ABOUT THIS SITE

The Railfan Gallery was created to provide information on some of the better railfanning locations in northern Ohio, and to share via images some of what I have seen while railfanning these same locations.

The Railfan Gallery is segmented in a loose geographic manner.  For example, clicking on the “Olmsted” button above will open a page with some detail about railfanning in and around Olmsted Falls on the left, and an interactive photo gallery on the right.

While there are numerous railfanning spots in these featured areas and communities, this site will concentrate on those locations that are relatively easy to find and access. One can easily peruse the Google Maps provided here to explore alternative vantage points.

The “Resources” page features links to railroad or railfan related web sites as well as info on cameras, scanners, and more.  

Please do visit regularly, as photos will change from time to time and additional information will be added as the list of venues visited expands.

Current Weather Cleveland and Northern Ohio

 

You can see full size versions of these and many more of my railroad images at RailPictures.net.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi 12-MP DSLR Kit

Why is my PC so slow?

WELCOME

Railfans come in all sizes and from a broad range of age groups, incomes, occupations, and backgrounds. They can be found just about anywhere that railroads operate pretty much the world over.

The Association of American Railroads reports that there are over 600 freight railroads operating in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. These railroads operate over 173,000 miles of track, and earn $42 billion in annual revenues. In the U.S. in particular, railroads account for more than 40 percent of all freight transportation, including 70% of all automobiles, 30% of the grain harvest, and 65% of the coal fueling American power plants. U.S. Class 1 railroads provide employment to over 165,000 people.

In Ohio, more than 30 railroads operate on over 5,000 miles of track. A considerable portion of the track is located in northern Ohio along a rough line between Toledo & Cleveland, heading southeast toward Pittsburgh, Pa. All of this adds up to some excellent railfanning opportunities in Ohio.

The reasons people railfan are quite varied. Some are actual railroaders or come from railroad families. Most are amatuers with no direct involvement with railroading. Some focus their interest on railroads as a business, others are simply fascinated with the size and power of the massive equipment used by railroads. Many keep detailed records of locomotives or rolling stock they have observed, and are virtually living encyclopedias of railroad information. There are a great many railfans, myself included, who enjoy making videos and/or still photographs of railroads in action.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of railfanning for me is the challenge of photographing these mighty thundering beasts as they move along ribbons of steel carrying all sorts of cargo to destinations all over North America.  Standing trackside as those massive diesel locomotives roar by and feeling the wind created by hundreds of tons of railroad train rushing past is an experience as unique as it is exciting. I am pleased to present some of my images on these web pages. A special thanks to all who took the time to answer my questions and share their knowledge with me at the start of my railfanning journey.

Regardless of where and why you railfan, it is imperative that you be cautious and think safety at all times! Please stay well away from tracks, and pay constant attention to your surroundings. Be extremely mindful of small children, and DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO PLAY ON OR NEAR THE TRACKS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! Diesel locomotives are sneaky quiet, and you may not hear an approaching train until it is very near to you.

Feel free to direct your questions and comments to the Webmaster. Thanks for visiting The Railfan Gallery.