Nebraska railfan here.... I've met the kid who did the deed twice, and railfan the same areas as him. We also have a giant terminal in our area with hundreds of workers. I can't imagine how much I'll be called in while railfanning. Seeing this happen is truly troubling for me and the greater railfan community. People have got to stop being jackasses and learn to straighten themselves up before they get caught or killed.
The minute railfans start messing around with railroad equipment, breaking laws and causing trouble they are simply no longer railfans. They are vandals first and foremost. It's like a football fan running out on the field and stealing the ball in the middle of a game. To be respected, you need to show respect. Excellent PSA Harrison.
3 weeks ago while railfanning in Scranton, PA we parked on the public side of the tracks at the entrance to NS's yard, before the "no tresspassing" signs, taking a couple of photos from my truck and checking to see if anything was moving. A car pulled up next to us and a kid no more than 12-13 years old hopped out with a camera and proceeded to walk over multiple active tracks taking pictures all around. The kid even walked up further into the yard and out of sight. An adult remained in the car the whole time paying no attention to the kid, just playing games on his phone. We left promptly, not wanting to be guilty by association. Adult railfans need to set a good example for the younger generation and teach them to be respectful.
The real issue is a parent problem....as you showed here. I did all sorts of trespassing as a teen...but never dreamt of damaging, destroying or stealing anything.
Idk about the rest of the world, but us Americans have been pumped full of hate through social media and politics. Unfortunately this hatefulness is addictive and more people are falling victim to it every day. It's going to get a lot worse until it gets better, if it ever does get better.
@@RailPreserver2K Every social media sites has to be shut down, the only way we can railfan is what railfans had done in the 1980s and the 1990s, a time where we would get CDs turned into railfan DVDs like how the late Greg Scholl has done during his time of railfanning until his death. We may never get VHS, but CDs and DVDs are worth it
Excellent point. Its affected everyone. We are little powder kegs. Every different type of person is being taught to doubt & even hate themselves while fearing and distrusting the others. Try to overcome. We can do it. Think nice & positive of others in the beginning. Fight the voices that have been planted in you, theyre not yours!! You are a good peson
Interfering or destroying railroad property is not being a rail fan. Unfortunately their acts make it harder for true fans to get the pictures or operating information you would like to have. I have not done much railroad photography except as a passenger on a train or at a staged railroad event. However I have seen fans get too close to the right of way to be safe. Never knowingly enter railroad property without permission. Do nothing to interfere with the operation of trains. If anything good rail fans act as another pair old eyes looking out for the safe operation of the railroad. If we see something unsafe it should either be reported to the closest railroad office or local police.
Thank you for making this video. It is about time someone takes a stance on this issue. The hobby is absolutely out of control at the moment and it is absolutely appalling what is currently going on around the country with people committing crimes in their own hobby! Stop committing crimes! People do not realize how close we are to losing everything, and if you think we still have any type of respect from any railroad, you are wrong. As these events of criminal mischief continue, security will continue to tighten around the country, and it will eventually get the point where fences go up, all railroad go digital, and there will be greater police presence preventing people from enjoying the hobby. It’s time to shape up railfans, and if you can’t be a normal person and conduct yourself appropriately in public, it’s time for you to leave the hobby and find something else to do (or get a job). Let’s stop sugarcoating the issues here and get straight to the point. There’s a serious problem, and it needs to be fixed.
We been dealing with this type of shit for 10 years in NYC in the NYC subway railfan commuity. Sadly, it's now starting to spread to the railroads. I know other states,cities and towns have more strict laws compared to NYC so It'll be nipped in the butt very quickly.
A great and well thought out video Harrison, you said things that need to be said! Just so you know there's nothing new under the sun 30+ years ago there was an editorial in (I think) "Railpace" where the writer was excoriating irresponsible railfans who would endanger themselves and others just to "Get that shot that nobody else has!" Even further back in the 1890's there was a kid who placed a tie spike on a rail that derailed a locomotive. He was caught and when the judge asked him why he did such a stupid thing his reply was "I just wanted to see what would happen." You made VERY good points as to what could be lost due to foolish behavior. All should realize that in this day and age even though the railroaders themselves realize the majority of railfans are pretty responsible the heavy hands of the 'roads Legal and Risk Management departments just might swing into action and ruin the good times for all. Hopefully you gave some people something to think about.
Thanks for sharing this information Harrison. Gosh, I would be devastated if I wouldn’t be able to film trains anymore, especially at railroad crossings.
While (and this is assuming if they do something about this) if they were to completely make railfanning illegal in the U.S, I don't think this would apply to railroad crossings as it's a public crossing, you can't just assume they have a camera out for the train, everywhere else like at switches, diamond crossings and even just out on the railroad, I can see the engineers of the train reporting you to the railroad police just for recording the train. And it's really unfortunate too because not all of us are willing to derail a train for views. Unfortunately, people like this kid who derailed the train gives us all a bad impression on the railroads.
In Bombay, India, one boy performed dangerous stunts leaning out of running trains and his friend captured these on video and they uploaded on YT. I saw these on YT Shorts and felt a deep sense of shock that he is playing with his life and limb. The local police investigated these videos traced the boy and went to his home. At home they found the boy lying on bed with both legs amputated. This police video too hit the YT Shorts on my feed.
I totally 100% agree with you Harrison!! Just seeing some of these dumb people just trespassing doing stupid things like such as purposely derailing a train is just only making things even worst. We can all agree that this is super concerning to all of us railfans. The people that trespasses purposely trying to do stupid things is putting our Railfanning hobbies at risk. I definitely have lots of things to say about this issue in my next video!
