Posted: 9/23/2008 6:54:24 AM EDT
| Is there a way to find out when freight trains are going to be running through my town? My son loves trains and I would like to take him to the bridge overpass and take some pictures and watch the trains pass but I don't want to just stand around waiting until then. I couldn't find anything like a schedule when I looked on the BNSF website. |
Yeah, that's why I figured they schedules aren't posted online. But, it's worth a shot. |
I love that movie.
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It ends up depending where you are. My godfather was a bit of a train fan and lived in OK (Duncan) for many years and didn't have anything but local shortlines in the immediate vicinity. Those shortlines may run once a day or a few times a week.Finding local railfans or going to some website and asking. If you are toward western OK, the BNSF line from Amarillo to DFW area via Wichita Falls is pretty busy and probably gets a train an hour if not more often. The major transcon routes, and none are in OK, will get a train every 10-20 minutes. BTW railfans can be as squirrely as gun nuts about some things. OPSEC is one of those. Among themselves they bitch and moan that there is not need for it etc etc. But let somebody unknown ask and they get real closed mouthed as do the RR companies. Check with your local short lines, if they are hauling pretty innocuous materials, lumber, grain, etc, they may tell you when and where their trains are going to be within a few minutes. It comes down to when and what order the crew does the job. |
At least on the BNSF, freight trains don't really run on set schedules anyhow. Ask any engineer or conductor that works a pool or extra board.  Heck, even assigned locals are no gaurantee that a train will be at a given place on a given day. Many railfans carry a scanner to listen for when trains are coming, get info from an inside source, or some combination of the two. |