With it being 0-10 degrees for high temps here in Northern Illinois, It brought to mind what would be the coldest temp I would go out to railfan. I think about 20 degrees would be my limit. Today it was 0 here with a wind chill of -25!! YIKES!!!!! I don't work well in these temps let alone my camera.
I would have to say this weekend was the coldest for me it was 17 degrees with a wind chill it said 9 degrees
It wasn't today that's for bloody sure. Wind chills here have been brutal. We went to Berea once last year when it was cold and snowy. It's not as fun. You see the headlight. A train is coming then the next thing you know you are enveloped in a whiteout as the train passes. Hey, was that a stack train or an auto rack train? I couldn't tell, could you? I didn't see anything past the lead unit. Me either...
Well this last weekend was pretty cold on UP's Cascade line, low to mid 20's from 3500 ft. up. Bareable, But I wouldn't want to stand and wait too long. At least it was clear with no wind to speak of.
January 1985, north of Silver Lake, KS, morning, 10 to 15 below zero with a windchill. I was waiting for UP 8444 to roll by on its return trip from the World's Fair in New Orleans to its home in Cheyenne. I went out to Grove, KS, where the county road crossed the Marysville Sub, and waitied in the cab of my pickup. When I saw the plume of smoke heralding 8444's arrival, I got out & jumped in the back of my truck, ripped off my gloves, and shot the Northern as she rolled past, leaving a very thick plume of smoke. 45 seconds later, I put my gloves back on my chilled hands and drove back into Silver Lake. I stopped at the Casey's on US40 to get some donuts for me & the missus, and someone at the store wondered where the fire was (She saw 8444's exhaust, that's how thick it was, from several miles south). And for the record, Hemi, I was NOT wearing scrubs that day!!
Well, I'm in PA this weekend and yesterday was in the mid 20's with some low wind chill numbers but the sun was out so that made driving and shooting nice. I'm heading out today and right now it's 9 degrees. Guess that will make today the coldest day I've gone out railfanning.
well i think back to one of my snowmobile trips on the north shore of lake superior it was minus 20 good thing i had electric start but there was ore train coming just before on the tracks ahead of us so i quick snapped off :realmad1up: a picture
Zeeland, Michigan January 21, 2005 - 3 degrees! Here's one of the pics: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/timloutzenhiser/aay
Well, the temps were 10 when I left the hotel. Got up to 15 while I was out and was 12 when I got back. That's not counting the wind chill. By the way, why didn't anyone mention you need gloves when it's this cold out? Oh well, my fingers are thawed out just enough to type.......oops, I mean hunt and peck.
Today I was out in 8 degrees (not including the wind-chill) sawing a bunch of lumber out in a mini storage parking lot, which happens to be adjacent to the CSX Water Level main. Only saw one train, though. I'm sure I've been out watching trains in colder, but I can't remember. I was wearing gloves and my fingers were still getting frostbitten!
My coldest was chasing a load out of Winter Sask. CN was moving a reactor on the schnabel car. It was and still is the heaviest load carried in Canada. BN hauled it out of Wis. up to Winnipeg. It was 47 below zero and the VP of CN was there and would not let them move it until around noon when it got to minus 35. Otherwise the rail would not hold the weight. Our cameras had to stay in the truck and come out for pictures as my new batteries could not handle the cold.
This is amazing cold! I can't imagine working (or taking pictures) in it. The coldest wind chill I have ever been in was Montreal at -40F (which is also -40C). That is wind chill, not temperature. I wasn't in it for long, either! :teeth:
Decided to venture out today - everything is shutting down here in West Michigan because of the low temps and blowing snow. Anyway, here it is - another shot from a 3 degree day - windchill 20 below!
15 years ago I was out chasing a rare move on the BNSF out of duluth MN. The air temp was -13 and the windchills were in the -50 range. Made a good chase that day and got 30 or so useable shots. Being older and wiser now, I'd skip the rare move in January, that ran again in June.
I've been out when it was -3 and when it was 0. At those temps it really doesn't matter. Then there were the days i had to work out in it. Testing the Massena Term RR in -30 wind chills. Anymore I stay in and watch it get cold.
Remiinds me of days in North Dakota, that the high was about -25 or so, the windchills were brutal.. I'd drive out to yard east of Minot, and catch unpatched BN units. Those were the days! I did go out once with my budy John 2 years ago, to Tunnel 7 on the Moffat, the morning dawned at zero, with little wind. We stayed out in insulated Carhartt bib, heavy hats, gloves, coats, boot and all; for about 7:00 till about 11:00AM. Very crisp, but sure made for incredible shooting!
It was -23F up in Dawson Creek, BC when I shot some slides of the Northern Alberta GP9 switching cars. I figured if the railroad was working I could take a few photos of the action too. That was in 1978 on a PCS move from Ft. Richardson, AK to Ft. Sill, OK. Out of the icebox and into the frying pan! I spent some cold days up in Anchorage too, but don't exactly remember the temperature. My coldest day was -49F up in Fairbanks, now that is cold!
The coldest my son And I have been out in ,was up at Logan hill ,in the Powderriver , of course watching coal trains. That day with windchill was about -35 to -40 below zero. Had to keep the cameras in our coats as if they were expose for very long they would stop functioning. we used the car as a wind break which really helped. Was up in Cheyenne Wyoming on Saturday night the wind gust were between 60 to 70 mph, So the temp was about -25 below. the wind was strong enough that it blew over a tractor trailer on I25 south of Cheyenne. My favorite saying is "it does not matter how cold or hot it is outside, A bad day trainwatching is still better than a good day at work.
