Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Trains, Not Planes or Automobiles... Really Just Trains!

Canadian Pacific Southbound train 650 enters the edge of Plattsburgh, NY on 4/26/2016 at 7:20 am with 2 GE locomotives and a load of Ethanol destined for Albany.
Howdy! Weclome to Champlain Valley Rail Snapshots and our new venue!

So when I started this, whatever it is, I had no idea where it would go. I first started the Facebook page as a way to keep the train stuff from clogging my personal page, then I made a Youtube channel to keep trains from clogging up my personal channel. In the last year it has grown in popularity and I have met some wonderful people and shared some great experiences railfanning along the way.

I have had a life long love of history, and come by the fascination with trains honestly. My father is a life long train buff, and his father spent over twenty years working as a dispatcher for the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Western Maryland Railroad and loved trains. I got into trains as a distraction when I got divorced, and enjoyed the history, heritage and the amazing achievement that is the modern railroad.

I have learned many wonderful things about the railroad along the way and the joy my son loves seeing the big trains as well as the usual Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.

I am a big supporter of tourist and scenic railroads that are unique experiences for people in a world today where the train dozen factor into our day to day life as it did a couple generations ago. Even today the railroads affect our daily lives because of the raw materials, automobiles, manufactured goods, and fuel carried today.

I have gotten some first hand experience volunteering for a couple seasons on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, and getting to watch what a small operation like the Saratoga and North Creek have to go through to survive.

You can see more of my daily adventures by finding Champlain Valley Rail Snapshots, and check out some of my Youtube videos.

The video I am proudest of is my historical themed video on the Delaware and Hudson and the last two locomotives in D&H lightning stripe, the 7303 and 7304:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqb95Vign6I

So join on some of my adventures, I hope to hear from other railroad enthusiasts along the way.

Take care!