Green Maned Lion
Engineer
As some may know, I often train watch at Newark Penn. I do not take photographs, but I do consist record in a small Moleskine or Black 'n Red.
Yesterday I was recording the Consist of the Southbound Silver Meteor. Audrey, my girlfriend, was feeling tired from the heat and instead of following me during my walk of the train, sat near the head end on a bench while I walked the length of the consist. When I got back to the front end, Audrey was talking to a woman, who I am going to assume was the AC on the Silver Meteor. I make this guess because of the way she was dressed (including radio), and by the way she interacted with a man who was clearly the conductor.
According to my girlfriend, this AC took my picture with her cellphone and then pointed me out to the conductor. I found this out after the train had departed.
Interested in why my girlfriend was talking to a train crew member on the train (she puts up with my railfanning- she isn't one herself), I walked up to see what was going on. The AC in a almost semi threatening way told me "You're a rail fan, right? You should be careful what you do around here, I know of some people like you who have gotten in to trouble." Before I could ask her what she meant, the actual conductor came over, brushed her into the train, said "Don't worry about that," and things like it several times, at which point the train departed.
I know the conductor by sight. He often works LDs, and we usually wave or nod at each other, familiarly, so I think he knows me by sight by now, too. I recall having a few words with him at some point. Big older black guy with a friendly manner. (I know that describes half of Amtrak's conductors, but yeah.) The AC was an older white woman, with whispy greying blonde hair and a generally grumpy manner.
My girlfriend told me that the AC had told her there had been "reports" about me. Huh?
I know a bunch of people at the station, although not by name. I know a few conductors who work LDs the same way I know the one above. I often chat with the baggage handlers while waiting for LDs to pull in. I'm sure a bunch of other people know me by sight. I have never been told even one word of "don't do this" in the long time I have been railfanning there by anyone with authority at the station itself. Even the police have long since stopped giving me hairy eyeballs.
I can't imagine any real trouble because I do follow general railfanning guidelines- 1) do not, at any time, trespass on non-public railroad property, 2) do not get in the way of any operating crews. But one never knows. Do any of you have suggestions on how I should CMA?
Yesterday I was recording the Consist of the Southbound Silver Meteor. Audrey, my girlfriend, was feeling tired from the heat and instead of following me during my walk of the train, sat near the head end on a bench while I walked the length of the consist. When I got back to the front end, Audrey was talking to a woman, who I am going to assume was the AC on the Silver Meteor. I make this guess because of the way she was dressed (including radio), and by the way she interacted with a man who was clearly the conductor.
According to my girlfriend, this AC took my picture with her cellphone and then pointed me out to the conductor. I found this out after the train had departed.
Interested in why my girlfriend was talking to a train crew member on the train (she puts up with my railfanning- she isn't one herself), I walked up to see what was going on. The AC in a almost semi threatening way told me "You're a rail fan, right? You should be careful what you do around here, I know of some people like you who have gotten in to trouble." Before I could ask her what she meant, the actual conductor came over, brushed her into the train, said "Don't worry about that," and things like it several times, at which point the train departed.
I know the conductor by sight. He often works LDs, and we usually wave or nod at each other, familiarly, so I think he knows me by sight by now, too. I recall having a few words with him at some point. Big older black guy with a friendly manner. (I know that describes half of Amtrak's conductors, but yeah.) The AC was an older white woman, with whispy greying blonde hair and a generally grumpy manner.
My girlfriend told me that the AC had told her there had been "reports" about me. Huh?
I know a bunch of people at the station, although not by name. I know a few conductors who work LDs the same way I know the one above. I often chat with the baggage handlers while waiting for LDs to pull in. I'm sure a bunch of other people know me by sight. I have never been told even one word of "don't do this" in the long time I have been railfanning there by anyone with authority at the station itself. Even the police have long since stopped giving me hairy eyeballs.
I can't imagine any real trouble because I do follow general railfanning guidelines- 1) do not, at any time, trespass on non-public railroad property, 2) do not get in the way of any operating crews. But one never knows. Do any of you have suggestions on how I should CMA?
!!!!