I always respect the railroad and I always Railfan at a safe distance from the tracks and I always like to wave at the engineer whenever a train passes to let them know that I respect the railroad and they give me a horn salute. Keep up the good work dude👍
In Burlington, Vermont, there’s a cycling trail that passes the railway yard. I rode it a few times during my matriculation at UVM. I could see what was going on just fine without veering off the trail, disregarding the “Staff Only” signs, or failing to stop at any level crossings. I couldn’t possibly be the only one to ride the trail for that specific reason.
I have a friend at the model railroad club I am part of and he is a CSX conductor on the Worcester main line. It is fascinating to get to learn a railroaders perspective compared to one of a railfan.
I live in Crawford, Nebraska, where the famous Crawford Hill and Belmont Tunnel are very popular with Railfanners. So far, landowners and the BNSF are very tolerant as long as rules are respected. I hope these incidents won't affect railfanning for the rest of you because I know that the majority have good relationships with the railroad and the utmost respect for rules. With so many trains, a block and a half from my house, every day and night, I'm not what you'd call a fan, but I enjoy seeing other people enjoying it. Good luck and be safe.
And this not only concerns me and my friends but also future generations who might want to railfan hobby too. I ALWAYS Stay away from RR Property and I also tell my friends to NEVER tresspass on RR property. Good Video NCT and keep up the great work!.
I wouldn't worry too much about it, like you said, a ban on photography would violate the First Amendment. Just be respectful of the crews and private property signs, and be sure to look friendly as well. Regardless of whether they like you there or not, as long as you're on public property, there's nothing they can do about it.
Just now saw this, for which I thank you VERY much. It's probably the best and most important of the many fine videos you have created. I wrote about the crime in Nebraska for the Sept. issue of the BLHS Bulletin last Thursday or Friday and will send that item to you once I've finished this comment. Your video is one of your very best and includes other incidents of which I had not heard. Coupled with the scenes it includes, what you've done this time should reach more viewers and be more persuasive than what I wrote.
There will always be those “people” that actually not in the hobby but want to use to further them. Also between the electronic society and the lack of respect for law by people drives these actions. Also you really need to report people. Good luck to the good rail fans.
I have a healthy respect for the railroads and know not to mess around on their properties, the careless people mentioned in the video are giving railfans (the ones with their heads screwed on properly) a bad rap.
One of the best things and I have experience with this is in upstate ny I asked an engineer about sitting and filming at CPSK they gave me permission I made sure they saw I was just filming and never got bothered eventually they kicked me off property as they were doing track work I respected there decision left on good terms respect goes long way
New York City Railfan here, It's already been worse since 2017-2019. Those who wanna call themselves Railfans/Transitfans wanna give us a bad name with the MTA by literally breaking into the rear cabs of Trains, tamper with Signages, steal objects such as Master Keys & Uniform from Employees, etc to the point where last year a group of teens somehow MANAGED to move a train from a layover track that was NOT scheduled to run. Recently, a Jackass decided to walk into the tracks from the station platform to get a "better" picture of a train with a different signage. The dude the walked into the tracks already got hate and turned off his comments & DMs on his IG to avoid backlash
This is actually the second type of rail fan interference. The first was Chatsworth, where fans distracted an engineer. This caused PTC to be born, and is forcing super long trains to pay for the cost of maintaining PTC.
Kentucky railfan here I always practice being a good railfan and I don’t ever mess with a switch or anything like that also I have a opportunity to throw a mainline switch on a seldom used CSX main but I have permission from a CSX conductor I’m Freinds with and he will be watching me the whole time to make sure I throw it right and reline the switch right
I have loved trains since I was born, Literally, my first train ride was when I was 9 months old. I took my first sleeper journey last year and had the time of my life!, 99.9% of us railfans just want to admire the workings of trains and maybe take a picture or video, that dang kid is giving us a bad name, rail workers trust us less and less, I unfortunately can see why, these people are not true rail fans. real rail fans would never willingly or knowingly interfere with railroad operations, I understand accidents and mistakes happen, but obviously this was not a mistake, he's lucky they don't charge him with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. rant over, thanks for reading :)
Aussie here, railfanning isn't as major as in America, but you are still right, people taking picutres should respect track limits and railway operations, no one likes to see someone trying to took some pictures but ended disrupting operations due to his behavior ended up endangering train operations, especially since many Australian railways are electrified and one single misstep can ended up causing a mess with authorities having to clean up the charred mess before operations can resume
Great PSA Harrison I heard about that idiot in Nebraska that derailed a train just for views what he did is illegal, dangerous, selfish and unacceptable. I’m actually a very good railfan i respect railroad property. I don’t do anything that I know is illegal or anything that I know not supposed to like trespassing or tampering with railroad equipment
Well I think that our first mistake is to call these people rail fans who are destructive or trespass, because a real rail fan has respect and love for the railroads and their employees. Therefore we should call these people what they are, and that is, not rail fans, but rather lawbreakers and extremely disrespectful.
