Re: PC: Fwd: [dandh] Fw: NS Is Stepping Up Tresspassing Prosecution!

[NYC4600@xxxxxxx]

What I want to know is this.  Where are the RR police when graffiti vandals
are spraying up the RR overpasses, and box cars, and other RR structures?
Exactly, they're not there.  It's only when some pain in the a-- engineer, who
is far from a real railroader (that's an endangered species-a real
railroader), reports a railfan who photograped his train, or when some RR cop
catches them "trespassing."

I like the idea about the passes, but if RR's don't want us on their property,
they won't care if we're behaving or not.  They just won't want us there in
the first place.  After all, what harm is a railfan who, goes trackside, waits
for a train, doesn't litter at the site, and stays a safe distance away from
the tracks, and when the train comes, snaps a photo?  No harm at all.  

Hey, in the 1950s and 1960s, who were the ONLY people beside loyal passengers
that, respected and payed attention to the RR's?  IT WAS RAILFANS.  When
getting stopped at a grade crossing by just, "another slow, dirty train",
became an annoyance to American people when planes and cars became the big new
thing, who were the people who were still amazed and fancinated by the "slow,
and dirty train?"  Again, IT WAS RAILFANS.

Railfans were there for the RR's, to support, and ride them, from day one.
But now, when they're doing so great again because they shed the little
branchlines we loved and they hated, and they're turning profit, THEY DON'T
WANT US.  The great days are gone and over.  The saddest part is, myself and
anyone else my age never saw those days.  If the RR's don't want us, well then
fine, we won't be there for them the next time some new technology comes in a
and wipes them out for good.  Just as a hatred between NYC and PRR existed,
and then disappeared, lets all start it up again, this time between us and NS!

Now that the Class 1 RR's don't carry passengers anymore, who beside railfans
and their executives have heard of them?  No one.  Someone interested in
stocks may have seen a Class 1 on the stock page of the newspaper, but that's
it.  Years ago non railfan people knew names like, New York Central,
Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, New Haven, Chicago, Northwestern and others,
like non airfans (if that's what they call themselves) know names like TWA,
American Airlines, and others today.  We're the only non executives at any
RR's that know the names of them, and that keep up with the mergers.  Everyone
knows Amtrak, if they ride it or not.  In the NY area, they all know Metro-
North RR, and Long Island RR, but they don't know Conrail.

Good bye CR.  In the long run, we're all going to miss it more than we ever
thought.  This is why.  NS is my enemy now.  As a 100% New York Central System
fan, who never saw a real NYC or PRR train, to me, Norfolk Southern is the PRR
all over again.  This time, the NYC has surrendered a part of its main line to
them though.  Now, the NYC is really gone.  It's a shame it's being cut up
like its Hudson's were.  Farewell forever NYC.

John Weyhausen