No Tresspassing !!!

During my travels last night at work I noticed a large volume of new additional signs near the tracks. PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESSPASSING These you can not miss, they are large, and on each side of the tracks and one each side of the crossings ( yes 4 at each crossing), and several evenly placed anywhere near where the public can gain access to the tracks. I live and work in a great rring area, we have the main line running through our town where all east bound traffic passes, with the occasional weigh freight that has to go against the grain to deliver products to lineside businesses. This is a major track that accomodates numerous railroads : Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Via (passenger), Rocky Mtn Scenic ( private tourist), Southern (rail link) and a multitude of maintance equipment (rail grinder, sperry, etc.) It was about 4am that one of the container unit trains had to make a stop to pick up more cars and was waiting for the green light so I stopped and went up in the cab and had a chat with the crew. Yes times are a changin, with not only the threat of terriorism but with the way companies are going now a days with some fairly large layoffs creating disgruntled former employees and of course we can not forget the individual who has not enought to do in life and wants to creat some action, this results in the potential increasing for the unfortunate to occur. With this said one can not blame the companies, they are protecting THEIR property and employees, as well as the public.
What does this mean for the local train watcher and railfans, well I guess we are going to have to respect their wishes and start taking pictures form the roadside and not wandering a ways down the tracks to that favorite spot or to get that great shot.
So far we here have a great rapore with the railway employees, they know, as we stand there camera at ready, that we are not a threat and are just there to take pictures or watch the trains as they work, they always just wave and say hi, and have allowed us a great deal of leniency, this may come to an end, and it will not be the poor employee fault who has to come up to you and ask you to leave. I am working again tonight and will give the rr police a call and if they are out this way have tea with them and get their views on this, but I think I already know what they are going to say.
Just something to concider. Ron..
 

jon-monon

Active Member
They did the opposit here when they did railroad relocation, they added fences and gates, left the locks off, and never posted a single sign. So, I have been sneaking around in the shadows, snapping shots and looking at stuff. Indiana law, it ain't tresspassing until they tell you not to. I used to carry a copy of the law in my wallet in my young Jeepin' days. Boy, that Purdue cop sure got pissed when I showed it to him and informed him that he's not the land owner and therefore can't tell me not to tresspass (Purdue/State property) :) I think one of the big things is lawsuits and liabilities.
 

Vic

Active Member
Here's The Way To Handle It

Railfans and modelers paradise!!!

The small town of Manchester, Georgia is located about 25 miles North of me. Its the division point for CSX's Birmingham and Jacksonville divisons. There's at least one train through there every 30 mins 24/7. Its a great and popular railfanning place.

The City of Manchester and CSX Corp. have built a covered deck adjacent to the yard office just for the use of railfans right on the mainline. The best view in the whole area. Railfan's are welcome to use it anytime day or night but the rule is that you go there and no where else.

Many of the through trains stop there to change crews and the photo ops are great to mention the great conversations that you can have with many of the CSX employees. They even have a scanner at the site so you can listen to the radio communications while watching the trains.

This little town capitalizes along with the cooperation of CSX and NS on its railroad heritage and they have Railroad Days on the 2nd week end of Oct. every year. Its a two day event and they always have a big barbcue, a noted rail speaker and a good trainshow and other railroad events.

But it even gets better.... The Milliken Corp donated the old Callway cotton mill to the City to use as a convention center and a railroad museum. In cleaning up the grounds over 1/2 mile of track was uncovered and there's plenty of room for displaying equiptment. Also negociations are underway for the construction of trackage for a live steam 7 1/2" gauge railroad on the grounds.

This is what I call doing it right!!!
 

Vic

Active Member
More On Manchester GA

Just some pixs from Railroad Days two weeks ago.

This one is the first piece of equiptment for the museum, An ACL wood side caboose. Materials have been purchased for its restoration.
 

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Vic

Active Member
You can ride for free but donations are accepted
 

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jon-monon

Active Member
Awesome pics, vic, immagine having that stove to heat your garage layout! I WANT ONE!

Back to the orig topic, I crossed the line: I wanted to get that "Photographer about to get run over while shooting a big diesel head on" photo, and after shooting the first of what was to be 10 or so bracketed photo's, I heard a voice from behind the glaring headlight, "Hey! Get the hell off the track!" He did let me bracket the shot (i.e. spend all the time I wanted) inside the gates just off the track, but I fear the shot I got was way overexposed. We'll see, maybe I got lucky.
 
I can imagine that stove heating my caboose. As a matter of fact, I think thats the one that came out of my hack. Sooooo, Vic if you would tell the kind folks there to give it back, there will be no questions asked ;) :D

Btw, I tried to get on of those baggage wagons several years ago. It was behind a florist shop with trash piled on it. The owner said NO WAY. It's still in the same spot but the trash that was on it is laying on the ground because she let the wagon rot and fall apart.:mad: :rolleyes:

t.
 

Vic

Active Member
HI T, I guess that's the way things go.....been a whole lot of things that have just gone away simply because folks couldn't see the forest for looking at the trees!:( There's been a lot of historical stuff around here that could have been preserved but instead ended up in the landfill:( The city here bought about 5 miles of abandoned line (in good shape) from NS. The idea was to run some sort of a sightseeing train from the north end downtown to the Riverwalk. That never worked out. The next brainstorm was to buy a trolley car and and do the samething until somebody pointed out that a trolley has to have overhead electrical and there was none:eek: Now the whole ROW is such disrepair you couldn't even run a speeder over most of it:(

I could go on and on:eek: :D
 

jon-monon

Active Member
Originally posted by t. alexander
I can imagine that stove heating my caboose. As a matter of fact, I think thats the one that came out of my hack. Sooooo, Vic if you would tell the kind folks there to give it back, there will be no questions asked ;) :D


Mr. t., you ought to do a layout in that bad boy! :D :D :D MR layouts 2002 has an NG layout in a mobile home.
 

Vic

Active Member
Oooooops!!!

Hi Guys, I just noticed that I posted 2 pics of the baggage wagon and none of the caboose:eek: Please scroll back up and take a look at the "hack"!!:D
 
Tom, I to hate to hear that too.

I had a run in with the CSX police. The whole thing was a mis-understanding, I had know idea I was trespassing. And as it turned out after a phone conversation with the local "chief of CSX police" I wasn't. But the boys that had my jeep towed were not in a forgiving mood.

t.
 
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