I highly doubt it can be enforced or that they would begin to even try to do this. If you’re at a yard it’s best not to be seen or you’ll be told to leave. When it comes to public property chasing specials there used to be photo lines but that’s rare. And you just have to know you won’t have a clean shot. And photography is under the first amendment of freedom of speech. So I doubt that would work and it would be fought unless America decided no one has freedom of speech. We’ll be fine. There have been and will always be bad people in every community.
i have bern watching trains for a bery very long time , 65 now. but used to be in stockton ca it was no problem taking photos on SP property, WP property, and ATSF property. but now thinks mostly to bums. and mergers. everything is behind 10 foot tall steel razor top fencing. cameras everywhere. and high tech gates. very anti set up. but who is to blame? away from city’s with large bum pops things are not so bad. as to anyone moving a switch. i would kick the butt down to the local sheriffs office. after calling the rail dispatcher. there is no reason to touch or mess with anything. people can get hurt, maimed, or dead. sure in my life i have done a bit more than i do these days. but i never got in the way or did anything to the railroads.
I'm not a railfanner, but I do like watching trains. My big thing is planespotting. We run into the same type of problems. Around my local airport there was one ideal viewing spot It was, unfortunately, on private property. People disrespected that property, so the owner sealed it off so the public could not enter. It is always the bad few that spoil it for all the good people.
Really unbeleiveable what people will do for views, it used to be putting themselfs at risk but now its puting over people at risk too, just imagine if the BNSF was going mainline speed, really putting us railfans at risk
and as a commercial truck driver (no retired) most cars weight in about a ton, pu trucks up to 2 tons commercial truck cabs can by pushing 10 tons, rated for s full 80,000 pounds. and a fully loaded truck is nothing to even a empty 40 foot flat car. let alone a six axle power unit.
As a North Carolina railfan, I seriously won't want railroaders discriminate railfans because there are some bad apples out there, it's kinda like discriminating people of color. But what I fear is that another attention seeking toxic railfan or non-railfan would park a car on the tracks and film a train hitting it, which leads to that person getting arrested as well Alan Smith aka Millenniumforce is a perfect example of this as he films railroad crossing gates hitting his head and viewers think of that as entertainment, but in reality. It's far more dangerous and it could be a lead factor to why Millenniumforce had his stroke in the first place Not only that, but there have been incidents in 2017 and 2019 where Alan and his crew had been disrespecting rail cams such as Virtual Railfan, to which in my opinion is overrated and since the pandemic hit Virtual Railfan has been causing problems with railfans such as a number of toxic people being on the live chat on Virtual Railfan Truth be told, chasing social media clout is like a drug that makes you become unforgiving such as people becoming psychopaths In order to prevent other incidents from happening, we must be nice to each other and helping other railfans and railroaders as I might have to discuss on how to avoid chasing social media clout to future railfans because it's causing the railfan community to be in danger of losing everything
The boy who played with the switch could also have some other mental handicap like mental retardation or CP. While what he did was dangerous and illegal, I do feel sorry because he obviously did not know any better. He was 13. I think venom against him because he is obviously disabled is not right. Sadly, I do see here Arnie Grape climbing the water tower. A part of me feels sorry for him. There are mixed feelings on this. He was very much so putting himself and others in danger. Sadly, prisons and institutions have people who are mentally retarded as inmates. Does he have the ability to understand his crime and not to repeat it? I asked that above and ask it again because we should be thinking. Solely making the community or railfans as a whole looking bad? There are other bad actors who don't have a mental disability. Look at the 17- year- old who derailed a train to get ratings. 17 is different. Videos of train hopping, going in tunnels on active rail lines, bridges, etc. You should start to know better at 17. Maybe he has a mental illness. Different in the eyes of the law. 350,000 in damages. He's looking at possibly 20 years. A railfan in South Carolina got stopped by workers saying it was illegal for him to photograph a train on public land. The train crew felt uneasy and bothered. The guy went into a spiel on freedom and first amendment without realizing he was disturbing dangerous work. That could have caused an accident. If you are bothering someone and filming them without permission, then you are committing a crime- or several even if you are on public property. You are harassing them. Just leave. The railfan was escalating. People "filming with permission" on a public land adjacent to a ROW are another concern. The police are doing their job in making sure someone isn't going to jump in front of a train. It's not them being stupid. I lived along a stretch of track where 2 train hits happened- both were suicides. The attitudes to police suck. Railroads wouldn't have a problem with railfans if police were treated with respect. The lacrosse team in West Chester, PA is another example of bad actors. If you look hard enough, you will see videos of people putting items on tracks for a train to run over. People call it "railfanning." They caused damage to equipment. In all of this, it's not squarely on that one kid. It's on the culture of railfanning. The entitlement and feeling they are above the law. While there are those among the community that are respectful, there are those that are not. Could it kill a hobby? Absolutely. Ignorance is playing a HUGE role in determining the future of the hobby itself.
Respect is earned. An ardent railfan who denounces his cohorts for violating laws that prohibit trespassing, toss made-up rules around, such as "The first in line to watch, photograp, and and enjoy trains is sacrosanct", and commit the ultimate sin of causing a derailment espouses a dogma belying a lack of respect. The arsonist does not respect fire. The arsonist uses fire for emotional warmth and a crutch to draw attention and wash away disrespect.
