MNRR Railfanning

I need to ask a few questions just to make sure.

1. Is it really okay to do non-commercial photo/video on the MNRR?
2. I am not using the system to travel. Is it okay to railfan at a station if you are not traveling?
3. Is it okay to do RFW'S?

That's all...

First off, it would make a lot more sense to direct this question to the MTA or Metro-North itself and not ask it on a railfan forum. Second I have no idea what you are talking about with the term "RFW".
Third point, no matter what STAY OFF RAILROAD PROPERTY WHILE DOING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY.
Noel Weaver

It's fine to go to a station and take pictures but don't go anywhere the general public isn't allowed to go. The M3s have railfan windows, and the M8s sort of have one - you have to stand behind the cab door and the window is a little blurry - not great for videos, but fine for looking out.

1.) Yes. No tripods and stay out of the way. If you're paranoid, buy a 1 stop ticket (It's about $3) and keep it on you. If you get a rent-a-cop who wants to give you grief about not being a ticketed passenger...you have a ticket. (Said rent-a-cops are prevalent on the New Haven line. West Haven is a prime example.)
2.) See above.
3.) Good luck finding a railfan window on the New Haven line...I would *not* stand at the door to the cab on any equipment, especially the new ones that don't have a RFW...odds are pretty good you'll be chased away. If you're on the older MU's and the "restricted area" gate is up - respect it, the cabs on those are like closets. Not a good idea to be blocking that door if God forbid something happens and that engineer needs to bail out of the cab to avoid some sort of object, etc.

Although photography is allowed, there are no guarantees you won't get hassled. In general if you stay out of the way in publicly accessible areas and aren't being annoying, you'll be left alone for the most part.

The M3 windows are not rail fan windows. They are windows built into the barrel end doors like any other type of equiptment.

As previously mentioned, should you choose to stand in front of one, as a courtesy, I recommend asking the engineer if he minds you being there as he is boxed in immediately to the right of you. That doesn't mean go knocking on the door to ask him/her. Doing so will be a distraction. Should you decide to stand there with out his/her knowledge, be aware that cab door can come flying open at any second without warning. Immediately following the door bouncing off of you could be the engineer wanting to get out. The problem is you are preventing him from doing so. Should the urge to bail out of the cab be substantial, you may get knocked over or into the barrel end door.

naugatroll wrote:1.) Yes. No tripods and stay out of the way. If you're paranoid, buy a 1 stop ticket (It's about $3) and keep it on you. If you get a rent-a-cop who wants to give you grief about not being a ticketed passenger...you have a ticket. (Said rent-a-cops are prevalent on the New Haven line. West Haven is a prime example.)
2.) See above.
3.) Good luck finding a railfan window on the New Haven line...I would *not* stand at the door to the cab on any equipment, especially the new ones that don't have a RFW...odds are pretty good you'll be chased away. If you're on the older MU's and the "restricted area" gate is up - respect it, the cabs on those are like closets. Not a good idea to be blocking that door if God forbid something happens and that engineer needs to bail out of the cab to avoid some sort of object, etc.

Although photography is allowed, there are no guarantees you won't get hassled. In general if you stay out of the way in publicly accessible areas and aren't being annoying, you'll be left alone for the most part.

I was gonna add "Always carry a copy of the memo from the MTA (MTA police?) on photography, but the links are gone, sadly. Bummer, as that was a VERY important thing to have, IMO. Having the memo doesn't guarantee hassle-free photography/videography*, but it is still good to have.

* Man, that brings back 'fond' memories of a 2009 incident where I was getting some video at Mamaroneck. One time, as a train was leaving the station, the engineer saw me, and decided to confront me on the matter. I was showing him the memo, and everything, which eventually turned into him threatening to call the DHS on me. I (politely) called his bluff. I got the entirety of the incident on video, and put on Youtube a few days later.

Not even the Mamaroneck PD would waste a lot of resources on such a matter it seems. Less than a year after the prior incident, they met up with me at the Rockland Ave overpass after someone made a call in to them, and the experience was very different - very calm, understood I was acting legally, and even recommended some great places to get photos from.

Here is link to letter from MTAPD to ACLU about photography, it shows no restrictions.
http://www.lirrhistory.com/photog.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think west haven is the only station with a rent a maroon.