| The hobby of railroading has many
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| | repetition of passenger train operation
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| exciting avenues of pursuit. Train
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| | and you run the risk of watching
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| watching is perhaps the least expensive
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| | repetitive scenes. The scenic areas are
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| of all aspects of railroading. Depending
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| | the crossings of the Susquehanna River,
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| on what you see, it can be a lot of fun
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| | the areas around Philadelphia, and the
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| or the most boring and unrewarding sport
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| | Northern New Jersey areas north of
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| you ever tried. Here are a lot of words
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| | Trenton.
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| that will make train watching
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| | A word of extra caution: Trains in the
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| interesting.
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| | Northeast Corridor travel at speeds in
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| First off, you have to know where to look
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| | excess of 120 miles per hour and since
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| to find where the trains are..and where
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| | the entire line is electrified, you do
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| they are not. If you find a stretch of
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| | not even hear trains approaching.
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| track where there is only one set of
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| | Exercise utmost caution if you visit this
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| rusting rails, the chances are great that
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| | train watching area. The blast of air
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| you have come upon an abandoned or seldom
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| | coming from the slipstream of a high
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| used line. On the other hand, if you see
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| | speed passenger train can knock you over.
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| a multiple track rail line with shiny
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| | Also remember that the Northeast Corridor
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| rails, you will see trains appear
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| | is a very strategic piece of real estate.
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| frequently.
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| | Even if you plan to photograph trains
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| If you are fortunate enough to have a
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| | from a railroad overpass, it is a very
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| railroad underpass located over a busy
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| | good idea to check in with local law
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| rail line, you are in train watcher
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| | enforcement or Amtrak security to let
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| heaven. Here, you might see all sorts of
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| | them know who you are and what you are
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| yard activity as well as main line
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| | doing. Failure to do this could result
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| freight and possibly a few Amtrak
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| | in your arrest and detention as part of
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| passenger runs thrown in for good
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| | the Homeland Security initiative.
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| measure. If you live in an area where
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| | 5. Point of Rocks MD
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| one or more of the four principal
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| | The Point of Rocks Brunswick MD Harpers
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| railways are located, you will most
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| | Ferry WV area is a very scenic place to
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| certainly find what we call a railroad
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| | watch and photograph trains. Over 60
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| hot spot. Check your local street map or
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| | trains a day go through there. Point of
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| better still, the USGS maps for your
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| | Rocks is where many trains leave the
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| area. Also, it would be a good
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| | southern branch of CSX and proceed
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| investment to buy a railroad radio
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| | northward directly to Baltimore,
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| frequency scanner and look up the radio
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| | bypassing the Washington DC area.
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| frequencies where railroad transmissions
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| | 6. Gaithersburg MD
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| are found. Scanners can be had for
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| | There are several good train watching
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| between $100 - $300 but they will let you
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| | spots in the ex-B&O southern branch that
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| know when you can expect to see a train
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| | passes through the Washington DC metro
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| appear.
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| | area and then swings north to rejoin the
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| If a railroad underpass overlooks a
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| | line at Baltimore. Gaithersburg is a
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| railway yard, you are one league above
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| | good location because the trains are at
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| and beyond train watcher heaven. In
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| | grade level and train watching does not
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| addition to main line activity, you will
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| | interfere with the Metro Red Line that
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| also see yard and switching moves. A
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| | begins at Shady Grove Station. Here, you
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| railroad underpass is a very safe place
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| | can see CSX main line freights, MARC
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| from which to watch the trains, since it
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| | commuter passenger trains, and Amtrak
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| may be on a public thoroughfare and will
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| | Capitol Limited.
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| always be removed from railroad property.
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| | 7. East Main Street Overpass, Rochester
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| However, in finding a railroad
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| | NY
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| underpass, you must observe highway
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| | You would not think Rochester NY would be
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| safety at all times. Do not park or stop
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| | a good train watching spot, but it is.
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| your car anywhere on the roadway that
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| | Here at the East Main Street Overpass,
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| passes over the tracks. Parking or
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| | you can look directly into the Goodman
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| stopping your car on a highway can cause
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| | Street Yards, and see mainline CSX
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| a bad accident.
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| | freight as well as switching moves and
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| If you find a pedestrian walkway that
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| | branch line operation. At one time, this
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| overlooks the tracks, act responsibly.
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| | was the fabled New York Central Water
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| Never throw any object you might find
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| | Level Route. It subsequently became the
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| down onto the tracks or onto a passing
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| | Penn Central after the NYC merged with
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| train. Avoid standing in a roadway that
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| | the Pennsylvania Railroad, and it
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| does not have a sidewalk or at the very
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| | ultimately became Conrail. When Conrail
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| least, a pathway that adjoins the
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| | fell part, it became the NYC portion of
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| roadway. A little bit of common sense
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| | CSX.
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| will go a long way in your getting
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| | 8. Fairport NY
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| spectacular train views from up above.
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| | Fairport is located about 15 miles east
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| There may not be any railroad underpasses
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| | of Rochester. Here, the old New York
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| in your city from which you can watch
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| | Central West Shore line comes in contact
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| trains safely. Your next best bet is to
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| | with the ex-New York Central main line.
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| find a local grade crossing where the
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| | A number of freights go around Rochester
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| railroad right of way crosses a public
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| | on the West Shore, thereby bypassing
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| road. Your first and foremost word of
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| | congestion at Goodman Street Yards.
