Whats Your Favorite Spot?

My favorite place:
Chili Junction at CP 382 on CSX's Main (former Conrail Chicago Line). Over 40 trains daily and you mix in Amtrak, too. The double track main has a turnout which leads to the West Shore line which is a single track bypass of Rochester NY. It's also handy if you have a scanner as you have a detector 4 miles east and a detector 5 miles west....you'll always know when a train comes and you have time to set up your shot if you're a photographer!

Hi. My favorite hot spot is Lincoln Street Overpass in Galesburg,Illinois. you can see up to 5 trains go by at the same time. One set of tracks goes over a bridge while the other set goes under it. July 22, 2004 Isaw a train with 9 engines pulling it!!! Any one wanting to know more e mail me at [email protected] I live in Davenport,Iowa. thanks Mike.

My favorite spot is Lennox Tower in Mitchell, IL. The NS, UP (ex SP), Gateway Western, Amtrak, Alton and Southern, and BNSF with trackage rights passes this tower. I'm impartial to it because back in the early 80's when the tower was still in use the operator let me come up and check out the leversa and even line up a movement for the SP to come by the tower. This tower is located north of Granit City, IL just north of St. Louis.

If your every in the Lowell area check out the Train View Pub on Gorham St. Alot of MBTA action on the Lowell line and Guilford line runs by right before the line splits and heads up to Lawrence. The bar is very nice and clean and the bar it self is shapped as a trolley car. A good place to grab a brew and watch the trains. Don't forget about the historic trolley that runs downtown. Hopefully one day they will expand the system.

Thats my 2 cents

Porter Sq. is that the old Trolley Pizza.......around the corner from the old Prince Pasta plant?

No It's on the other side of the bridge only about 200 ft up the road. I still think the trolley stop pizza is still in bussiness. eaten there once didn't care to much for the food. train view also has food.

Manville NJ, where the West Trenton line and Lehigh line split
South Plainfield NJ, Lehigh line and Sherbans Diner. Good place to eat while railfanning

I've been to a few places that I really enjoyed, but I'd say my favorite so far is Sand Patch. Im talking about from Cumberland to the summit. Lots of scenic places with lots of great photo spots. Fostoria would be second, not for scenic beauty but for sheer volume!

Springfield Illinois. 6 Amtraks a day and tuns of horn from all of 'em! Second would be Mccloore Road in Aurora IL.

anyplace with a good view! where there is little traffic and few people to get in the way.

OK My Favorites are
Rochelle UP/BNSF Diamonds
Naperville BNSF
Downers Grove BNSF
Cheyenne UP at the Old Station
Alliance BNSF Yard
La Grande BNSF/IHB lots of varitey

AmtrakFan

In and around 30th Street Station, because you have freights along the High Line, commuter trains on the upper level, and Amtrak and NJT on the lower. There's also usually an Acela parked in the Penn yard.

Mineola, NY. Rush hour, you'll see more EMUs than you can imagine, both stopping and express, and a few DE/DMs.

Easy parking once a few commuters dissapear, and the MAS is 80mph.

At the height of the rush, you'll see a train every 2 minutes or so. At various speeds.

Listen for the making clinking noises - means there's an electric in the area - you're hearing loose stuff getting picked up and moved from the magnetic field induced in the rails. If you look closely, you can see a loose tie plate shift or move. Creepy. Diesels won't do this, naturally.

In the morning, you can see EMUs moving onto the Oyster Bay line to change ends at East Williston.

Here are favorite places of mine. I am mainly a passenger buff. There are so many but I can only list a few.
NJ Transit
Walnut St(Montclair)
Princeton Jct
Suffern
Millburn
Dover
Pt. Pleasant Beach
Belmar
Ridgewood
Trenton
Metro North
a lot of stations
Amtrak
Wilmington
Philly
Harrisburg
New London
Albany
Springfield, Mass