Step 1: COMMON SENSE might be hard to find but damn it keep looking Step 2: Balance. Don't always aim for the perfect shot because most times especially during excursions it doesn't exist. People in front of the camera is one thing. But people talking or being nearby is not some cardinal sin. Railfanning is meant to capture railroading at a specific time and that includes the surroundings. I understand people record engine sounds. But dont be an asshole about it Step 3: Don't record people just standing around. Just don't. They're more likely to notice the camera and get pissed. Recording them doing something or passengers walking. Fine fair game. But when there are no trains there should be no filming of people. And be visible about it. Cover the camera point it down. Make it so anybody looking knows there's no way the camera could be on. It's respectful and people will feel better about you being there. if you are zooming in on a train aim for a number board or some other feature besides the cab engineers don't necessarily enjoy fame especially if it's idk....a derailment 4: Distance. Not only for safety but again just being respectful of people and their space. Don't record trains arriving at the platform right by where people may walk. Don't record freight yard workers 6 ft from em. You are fishing for good catches. So stay In the damn boat. If you wanna spear fish you have to go to some remote island cause people will not tolerate that and rightly so 5. DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE OPERATION OF THE RAILROAD.
Viewers must report immediately on the YT as dangerous acts and YT should take these reports seriously and should delete the video or/and ban the uploader. YT is very diligent on banning or deleting any content with death, dismembered body, bloodshed or serious injuries or even actual impact scenes of road accident even if the victim does not suffer any injury. Now YT should flag such deliberate acts of vandalism that may potentially cause serious accident on railroads in their policies for deleting the videos or banning the uploader.
I worked railroads from the late 90’s into the 2000’s before an injury sidelined me. I was a railfan before starting my career. Here’s how I viewed them, if they stayed clear and were respectful great. I would answer questions and talk with them when I had a chance. Some got in the way even after a warning and that’s when I had a problem. Unless they knew of a dangerous situation, no matter how loud they got they didn’t know more than me. I’m not being egotistical but we were purview to much more information than the average person even with a scanner. We had one or two who would let us know their reasons for being there, staying in the clear and even had a cooler with water and soft drinks. I got along great with them. Once you touch railroad property you aren’t a railfan anymore and im afraid it’s only going to get worse now. If possible, ask first and be respectful. My dad taught me early on how far a few dozen donuts and humility will get you in a yard office. Also, don’t be afraid to turn someone in who you see doing things you know aren’t right on rail road property.
And please do not railfan in northwest effect until further notice as is a risk mega threat earthquakes and tsunami that only stuck in 324 the last one 1700 not lot I have to build into Bridges or earthquake proof and it arrange form 7.6 to 9.8 the biggest one was 9.5 in chile I don’t wanna give you nightmares it’s real I know disasters I just wanna keep people safe from a big disaster that could be a lot more destructive like nature one it more important than people being dangerous with trains as they experience, life or death and it produces a stronger earthquakes than the San Andreas one they’re under the ocean what the one in Japan and Indonesia.
not gonna lie, 32 yr UP police officer here. railfans have turned into domestic terrorists as far as I'm concerned. any chance my crew gets, someones getting arrested and prosecuted.
@notlisted-cl5ls That’s rather a broad brush to paint every single person with. As a railfan of 40 plus years and human being, I don’t say every police officer is a high school bully living out his perverted fantasies of being able to assault civilians with impunity because of a badge and qualified immunity. I’ve had very few interactions with law enforcement over my many years of rail fanning from public property. Most were very cordial, and a few had that big chip on their shoulder, that they were god and had authority that exceeded only their own expectations. Right after 9/11 were the most trying times. Since 9/11, our country has turned into a police state, where you are now guilty until proven innocent, contrary to what the US Constitution says, because of a lot of power-hungry bureaucrats. And police officers, are bureaucrats. They are unelected public officials. But, unlike other bureaucrats, police officers are sworn to uphold the laws and Constitution’s of their state and United States. Some, are better than others, at remembering and doing that.
Arresting everyone you see isn’t going to hold up in court. Glad I live in NS territory where I get “how’s things going?” that sure beats being wrongly labeled a domestic terrorist. Best of luck being laughed out of court arresting people wrongly
Nebraska railfan here.... I've met the kid who did the deed twice, and railfan the same areas as him. We also have a giant terminal in our area with hundreds of workers. I can't imagine how much I'll be called in while railfanning. Seeing this happen is truly troubling for me and the greater railfan community. People have got to stop being jackasses and learn to straighten themselves up before they get caught or killed.
I know its not your fault that he did what he did
@@nolantherailfan5048 I agree
The minute railfans start messing around with railroad equipment, breaking laws and causing trouble they are simply no longer railfans. They are vandals first and foremost.
It's like a football fan running out on the field and stealing the ball in the middle of a game. To be respected, you need to show respect.
Excellent PSA Harrison.
@@fran_l Well said
@fran_l you can say that again, fella.
After all, true railway enthusiasts would rather not have derailments, right?
3 weeks ago while railfanning in Scranton, PA we parked on the public side of the tracks at the entrance to NS's yard, before the "no tresspassing" signs, taking a couple of photos from my truck and checking to see if anything was moving. A car pulled up next to us and a kid no more than 12-13 years old hopped out with a camera and proceeded to walk over multiple active tracks taking pictures all around. The kid even walked up further into the yard and out of sight. An adult remained in the car the whole time paying no attention to the kid, just playing games on his phone. We left promptly, not wanting to be guilty by association. Adult railfans need to set a good example for the younger generation and teach them to be respectful.
The real issue is a parent problem....as you showed here.
I did all sorts of trespassing as a teen...but never dreamt of damaging, destroying or stealing anything.
some parents don't care today about what their kids do
Idk about the rest of the world, but us Americans have been pumped full of hate through social media and politics. Unfortunately this hatefulness is addictive and more people are falling victim to it every day. It's going to get a lot worse until it gets better, if it ever does get better.
