a local train club. It is color coded and when a line is green it means that there is a train coming.

Hope this helps: Gary

It depends on which railroad and which location.  On transcontinental railroads less traffic originates on Saturday or Sunday, but international container traffic is steady all week.

So, here, halfway between the west coast and Chicago, the train count is lower in both directions on Monday and Tuesday.

Thanks for all the feedback, now I have an idea of issues we need to avoid.

Relative to the plan, I am in the middle of Virginia and the general idea is to fly to Cleveland, hit places like Berea and Vermillion, drive to  Northeast, PA, down to Pittsburgh, take the trail to horseshoe curve / Altoona. and then back through Harper's Ferry to Virginia.  We will be focusing on main lines it appears of CSX and NS.

that is quite the monitor view.  Per the web site describing ATCS monitors, the software appears to integrate  with a scanner.  I need to explore this concept.  How cool is that?

Thoughts welcome on places not to miss in the Cleveland to Altoona to Harper's Ferry region.  Thanks in advance

Around Altoona Horseshoe curve area there are a multitude of public places along the NS (Old PRR) Main ilne.     There is an overlook at a cut at Cassandra maybe a half hour west of Altoona.    There is a small viewoing platform right in Cression.     There is a highway bridge with a sidewalk facing the tunnel exit at Galliitzen.   

In Cresson, there is a RAilfan B&B that is a great place and can tell  you about a lot of locations.   It is in the last remaining RR boarding house along that line.    A guy bought it and remodeled it.    There is a covered porch that faces the tracks.     he is full quite often, but if not, it is a great place to stay and the breakfast is good at least pre-chinese flu days.

East of Altoona the PRRT&HS owns the old station at Lewistown and you can stand on the platform,    good parking too.   

The Bridgeview B&B right at the Rockville Bridge is a great place to watch trains on the bridge from their deck - - if  you stay there.

On your way down into Pittsburgh, there is a nice place in a little town called Homewood Jct.    This is right about where the PA turnpike crosses PA Route 18.    there is a turnpike exit there.     Both 18 and the turnpike go under the tracks I think.    You need to get up into the little village and there is a road bridge with a nice sidewalk that will give great views of Eastbounds. 

this is just a short list from my wanderings

Just to add to the above post, in Gallitzin, PA just three miles east on top of the mountain there is the Tunnel Inn. Located at the west portal of the Allegheny  tunnel, the Inn has four very nicely appointed rooms, a large covered deck on the back of the building, and floodlights for nighttime train watching.

Bob Elder is the Innkeeper and a continental breakfast is included. For those planning a summer trip, all rooms at the Tunnel Inn are air conditioned, and parking is on-site; not so at the Station Inn.

Mike

Weekend? What the heck is a weekend?? I’ve never heard of that since I started with NS...

Max, wonder if Weekend can even be found in Webster's unabridged?

Most of the switchman positions I worked on SSW and ATSF in Texas, even DB here in Germany, included duty on Saturday and Sunday.  Even as a passenger service rep in Germany after I quit switching included Saturday and Sunday as well.  On DB, regardless of the job, one received additional pay on Sunday.

The best job I ever held was a switchman position on ATSF (E. Dallas Yard) in 1976.  Went off duty 4:00 PM Monday, reported back to work Thursday at 3:30 PM.  All jobs were eight hour shifts.  Got off Sunday at midnight, doubled back Monday at eight AM.  Gave me plenty of time to hang out with the gang at Bobby Hall's Hobby House in Dallas.

Joe