www.railfan.com/departures


www.railfan.com FOUNDING PUBLISHER


HAROLD H. CARSTENS (1925-2009)


PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER HENRY R. CARSTENS


VICE PRESIDENT JOHN A. EARLEY EDITOR


E. STEVEN BARRY


ASSOCIATE EDITORS WALTER C. LANKENAU OTTO M. VONDRAK


CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JAMES D. PORTERFIELD


COLUMNISTS THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO EXPRESS YOUR RAILROAD PRIDE. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY OTTO M. VONDRAK The Fashionable Railfan


ONE OF THE LEAST OBVIOUS yet most impor- tant decisions to be made in this hobby is your choice of clothing. A railfan’s clothes can say much about him or her, can begin or end conversations, and be a method of putting your devotion to our favorite mode of transportation on display to the whole world. For some, the answer is to take a cue from sports fans. Most major railroads have com- pany gift stores that offer a plethora of ball caps, shirts, and jackets bearing corporate logos. Step aside sports fans, the Santa Fe Warbonnets and the Pennsylvania Key- stones mean business! So far, this display of company pride has not gone as far as face painting in corporate colors or carrying pom- poms, but it may only be a matter of time. Sone railfans have trackside tailgate parties and cheer for their favorite locomotive like others might do for the star quarterback. Unlike sports, however, “team loyalty” of- ten extends beyond the life of a railroad. It is not uncommon to see railfans wearing caps or jackets promoting the fallen flags of the New York Central or the Rock Island or the Western Pacific. Such loyalty deserves re- spect, much in the way some sport fans still cheer


for the long-departed Hartford


Whalers or the Minnesota Lakers. This leads to a second sartorial choice: the industry tribute. These items usually bear detailed and colorful scenes depicting our fa- vorite trains. Chests and stomachs thus dis- play scenes of mighty Mohawk steam en- gines or thundering Electro-Motive diesels charging through the landscape. This may be the ultimate way of wearing your railroad pride. You become one with the scene, a kind of human art gallery wherever you go. How- ever, you run the risk of ridicule should a fel- low foamer start counting rivets on the side of your fanciful illustrated steamliner! A third choice is the well-worn denim vest or jacket festooned with embroidered rail- road patches, round pin-backs, and shiny enameled pewter pins. The older the gar- ment, the less denim shows through. These


4 AUGUST 2013 • RAILFAN.COM


tributes in flair often represent the chronicle of a lifetime of equal parts train-riding and train-chasing. Approach with caution. An entirely different approach is to at-


tempt to dress in the same manner as would a railroad employee. This can take two gen- eral forms. The first is to dress in historic railroad fashion: striped cap, striped bibs, hickory shirt, and a red bandana. (Pro Tip: For the historical sticklers, substitute a black bowler hat.), The other path is the look of a modern railroader: Carhartt jeans, polo shirt, reflective vest, safety glasses, and a baseball cap.


While rare, some railfans will mimick the railroader’s “uniform” either as a tribute to another age, or in the case of the modern look, to make them easier to be seen by rail- road crews, thus putting everyone at ease. While following the same safety practices that railroaders follow may sound like a good idea, to others it could be interpreted as mocking or otherwise unwelcome. Use this approach sparingly.


Last but not least is the way that most rail- fans dress: incognito, in the same boring clothes as every other non-railfan wears. Af- ter all, no matter which railfan clothing option you pick, you are bound to start a conversa- tion. Standing in line at the checkout in the grocery store, you may soon find yourself stuck in a discussion with an employee or fel- low shopper who, you soon learn, had a father, or an uncle, or a second cousin three times re- moved who worked for the railroad (or ran a steam engine or rode trains as a kid or...) No matter what course you choose, do not be afraid to wear your railfan gear and dis- play your pride.


Just don’t do it when you are trying to buy ice cream.


Alexander B. Craghead is a writer, photog- rapher,


watercolorist, and self-described “transportation geek” from Portland, Ore. You can reach out to Alex on our web site at www.railfan.com/departures.


ALEXANDER B. CRAGHEAD THOMAS KELCEC GREG MONROE GEORGE M. SMERK JEFFREY D. TERRY WES VERNON


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