Fix is simple, shut down all social media except discord, skype and youtube, thats it
@@RailPreserver2K Every social media sites has to be shut down, the only way we can railfan is what railfans had done in the 1980s and the 1990s, a time where we would get CDs turned into railfan DVDs like how the late Greg Scholl has done during his time of railfanning until his death. We may never get VHS, but CDs and DVDs are worth it
Excellent point. Its affected everyone. We are little powder kegs. Every different type of person is being taught to doubt & even hate themselves while fearing and distrusting the others.
Try to overcome. We can do it. Think nice & positive of others in the beginning. Fight the voices that have been planted in you, theyre not yours!!
You are a good peson
Interfering or destroying railroad property is not being a rail fan. Unfortunately their acts make it harder for true fans to get the pictures or operating information you would like to have. I have not done much railroad photography except as a passenger on a train or at a staged railroad event. However I have seen fans get too close to the right of way to be safe. Never knowingly enter railroad property without permission. Do nothing to interfere with the operation of trains. If anything good rail fans act as another pair old eyes looking out for the safe operation of the railroad. If we see something unsafe it should either be reported to the closest railroad office or local police.
Thank you for making this video. It is about time someone takes a stance on this issue. The hobby is absolutely out of control at the moment and it is absolutely appalling what is currently going on around the country with people committing crimes in their own hobby!
Stop committing crimes! People do not realize how close we are to losing everything, and if you think we still have any type of respect from any railroad, you are wrong.
As these events of criminal mischief continue, security will continue to tighten around the country, and it will eventually get the point where fences go up, all railroad go digital, and there will be greater police presence preventing people from enjoying the hobby.
It’s time to shape up railfans, and if you can’t be a normal person and conduct yourself appropriately in public, it’s time for you to leave the hobby and find something else to do (or get a job).
Let’s stop sugarcoating the issues here and get straight to the point. There’s a serious problem, and it needs to be fixed.
Thank you Harrison
You have put into words what most all of us are thinking right now
We been dealing with this type of shit for 10 years in NYC in the NYC subway railfan commuity. Sadly, it's now starting to spread to the railroads. I know other states,cities and towns have more strict laws compared to NYC so It'll be nipped in the butt very quickly.
When my dad worked at a steel mill, if he saw people film the trains, he would tell to leave
If they were trespassing, sure, but if they were just standing on the road, they were doing nothing wrong.
A great and well thought out video Harrison, you said things that need to be said!
Just so you know there's nothing new under the sun 30+ years ago there was an editorial in (I think) "Railpace" where the writer was excoriating irresponsible railfans who would endanger themselves and others just to "Get that shot that nobody else has!" Even further back in the 1890's there was a kid who placed a tie spike on a rail that derailed a locomotive. He was caught and when the judge asked him why he did such a stupid thing his reply was "I just wanted to see what would happen."
You made VERY good points as to what could be lost due to foolish behavior. All should realize that in this day and age even though the railroaders themselves realize the majority of railfans are pretty responsible the heavy hands of the 'roads Legal and Risk Management departments just might swing into action and ruin the good times for all.
Hopefully you gave some people something to think about.
Amazing PSA man! Some railfans have become just awfull and then railroaders just assume that all of us are awfull like them.
Some people just don't appreciate having nice things... Great PSA to make them aware, Harrison! Keep up the excellent (and professional) work!
Thanks for sharing this information Harrison. Gosh, I would be devastated if I wouldn’t be able to film trains anymore, especially at railroad crossings.
While (and this is assuming if they do something about this) if they were to completely make railfanning illegal in the U.S, I don't think this would apply to railroad crossings as it's a public crossing, you can't just assume they have a camera out for the train, everywhere else like at switches, diamond crossings and even just out on the railroad, I can see the engineers of the train reporting you to the railroad police just for recording the train. And it's really unfortunate too because not all of us are willing to derail a train for views. Unfortunately, people like this kid who derailed the train gives us all a bad impression on the railroads.
@@zachzebra56 , I agree with you.
@@zachzebra56you can’t make a form of freedom of speech illegal. Their property always runs through public areas.
@@devernepersonal3636 true
In Bombay, India, one boy performed dangerous stunts leaning out of running trains and his friend captured these on video and they uploaded on YT. I saw these on YT Shorts and felt a deep sense of shock that he is playing with his life and limb. The local police investigated these videos traced the boy and went to his home. At home they found the boy lying on bed with both legs amputated. This police video too hit the YT Shorts on my feed.
I totally 100% agree with you Harrison!! Just seeing some of these dumb people just trespassing doing stupid things like such as purposely derailing a train is just only making things even worst. We can all agree that this is super concerning to all of us railfans. The people that trespasses purposely trying to do stupid things is putting our Railfanning hobbies at risk. I definitely have lots of things to say about this issue in my next video!
I always respect the railroad and I always Railfan at a safe distance from the tracks and I always like to wave at the engineer whenever a train passes to let them know that I respect the railroad and they give me a horn salute. Keep up the good work dude👍
Thank you very much for this Harrison. Could not have said it better.
In Burlington, Vermont, there’s a cycling trail that passes the railway yard. I rode it a few times during my matriculation at UVM. I could see what was going on just fine without veering off the trail, disregarding the “Staff Only” signs, or failing to stop at any level crossings. I couldn’t possibly be the only one to ride the trail for that specific reason.
