that long unbroken line of tank cars (at times total- ing over 100). But despite all my frequent Joint Line trips, I had rarely been able to catch one of these trains in a good photo location that would show the
long line of
tanks to advantage in ad- dition to the lead power units. I had come close to getting the shot I wanted, but no real cigar. This years-long “waiting for a train” finally came to an end recently when I was able to chase and photo- graph not one, but two of these long unit trains at several good photo loca- tions. At times, the Joint Line can truly be either “feast or famine.”
Modern Hobos
Like the song about ho- bos waiting for a train, if you get the chance to see a modern hobo on a freight car, take the pho- to. It might make a nice addition to your next slide or image show. On one occasion a fellow sit- ting atop a coal load gave me some friendly waves, until I raised my camera at him; he immediately turned his face away and ducked down. When I was working on my first article for RAILFAN & RAILROAD on the Coors Brewery railroad in Gold- en, Colo., (July 1986) a
The regular run of Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Rio Grande Zephyr, seen here at Tunnel 29 outside Pinecliffe, Colo., was of- ten the reason for a lot of the author’s track side waiting back in the 1980s. GREG MONROE
Coors Railroad employee told me about a ’bo riding the Burlington Northern local out to the brewery, which is served by a dead end branch out of Denver. The train jumper was said to have frustratingly asked “When does this train go further west?” when the car he was riding was left in the rail yard. This fellow had not only another long wait to catch a train west — he first had to make it the 16 miles back to the main yard in Denver, presumably not by waiting to hop a returning train but by waiting with his thumb held out. Waiting trackside for the next train on the UP’s Moffat Line west of Denver some years back, I heard talk on the scanner from the engineer of an approaching coal train that they had some stowaways near the end of the train. The dispatcher arranged for the local gendarmes to meet the train near where I was waiting. Sure enough, I soon saw State Patrol and sheriff cruisers arrive. While one cruiser went to the front of the train, another drove back along the train. It was not too long a wait until I saw the sher- iff’s car go by with several “passengers” in the back seat.
Making the Most of Your Time
How many times while waiting do you “think” you hear a distant whistle, or catch a brief and faint sound of diesel engines? Or you hear the faint faraway roar of a jet plane and tell yourself it maybe might be a train?
Usually it is not, as you realize it was big trucks on a nearby highway, or that distant train whistle was on another line. Waiting at a familiar location can at times yield the unexpected. Maybe new or “foreign” power will be on the point, or you’ll catch an occasional seldom seen train, such as one carrying military vehicles, airliner fuselages, or other unusual cargo. Of course, the time waiting — as well as the entire trip — is wasted if you wanted a certain light effect and clouds (or maybe rain or snow) have moved in as the train finally ar- rives. On the other hand, maybe you might like the different look from photographing in that weather. If you are unfamiliar with the line, use
the waiting time to scope out good composi- tions, or look for locations where the lighting and backgrounds will be optimal. If you have already photographed a lot in the area, try to see an old location in a different way. If the creative composition is your bent, you might wait around in one selected location to see how changing light affects your photos. Maybe you will meet other railfans and make a new friend or two. While waiting on Cumbres Pass in southern Colorado for a Cumbres & Toltec Scenic train one day, I overheard a couple of other fans talking about their train chasing experiences. Says one fan to the next: “My wife always tells me that all I do is go from one location to the next to take the same shot over and over.
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