You can’t. Engines parked in Waverly yard are not viewable from public property, so you simply cannot.
There are a few places where you can take a photograph of Waverly yard in Holland Michigan without trespassing. Whether or not you can photograph an engine depends on where the engine is parked for the night and the freight cars in the yard are spotted. It also depends where the engine is while you’re taking photos during the day when they’re working. I would suggest if you do want to photograph Waverly yard you bring a telephoto lens or be prepared to use the zoom feature on whatever device you’re filming with.
Here’s an example.
Same photo that’s been cropped and zoomed in that I posted on the CSX TLU thread.
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Poll runs till Thu Feb 29, 2024 9:26 am
You can easily, and legally, photograph trains at West Olive as they are leaving the plant. No one is going to chase you away from the Hiawatha Drive crossing.
There was a time when you could photograph trains from the bridge, but as SD80MAC stated, you might get a visit from Consumers security (I was asked to leave once).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimthias/
GRHC - you know every night I can imagine he is in front of his computer screen sitting in his underwear swearing profusely and drinking Blatz beer combing the RailRoadFan website for grammatical errors.
There was a time when you could photograph trains from the bridge, but as SD80MAC stated, you might get a visit from Consumers security (I was asked to leave once).
Screen Shot 2024-02-24 at 5.05.47 PM.png
They have no right to kick you off the bridge. It's a public road and bike path. You can photograph anything you want from there
Talk - it's that whole 'cant take photos of critical infrastructure' bit that they don't want you doing.
I’ve got to imagine that “investigating” the “potential security threat” of photography is probably the most exciting thing to hit them when it happens. Otherwise their days are probably full of checking IDs for several dozen people they already know and scrolling through TikTok. Probably a few donuts in there too.
So yeah, you on the bridge doing a perfectly legal thing is probably the closest they ever get to justifying their existence.
Some of those kids have already been visited by CSX. There are snapchats of them climbing on BNSF power at Wells, standing on the nose of an engine in Waverly, and hanging off the sides of coal gons.
Amazing these idiots have not gotten arrested yet.
I just don’t understand why anyone would even think to want to trespass at Waverly. Everyone always knows what power is assigned there because it is reported regularly on this board. With work radiating out on tentacle lines in every compass direction, it’s not hard to see the power or any rando interesting piece of rolling stock facing any direction on any lighting if you have a little patience and free time. With the generously provided Broadcastify scanner stream, it’s easy to hear what’s moving and where in real time even if you can’t have eyes on every end of the yard simultaneously.
This time of the year, it’s also fairly easy to see into the yard from US-31, particularly the southbound side weave lane between Lakewood and Chicago Dr. At least you can tell who is in the yard at a glance to help plan where you might go next.
Some of those kids have already been visited by CSX. There are snapchats of them climbing on BNSF power at Wells, standing on the nose of an engine in Waverly, and hanging off the sides of coal gons.
Amazing these idiots have not gotten arrested yet.
Amazing that they think it's cool to post this stuff on the internet... they must want to collect felonies. The new generation today just really makes me shake my head. Yeah I'm no saint but they take stupid to the next level, hence why I pick and choose who I railfan with.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996.
Talk - it's that whole 'cant take photos of critical infrastructure' bit that they don't want you doing.
The supreme court has ruled, where there is a message and an audience, photography is a form of free speech protected by the first amendment. If you are lawfully in a public space you can photograph anything you can see in plain sight. Over the years I've had businesses and random passerby's tell me it's critical infrastructure, you can't photograph railroads etc etc. I politely tell them photography is protected by the 1st amendment and I can photograph the railroad. If they have any concerns they are welcome to call the police. I've had the police roll up, ask what I'm doing and then why I'm photographing the railroad. I tell them railroads are a hobby. Like fishing and football, trains interest a lot of people. There are publications dedicated to trains and railroads. I submit photographs for publication (true) and have had some published (true). Sometimes they ask where. That usually wraps up the conversation.
Some of those kids have already been visited by CSX. There are snapchats of them climbing on BNSF power at Wells, standing on the nose of an engine in Waverly, and hanging off the sides of coal gons.
Stupid is as stupid does. Years ago you used to be able to visit the GTW shop in Battle Creek in the evening or weekends. As long as you stayed off the track you could photograph and no one made issue of it. I was invited into the running repair shop and once had a shop employee walk me across the track to make sure I shot one of the fresh GP9 rebuilds. Then there were a couple incidents in Pontiac with people on equipment and walking across tracks actively being switch. A firm no trespass policy went into place.
The social media stupidity isn't unique to kids. A GDLK conductor lost his job for leaning off equipment shooting selfies and posting them on social media.
Used to go with my son to Fostoria for Railfan day. Was OK,no problems for a few years. Then, as more people got involved, the goofy stuff started. Being told that someone was filming, to be quiet, or telling a mom that she really should not let her kids ON the tracks, then being told where to go--- that's was it. Now, too sick to go anywhere.Yes, we had it REALLY good at one time, but that's all gone now.