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| advice is stay off the tracks at all
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| | Result: Fairport is an excellent place
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| times! You must do your train watching
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| | to watch trains
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| from a public right of way and must never
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| | 9. Hammond IN
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| venture onto the railroad right of way.
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| | Hammond, Indiana is a very active piece
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| If you like to photograph trains, you
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| | of railroading operation. Rail lines
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| will need a telephoto lens to get that up
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| | belonging to CSX and NS run through here,
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| close feeling when trains go by. You can
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| | and there is scarcely a moment of quiet
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| obtain some great rail photos if you
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| | where you do not hear the sound of train
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| still keep your distance away from the
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| | horns as they signal their approach over
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| railroad right of way. Some railway
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| | the many grade crossings in the area.
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| security officials have indicated that
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| | 10. Avon Yard, Indianapolis IN
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| your safe zone is fifteen feet from the
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| | Avon Yard is located just west of
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| nearest rail.
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| | Indianapolis. It is a former New York
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| One last word of advice. If you find
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| | Central yard serving the line between
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| yourself trapped away from your car by a
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| | Cleveland and St. Louis. The area west
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| train that has stopped in the middle of a
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| | of the yards is a good spot to watch the
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| grade crossing, Never try to get back to
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| | trains up close, since two public roads
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| your car by climbing over or under the
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| | dead end at the tracks. There is a
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| couplers between cars or else trying to
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| | service road which goes into the yards
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| climb over a railway car using its
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| | which is not accessible unless you are a
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| ladders. You could be killed or
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| | CSX employee or you have permission from
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| seriously injured. Not only could you
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| | CSX to enter the area.
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| end up in the hospital, but the police
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| | Webcam Sites
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| will arrest you for trespassing.
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| | You can do a lot of train watching
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| Here are a few of the railroad hot spots
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| | without even leaving your home. A number
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| you might wish to consider in your quest
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| | of operators have set up webcams that
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| for ideal train watching locations. Many
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| | overlook railroad hot spots. All you
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| more are listed in railfan publications
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| | need is a broadband internet connection
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| 1. Horseshoe Curve, Altoona, PA.
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| | and a computer which has a fast internal
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| This is the first and foremost train
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| | processing speed. You must also
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| watching spot in the USA, with the
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| | understand the pros and cons of
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| exception of the Tehachapi Loop in
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| | trainwatching through webcams. The pros
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| California or the crossover of two main
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| | are obvious. You can see trains anywhere
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| lines in Rochelle, Illinois. The
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| | you are linked to a webcam as soon as the
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| Pennsylvania Railroad first opened the
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| | train passes by. Come rain or shine, the
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| Horseshoe Curve as a park. It has
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| | trains run and you see them without
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| remained a railroad attraction ever
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| | getting wet or getting chased away by
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| since. The Penn Central subsequently
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| | railroad security.
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| maintained it. The Horseshoe Curve has
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| | The cons are also significant. Some
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| since passed over to Conrail and now
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| | webcams do not focus in too well on the
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| belongs to the Norfolk Southern.
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| | railroad scene, resulting in some blurred
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| 2. Rochelle, IL
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| | scenes. Sometimes, unwanted objects are
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| Rochelle, Illinois is where the Union
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| | photographed along with the trains. You
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| Pacific (UP) and Burlington Northern
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| | can get a listing of webcam sites from
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| Santa Fe (BNSF) main lines cross. Over
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| | Google or other search engines.
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| 100 trains a day pass through this area.
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| | The Rochelle IL webcam is one of the very
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| The City of Rochelle has built an
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| | best to be found anywhere on the
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| observation gallery strictly for train
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| | internet. Here, you see the railroad
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| watchers, and this has drawn
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| | crossover between the BNSF and the UP
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| international interest as a place where
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| | main lines. Over 100 trains per day go
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| US railroading passes by. TRAINS
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| | through here and the webcam quality is
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| Magazine has installed a webcam that
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| | very good. You can see the detailing of
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| operates round the clock.
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| | each of the locomotive types that go
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| 3. Cresson PA
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| | through here as well as the type and
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| Cresson is located on the Norfolk
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| | characteristic of the trains themselves
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| Southern main line that runs from
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| | In Conclusion
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| Pittsburgh over the Alleghenies to
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| | So, ladies and gentlemen, there you have
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| Harrisburg and Philadelphia. There are a
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| | it. Watching big trains can be fun. It
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| number of bed and breakfast hotels
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| | comes in all sizes and shapes. In
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| located in Cresson, where you can watch
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| | subsequent articles, we will show you the
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| the NS action all day and all night.
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| | various rail museums and railfan groups
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| 4. Northeast Corridor Amtrak
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| | that are out there and will direct you
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| Any place from Lanham, MD to Northern New
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| | how to get into these groups and enjoy
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| Jersey is fair game to watch Amtrak
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| | them. Remember also that railfanning can
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| Northeast Corridor trains in operation.
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| | be a single sport which you can do
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| All of the activity is passenger trains,
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| | yourself, but is loads more fun when you
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| except for way late at night when the
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| | can do it by belonging to a group. You
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| passenger train traffic subsides for the
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| | can even start or participate in an on
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| day. Then, you may be privileged to
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| | line conference room, where rail
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| watch one or two NS freights sneak out
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| | enthusiasts around the world can gather
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| onto the Corridor to cross over to the
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| | to share ideas and show off their
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| coal docks area north of Baltimore.
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| | photographic work.
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| The Northeast Corridor is a steady
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