I have a friend at the model railroad club I am part of and he is a CSX conductor on the Worcester main line. It is fascinating to get to learn a railroaders perspective compared to one of a railfan.
I live in Crawford, Nebraska, where the famous Crawford Hill and Belmont Tunnel are very popular with Railfanners. So far, landowners and the BNSF are very tolerant as long as rules are respected. I hope these incidents won't affect railfanning for the rest of you because I know that the majority have good relationships with the railroad and the utmost respect for rules. With so many trains, a block and a half from my house, every day and night, I'm not what you'd call a fan, but I enjoy seeing other people enjoying it. Good luck and be safe.
And this not only concerns me and my friends but also future generations who might want to railfan hobby too. I ALWAYS Stay away from RR Property and I also tell my friends to NEVER tresspass on RR property. Good Video NCT and keep up the great work!.
I wouldn't worry too much about it, like you said, a ban on photography would violate the First Amendment. Just be respectful of the crews and private property signs, and be sure to look friendly as well. Regardless of whether they like you there or not, as long as you're on public property, there's nothing they can do about it.
Leave the Constitution out of it troll.
Not trying to be a "troll," just pointing out why it cannot be banned.
@@chartreuserailfanning2230 I know right
Just now saw this, for which I thank you VERY much. It's probably the best and most important of the many fine videos you have created. I wrote about the crime in Nebraska for the Sept. issue of the BLHS Bulletin last Thursday or Friday and will send that item to you once I've finished this comment. Your video is one of your very best and includes other incidents of which I had not heard. Coupled with the scenes it includes, what you've done this time should reach more viewers and be more persuasive than what I wrote.
There will always be those “people” that actually not in the hobby but want to use to further them. Also between the electronic society and the lack of respect for law by people drives these actions. Also you really need to report people. Good luck to the good rail fans.
Great vid Harrison. There truly are idiots among us.
I have a healthy respect for the railroads and know not to mess around on their properties, the careless people mentioned in the video are giving railfans (the ones with their heads screwed on properly) a bad rap.
One of the best things and I have experience with this is in upstate ny I asked an engineer about sitting and filming at CPSK they gave me permission I made sure they saw I was just filming and never got bothered eventually they kicked me off property as they were doing track work I respected there decision left on good terms respect goes long way
New York City Railfan here, It's already been worse since 2017-2019. Those who wanna call themselves Railfans/Transitfans wanna give us a bad name with the MTA by literally breaking into the rear cabs of Trains, tamper with Signages, steal objects such as Master Keys & Uniform from Employees, etc to the point where last year a group of teens somehow MANAGED to move a train from a layover track that was NOT scheduled to run. Recently, a Jackass decided to walk into the tracks from the station platform to get a "better" picture of a train with a different signage. The dude the walked into the tracks already got hate and turned off his comments & DMs on his IG to avoid backlash
it's been bad since 2014, The reason why it's still bad because our laws are garbage.
Great Video Harrison. Everything is very well stated and put together! 👌👍 -Dave
a few idiots can destroy a fun and wholsome hobby.
This is actually the second type of rail fan interference. The first was Chatsworth, where fans distracted an engineer. This caused PTC to be born, and is forcing super long trains to pay for the cost of maintaining PTC.
Kentucky railfan here I always practice being a good railfan and I don’t ever mess with a switch or anything like that also I have a opportunity to throw a mainline switch on a seldom used CSX main but I have permission from a CSX conductor I’m Freinds with and he will be watching me the whole time to make sure I throw it right and reline the switch right
@@CSXEK Maybe don’t say that on a public video… for the sake of your conductor friends…
I have loved trains since I was born, Literally, my first train ride was when I was 9 months old. I took my first sleeper journey last year and had the time of my life!, 99.9% of us railfans just want to admire the workings of trains and maybe take a picture or video, that dang kid is giving us a bad name, rail workers trust us less and less, I unfortunately can see why, these people are not true rail fans. real rail fans would never willingly or knowingly interfere with railroad operations, I understand accidents and mistakes happen, but obviously this was not a mistake, he's lucky they don't charge him with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
rant over, thanks for reading :)
Aussie here, railfanning isn't as major as in America, but you are still right, people taking picutres should respect track limits and railway operations, no one likes to see someone trying to took some pictures but ended disrupting operations due to his behavior ended up endangering train operations, especially since many Australian railways are electrified and one single misstep can ended up causing a mess with authorities having to clean up the charred mess before operations can resume
Very well said Harrison! Great Video as Always!
There was this kid in OOB who stood on the track and almost got hit by 93
people these days…
lol
Great PSA Harrison I heard about that idiot in Nebraska that derailed a train just for views what he did is illegal, dangerous, selfish and unacceptable. I’m actually a very good railfan i respect railroad property. I don’t do anything that I know is illegal or anything that I know not supposed to like trespassing or tampering with railroad equipment
Well I think that our first mistake is to call these people rail fans who are destructive or trespass, because a real rail fan has respect and love for the railroads and their employees. Therefore we should call these people what they are, and that is, not rail fans, but rather lawbreakers and extremely disrespectful.
Terrorists for fame and fortune
I highly doubt it can be enforced or that they would begin to even try to do this. If you’re at a yard it’s best not to be seen or you’ll be told to leave. When it comes to public property chasing specials there used to be photo lines but that’s rare. And you just have to know you won’t have a clean shot. And photography is under the first amendment of freedom of speech. So I doubt that would work and it would be fought unless America decided no one has freedom of speech. We’ll be fine. There have been and will always be bad people in every community.
