As I mentioned before in the Do's and Don't section, I have been a railfan for many years.  I call this section "Railfan 101" because it's sort of a potpourri of items that will be of interest to raifans.  Check out each section and enjoy, but keep in mind that this is what works for me and what I like to do, but you might enjoying railfanning in a different way.

RAILFAN PHILOSOPHY:  I'm not a great one to hang around yards.  The scenery isn't the greatest, it's a great place to get kicked out of (these days, the possibility of arrest is very high) and there are a lot of unsavory characters that like to hang out around yards.  Therefore, I stay away from yards.

Funny that I have that attitude, as I live in Roseville, CA,  just a couple of miles from the largest rail yard west of the Mississippi.  There are many reasons why I avoid the Roseville yard:  I don't care for "roster shots" and U.P. has a contract with the Roseville PD.  If you're caught trespassing on railroad property, there is a good chance that you get will get arrested.  Not exactly the way that I care to have a railfan trip to end!

As you may have noticed from the "Four Wheeling" section of this web site, I am an avid four wheeler.  So the type of areas that I like to railfan in are in the "boondocks."  The further I am away from civilization, the happier I am.  

When I take railroad pictures, the railroad is always the major subject of the photo.  But I try include a lot more, e.g. the environment that the railroad lives and works in and I try to make the photo tell a story.  Of course good composition and good lighting is a must!  All that aside, I do take my share of "grab shots."

I won't go into the basics of composition, lighting or photography techniques as there are many excellent web sites devoted to those subjects.

I'm not really the "grab and run" type.  I like to find a good photo location, fire up the scanner, and wait for action. After I photograph a train at that location, instead of chasing it down the tracks for another shot, I wait for another train.  I always move around within the location to vary the shot.  I prefer the "laid-back" approach.  I do enough rushing around pursuing daily life, why rush when you're trying to have fun?

After I've taken enough photos in one location, I move to the next one.  I always try to keep a "picture" in my mind of the big picture, so I'll know what to expect. I choose my location in anticipation of the direction that the next train is approaching from, keeping the angle of the sun in mind.  

PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT:  My hardware is very simple:  A 20-something year old Canon AE-1 with a 50mm f1.4 Canon lens, and a Canon 135mm f3.5 telephoto lens.  For film, I usually shoot Kodak Gold 200 print film.  I use the "low tech" approach.  I use a Canon scanner to scan the images and post them on the web site.

I have since purchased a Fuji S305 digital camera, but its use for action photography is somewhat limited, so I mostly use it for still shots and slow, action shots.  I notice that my film camera is getting used less and less.

In March of 2005, I won $400.00 playing quarters at a slot machine in Reno, and that was all the excuse I needed to purchase a Fuji S5100 Fine-Pix digital camera.  This camera has many digital modes to choose from, sports a 10-to-1 optical zoom lens, and looks like a 35mm s.l.r., but is only about 1/2 the size and weight.  Since I purchased the Fine-Pix, I haven't used my 35mm film camera, but I still, well sometimes, take it for a backup.

RAILFAN TECHNIQUES:  Many railfans are happy to drive to a location, park the vehicle, pop a top, get out a lawn chair, and wait for a train to arrive.  Sure, I do that too.  However, even though I drive a well-equipped truck, there are places that I just can't get to by driving.  So in that case, I'm not afraid to strap on a day pack and hit the trail.

So you've decided to do some hiking.  Besides the usual railfan stuff, what do you bring?  Here's what I bring:

Water, lots of it, usually 3/4 gallon

Water purification tablets

Pauncho

Swiss army knife

Lunch

Small first aid/survival kit

Cell phone

Ham radio handheld transceiver (2-meter band, doubles as railroad scanner)

Tablet and pencil for taking notes

This is just for an outing of a few hours in the Sierras.  With everything, the pack weighs about 10 - 12 pounds.  I'm used to carrying a lot more, so for me, it's not a problem.

RAILFAN STUFF:  Here's the stuff that I use to railfan with:

Camera, telephoto lens, cleaning kit and film

Ham radio transceiver (doubles as scanner)

Tablet and pencil (I like to make notes on each shot)

Maps of the area

Handheld GPS receiver

Railfan timetable  for the appropriate area  

Notebook computer and appropriate software

What about the computer and software?  I recently have been taking a notebook computer with me on railfan and four-wheeling trips (it stays in the truck.)  I have installed Namo WebEditor 5.5 software, which I use to create these web pages and DeLorme Street Atlas 2005 map software.  I have installed a GPS with the map software, and it is awesome.  Not only does it give you a moving map display, but it will show you all the access roads to the tracks!  I thought I knew every access road to the Donner Pass area, but I didn't.  It is also sort of fun to take notes on the computer between trains.  I should mention that I have a 175-watt inverter to power the computer from the truck's power.

The timetable, from Altamont Press, is a must-have.  It has all the information that you need to know, including stations, drag detectors, maps, scanner frequencies, and a whole lot more.  Don't leave for the tracks without one!

FAVORITE AREAS TO RAIFAN:  Not in any real order, but these come to mind:

BNSF Needles Subdivision

Donner Pass and Nevada

Tehachapi and Mojave

Feather River Canyon

UP Oregon Subdivision

Sacramento River Canyon and Mt. Shasta area

That concludes Railfan 101.  I hope you've enjoyed the ride.  Please email me with any comments or suggestions; your input is always appreciated.

Happy rails to you...