[nitehntr]

i see this all the time at valley falls state park in West Virginia. there is a foot bridge over the tracks but people feel the need to be on them. its especially bad during senior picture season the park is a beautiful spot and i have even seen professional photographers pose kids on the tracks. i am a retired natural resources police officer and used to just tell people move away from the tracks or be cited but as a retiree i can only jawbone. took a pretty good cussing from a high school girls parents once but i didn't care i had to try, the trains fly through there. there's not a crossing anywhere near there so no whistle by the time they hear the train its too late.

[Riggomatic]

I grew up in a small town, in the early 80's, that had a 90° cross-track. The East/West line was the N&W, and the North/South line was the L&N. I think most days in the summer, we were walking along tracks, hanging under bridges when the trains went over, loading up pennies on the rails. And another favorite was picking up the spikes that were left in the rocks and winging them at the tracks to make a spark. The things that I considered fun back then.


But out of all those years playing along the tracks, I can't think of a time we were ever in that situation.

My railroad pictures now are taken from my car, as I drive over the tracks...

[MossyRocks]

took a pretty good cussing from a high school girls parents once but i didn't care i had to try

I've been taken to task by a number of self entitled ass holes in some of the parks around me. Granted none of what they have been trying to do was dangerous but just against the park rules. It has mostly been pros or wanna be pros (not sure but they all seem to try to play the) who don't know the rules. I'm big enough that no one will cause me problems but their belief that they can block trails, direct people away from were they want to be, or generally prevent other people from enjoying the park is something that I really don't care for. In my past 2 trips I had one photographer upset because my Vivitar 285HV was triggering their portable strobes and demanded that I stop doing flash photography of dead plants yet they had all their stuff setup on the path blocking the way. Then on the last trip there I had a photographer get upset because I wouldn't get off the bridge so they could setup and do an engagement shoot there.

[bigdavephoto]

Yes, some folks are pretty dumb and tragic accidents do happen.
But I wonder if this was staged. Was that footage from a webcam?
People like to show stupid behavior in videos, often on youtube.

Chris

Not staged. Virtual Railfan is a channel on youtube that streams, live different locations of the different railroads for failfans. Sometimes they will snip out sections of video to post that shows interesting things, or like in this case, people being stupid. Most of the time when they post little bits of the live feed as videos, it's as a "grab bag" of different things.

VR also runs a web sight of the cams they have that is not on youtube. Virtual Railfan, Inc. – We bring the trains to you!

[nitehntr]

I've been taken to task by a number of self entitled ass holes in some of the parks around me. Granted none of what they have been trying to do was dangerous but just against the park rules. It has mostly been pros or wanna be pros (not sure but they all seem to try to play the) who don't know the rules. I'm big enough that no one will cause me problems but their belief that they can block trails, direct people away from were they want to be, or generally prevent other people from enjoying the park is something that I really don't care for. In my past 2 trips I had one photographer upset because my Vivitar 285HV was triggering their portable strobes and demanded that I stop doing flash photography of dead plants yet they had all their stuff setup on the path blocking the way. Then on the last trip there I had a photographer get upset because I wouldn't get off the bridge so they could setup and do an engagement shoot there.

the difference is you were legally and entitled to be where you were and what you were doing. being on the tracks is not only extremely dangerous but also a crime. the RR rights of way are private property and everywhere i go are posted as such. i don't want to start a fight but i saw too many broken bodies from all causes in 30 years as a law enforcement officer not to at least try to warn people. there was a teenager killed at that park a couple years ago and nothing has changed.

[MossyRocks]

the difference is you were legally and entitled to be where you were and what you were doing. being on the tracks is not only extremely dangerous but also a crime. the RR rights of way are private property and everywhere i go are posted as such.

I was mostly referring to the self entitled aspect of a lot of people. They don't think the rules apply to them, either by blocking paths or by playing on railroad tracks. Where I go and shoot trains there is a railroad facility on the other side of the tracks from the park and I've had rail road workers come over and ask me if I was planning on setting up on the tracks or on their property and I am always quick to point out that I am not. I have a feeling that lots of people however do go and setup and take pictures on the track because the old railroad lift bridge makes a great background so that is why they swing by. However another place I frequently go and shoot there is no railroad facility there, just tracks running along a state park and national wildlife refuge and people are always down there in the spring and fall shooting on the tracks for senior and graduation pictures.