Yes, thank you for making this video, so we know not to do it.
i have bern watching trains for a bery very long time ,
65 now. but used to be in stockton ca it was no problem taking photos on SP property, WP property, and ATSF property.
but now thinks mostly to bums. and mergers. everything is behind 10 foot tall steel razor top fencing. cameras everywhere. and high tech gates.
very anti set up.
but who is to blame?
away from city’s with large bum pops things are not so bad.
as to anyone moving a switch. i would kick the butt down to the local sheriffs office. after calling the rail dispatcher.
there is no reason to touch or mess with anything. people can get hurt, maimed, or dead.
sure in my life i have done a bit more than i do these days. but i never got in the way or did anything to the railroads.
I'm not a railfanner, but I do like watching trains. My big thing is planespotting. We run into the same type of problems. Around my local airport there was one ideal viewing spot It was, unfortunately, on private property. People disrespected that property, so the owner sealed it off so the public could not enter. It is always the bad few that spoil it for all the good people.
Really unbeleiveable what people will do for views, it used to be putting themselfs at risk but now its puting over people at risk too, just imagine if the BNSF was going mainline speed, really putting us railfans at risk
they just need to remember not all rail fans are bad. And just remember the bad railfan was caught and was actually at the location of the derailment
I agree! Great video!🚂🚂
As if the Community wasn't Already in danger
They need jailtime i don't know maybe they'll smarten up
and as a commercial truck driver (no retired)
most cars weight in about a ton, pu trucks up to 2 tons commercial truck cabs can by pushing 10 tons, rated for s full 80,000 pounds.
and a fully loaded truck is nothing to even a empty 40 foot flat car. let alone a six axle power unit.
Thankfully here on the NEC if you go on the tracks you will be flattened in seconds and turned into spaghetti
As a North Carolina railfan, I seriously won't want railroaders discriminate railfans because there are some bad apples out there, it's kinda like discriminating people of color.
But what I fear is that another attention seeking toxic railfan or non-railfan would park a car on the tracks and film a train hitting it, which leads to that person getting arrested as well
Alan Smith aka Millenniumforce is a perfect example of this as he films railroad crossing gates hitting his head and viewers think of that as entertainment, but in reality. It's far more dangerous and it could be a lead factor to why Millenniumforce had his stroke in the first place
Not only that, but there have been incidents in 2017 and 2019 where Alan and his crew had been disrespecting rail cams such as Virtual Railfan, to which in my opinion is overrated and since the pandemic hit Virtual Railfan has been causing problems with railfans such as a number of toxic people being on the live chat on Virtual Railfan
Truth be told, chasing social media clout is like a drug that makes you become unforgiving such as people becoming psychopaths
In order to prevent other incidents from happening, we must be nice to each other and helping other railfans and railroaders as I might have to discuss on how to avoid chasing social media clout to future railfans because it's causing the railfan community to be in danger of losing everything
@@railfanhunterjacob6353 Alan Smith is everything that’s wrong with this hobby, pure brainrot
@@NorthCountryTrains That's true
Not even a little bit.
Well said Harrison
Man what is wrong with them
Thank you
Here i am just picking up trash while waiting for my north bound.. 36 hours now
Nicely said!
The boy who played with the switch could also have some other mental handicap like mental retardation or CP. While what he did was dangerous and illegal, I do feel sorry because he obviously did not know any better. He was 13. I think venom against him because he is obviously disabled is not right.
Sadly, I do see here Arnie Grape climbing the water tower. A part of me feels sorry for him. There are mixed feelings on this. He was very much so putting himself and others in danger. Sadly, prisons and institutions have people who are mentally retarded as inmates. Does he have the ability to understand his crime and not to repeat it? I asked that above and ask it again because we should be thinking.
Solely making the community or railfans as a whole looking bad? There are other bad actors who don't have a mental disability. Look at the 17- year- old who derailed a train to get ratings. 17 is different. Videos of train hopping, going in tunnels on active rail lines, bridges, etc. You should start to know better at 17. Maybe he has a mental illness. Different in the eyes of the law. 350,000 in damages. He's looking at possibly 20 years.
A railfan in South Carolina got stopped by workers saying it was illegal for him to photograph a train on public land. The train crew felt uneasy and bothered. The guy went into a spiel on freedom and first amendment without realizing he was disturbing dangerous work. That could have caused an accident. If you are bothering someone and filming them without permission, then you are committing a crime- or several even if you are on public property. You are harassing them. Just leave. The railfan was escalating.
People "filming with permission" on a public land adjacent to a ROW are another concern. The police are doing their job in making sure someone isn't going to jump in front of a train. It's not them being stupid. I lived along a stretch of track where 2 train hits happened- both were suicides. The attitudes to police suck. Railroads wouldn't have a problem with railfans if police were treated with respect.
The lacrosse team in West Chester, PA is another example of bad actors. If you look hard enough, you will see videos of people putting items on tracks for a train to run over. People call it "railfanning." They caused damage to equipment.
In all of this, it's not squarely on that one kid. It's on the culture of railfanning. The entitlement and feeling they are above the law. While there are those among the community that are respectful, there are those that are not. Could it kill a hobby? Absolutely. Ignorance is playing a HUGE role in determining the future of the hobby itself.
We're all just trying to get some cool videos in. What other people are trying to destroy it
This is really really really really maddening!!!
Excellent video my friends awesome like 👍🏻 and Greeting 🙋🏻♂️
That little bastard wasn’t a railfan!
