12-26-2012, 01:23 PM
Depends on knowledge, training and experience. The more you already know about a subject, the more you can "pick up in a glance". That's why those who can do so are referred to as "trained observers".
ezdays Wrote:but I'll be darned if I could tell you whether it was a GP-20 or 38 or a dash-8. A rivet counter might ID that before they even notice the road name, or so I would think. It would be nice to be able to do that, which was my point.
dave1905 Wrote:I couldn't answer the poll because I would notice the first and second choices.
Then I would notice the train type (coal, grain, stack, pig, mixed freight).
Then I would notice car mix (and initials if its a unit train).
Several years back when I spent more time near the tracks, I could pretty much tell you which train it was by the mix of cars in the train and its direction. i have friends who can tell which intermodal train it is by the general time of day and the mix of containers/trailers on the train.
santafewillie Wrote:Notice or remember? I frequently drive alongside a former ATSF line that parallels a state highway here in Texas for over twenty miles from Alliance yard north. I used to notice road-names, types and what it was MU'd with in the years immediately after the BNSF merger. Even then I didn't remember all that I noticed after I got home. Poll doesn't have enough choices for me to answer.
willie
MountainMan Wrote:Depends on knowledge, training and experience. The more you already know about a subject, the more you can "pick up in a glance". That's why those who can do so are referred to as "trained observers".
Steamtrains Wrote:I picked #1....But I definitely also look for the road name.
Unfortunately, railfanning in these parts is nearly non-existent since UP pulled its yard out a couple of years back.... :evil:
Quote:The Arizona State Land Department cleared the path Monday for a land sale that could bring a massive rail yard to farmland near Picacho Peak, but that path could be a long and bumpy one with more challenges to the project than previously thought.
Union Pacific Corp. plans to construct a rail yard 6 miles long and 74 tracks wide, the biggest between Los Angeles and Texas, where it could split and reassemble trains according to their destinations.
Read more: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2012/09/24/20120924picacho-peak-rail-yard-state-land.html#ixzz2GS9EH12l">http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... z2GS9EH12l</a><!-- m -->