Welp, time to find another hobby/j😂
I'm there dude👍
Respect is earned. An ardent railfan who denounces his cohorts for violating laws that prohibit trespassing, toss made-up rules around, such as "The first in line to watch, photograp, and and enjoy trains is sacrosanct", and commit the ultimate sin of causing a derailment espouses a dogma belying a lack of respect. The arsonist does not respect fire. The arsonist uses fire for emotional warmth and a crutch to draw attention and wash away disrespect.
Step 1: COMMON SENSE might be hard to find but damn it keep looking
Step 2: Balance. Don't always aim for the perfect shot because most times especially during excursions it doesn't exist. People in front of the camera is one thing. But people talking or being nearby is not some cardinal sin. Railfanning is meant to capture railroading at a specific time and that includes the surroundings. I understand people record engine sounds. But dont be an asshole about it
Step 3: Don't record people just standing around. Just don't. They're more likely to notice the camera and get pissed. Recording them doing something or passengers walking. Fine fair game. But when there are no trains there should be no filming of people. And be visible about it. Cover the camera point it down. Make it so anybody looking knows there's no way the camera could be on. It's respectful and people will feel better about you being there. if you are zooming in on a train aim for a number board or some other feature besides the cab engineers don't necessarily enjoy fame especially if it's idk....a derailment
4: Distance. Not only for safety but again just being respectful of people and their space. Don't record trains arriving at the platform right by where people may walk. Don't record freight yard workers 6 ft from em. You are fishing for good catches. So stay In the damn boat. If you wanna spear fish you have to go to some remote island cause people will not tolerate that and rightly so
5. DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE OPERATION OF THE RAILROAD.
Another tip to rail fans, don’t be a Colton 😂
Viewers must report immediately on the YT as dangerous acts and YT should take these reports seriously and should delete the video or/and ban the uploader. YT is very diligent on banning or deleting any content with death, dismembered body, bloodshed or serious injuries or even actual impact scenes of road accident even if the victim does not suffer any injury. Now YT should flag such deliberate acts of vandalism that may potentially cause serious accident on railroads in their policies for deleting the videos or banning the uploader.
I worked railroads from the late 90’s into the 2000’s before an injury sidelined me. I was a railfan before starting my career.
Here’s how I viewed them, if they stayed clear and were respectful great. I would answer questions and talk with them when I had a chance. Some got in the way even after a warning and that’s when I had a problem. Unless they knew of a dangerous situation, no matter how loud they got they didn’t know more than me. I’m not being egotistical but we were purview to much more information than the average person even with a scanner.
We had one or two who would let us know their reasons for being there, staying in the clear and even had a cooler with water and soft drinks. I got along great with them. Once you touch railroad property you aren’t a railfan anymore and im afraid it’s only going to get worse now.
If possible, ask first and be respectful. My dad taught me early on how far a few dozen donuts and humility will get you in a yard office. Also, don’t be afraid to turn someone in who you see doing things you know aren’t right on rail road property.
@@sauced2007 Thanks for sharing this… I absolutely agree that simply asking and being friendly is the only and best way
Thanks for putting it out
And please do not railfan in northwest effect until further notice as is a risk mega threat earthquakes and tsunami that only stuck in 324 the last one 1700 not lot I have to build into Bridges or earthquake proof and it arrange form 7.6 to 9.8 the biggest one was 9.5 in chile I don’t wanna give you nightmares it’s real I know disasters I just wanna keep people safe from a big disaster that could be a lot more destructive like nature one it more important than people being dangerous with trains as they experience, life or death and it produces a stronger earthquakes than the San Andreas one they’re under the ocean what the one in Japan and Indonesia.
Sure there are bad Railfans but to say the hobby as a whole is in danger is stupid, if we stay off the RR property nobody cares
This is because the railroads are federally controlled. You don’t see people going out onto military bases because they’re military fans do you
Those are too heavily guarded anyway.
Stop showing his footage it only gives him warped credibility
Those are aftermath photos. Didnt show his footage here.
not gonna lie, 32 yr UP police officer here. railfans have turned into domestic terrorists as far as I'm concerned. any chance my crew gets, someones getting arrested and prosecuted.
If I am seen as such, then I'm honestly not sure I even want to continue the hobby.
While not all of us mean hard, I can't blame you considering what those idiots have done.
And sometimes I wonder if police officers are human beings or objects that belong to the government.
@notlisted-cl5ls
That’s rather a broad brush to paint every single person with.
As a railfan of 40 plus years and human being, I don’t say every police officer is a high school bully living out his perverted fantasies of being able to assault civilians with impunity because of a badge and qualified immunity.
I’ve had very few interactions with law enforcement over my many years of rail fanning from public property.
Most were very cordial, and a few had that big chip on their shoulder, that they were god and had authority that exceeded only their own expectations.
Right after 9/11 were the most trying times.
Since 9/11, our country has turned into a police state, where you are now guilty until proven innocent, contrary to what the US Constitution says, because of a lot of power-hungry bureaucrats.
And police officers, are bureaucrats.
They are unelected public officials.
But, unlike other bureaucrats, police officers are sworn to uphold the laws and Constitution’s of their state and United States.
Some, are better than others, at remembering and doing that.
Arresting everyone you see isn’t going to hold up in court. Glad I live in NS territory where I get “how’s things going?” that sure beats being wrongly labeled a domestic terrorist. Best of luck being laughed out of court arresting people wrongly