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Tales from the Bench..


Hermdog

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Post up your bench reports... anything special/unusual happen? Unique cars/lines of cars... any run-ins with authorities or workers? Has it been dry or packed? Seasonal lay-ups?

 

 

 

My most recent bench was a nice lay-up. It consisted of about 25 boxcars without any junk in between. The line is typical because the cars tend to return, but many break the cycle and head nationwide. Anyway, I was able to bench one full side of the line. As I jump to the otherside and begin the final leg of the bench...I noticed a truck coming up behind me with his high-beams on. Doubt he saw me but he could have. So I act quick... as he began his inspection of the cars (heading my direction.) moving slowly; looking in between each car from his seat...I dipped through the woods. I cautiously start checking out the other sides of the line which I didn't get to flick...and I made my approach out watching for the worker truck along the way. Happy to escape but didn't get as many flicks as usual.

 

Live to bench another day.

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Last time I went benching, the only thing I saw was a HUGE crane rolling on the mainline. hehe

 

Short story, once there was this small line getting ready to head out of the city and I came too late to bench it but could see some dope pieces about 5 cars ahead of me, I asked this worker if I could go take a picture, he said: "well yeah!". He made the train wait 30 seconds just for me:P

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Good weekend...actually made a trip out to some real action. Cars to drool over, in a spot that is shady: black NW flat, red NW flat hicubes, red MWCX freshpaint flat, blue GT and CN flats for days, old logo MP box, BNSF icicle car, Chessie logo CSX flat, etc.

Also got a knowledge check: a big old train was coming in from an unexpected direction, forcing me to look at maps and do more research on routes and spots I thought were either dead or limited to certain types of action. One of my hoppers, a week old, was on the line, which was clearly just returning from parts west - a fast turnaround time.

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My weekend of benching consisted of a nice afternoon of unsually warm weather. I relaxed in my spot with a drink, some snacks and a book and waited for the action to come to me. Over the two hours I saw the usual high cube red CPs, a decent amount of Tbox's, some Cp flats and a large amount of wheaties and skulleton cars. The nicest one I saw was a BNSF flat and a boxcar stamped TR. Saw a number of nice pieces but noting out of the ordinary.

 

When checking the spots I came across two nice GVSR flats and a CSX flat. I love seeing the old GVSR flats that are covered with tags and history. Also saw a nice WLO boxcar and the usual CN boxcars. Caught a line rolling in from the south, which was all autoracks rumbling along very fast. Then saw a line roll out southbound with a shit mix of tankers, Tbox's, CP's and hoppers.

 

Till next weekend....

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Originally posted by IRON HEAD@Nov 16 2004, 07:56 AM

^^^ I love those TR boxcars... they are so big, i get them on da regular at one of my spots... did 2 e2e on them this past weekend... it was lovely... what area of the US u from Beast?

 

ALOT OF (ALL?) CP 217S ARE RESTAMPED TR

 

IF ANYONE KNOWS IF ANY BIG OL' CP 217'S ARE STILL

ROLLIN I WANNA KNOW.

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hit the bench last weekend.Ended up with 10 or so good pics from one spot

(which was a let down).Proceed to roll to the yard that is right up the way.Due to there being alot of movement on the lines i could not walk through the yard.So i drove to the parking lot on the other side of the yard to see if i could catch anything.Needless to say there was nothing.But the story gets better as i was leaving a cop pulls in.He busted a bitch and followed me for a few blocks then decided to light me up.I get pulled over and asked 20 questions.All my answers basically saying i like to flick freights.Which was perfect since both my cameras happen to be in the passanger seat.Right before he leaves he ask if i have anything illegal in the car.Besides the can of buff paint,20 or so cans of paint,a few markers/streaks and tips i had nothing(all of which are legal if over 18.which i am)Even if i did i would never have told the piggy..

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Guest me IS cool

A couple years ago a friend and I went benching to this little spot that held only hoppers. We usually split up and take a line each so we can see who's on the other side. Anyways about halfway into the line I looked in between the line and saw a tramp sitting in the little patio area of the hopper. I said what up and he nodded back. When my friend go to that point I heard him say" Oh shit!"

 

After we were done we walked through the same line and he was gone. On the way home my homie couldn't shut up about how the dude scared the shit out of him.

 

:king:

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Originally posted by me IS cool@Nov 16 2004, 10:32 PM

A couple years ago a friend and I went benching to this little spot that held only hoppers. We usually split up and take a line each so we can see who's on the other side. Anyways about halfway into the line I looked in between the line and saw a tramp sitting in the little patio area of the hopper. I said what up and he nodded back. When my friend go to that point I heard him say" Oh shit!"

 

After we were done we walked through the same line and he was gone. On the way home my homie couldn't shut up about how the dude scared the shit out of him.

 

:king:

 

this got me laughing out loud in my accounting course hehehehe

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one time I was on a bridge filming the engines power up underneath me, and this little kid who had to be about 5 years old came running up really excited. He was wearing a conductors hat and he was saying "freight train freight train!"

 

I thought it was cute. kindergarten railfan.

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Went to one of my favorit spots...it was empty except for about 12 empty/full gondolas dedicated to rail ties. They're replacing ties, hopefully for future activity. I scoped the line for some graff. Nothing but about 7 worker streaks, all were "king of kings..he died for you." So I took same railfan flicks and that was it.

 

It was still nice to get out though.

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I was a ways from home the other day and stopped to check out this shady little yard in a depressed town. I see a BN flat I've seen 3 times (Chete/Twice, other side Grey/Aroe) which is rare for the east coast. Also a Golden West with Odd One on the side facing me, and I know I'm on the other side but I forget what I painted, so I walk in for a look. I've already seen the other side of the place and there's only one engine on duty, so they're not moving anything on my side right away. I climb over the outside line and stop: there's almost no room to stand between lines. I climb down anyway; I have to turn sideways to fit between the lines, a highly dangerous situation. I hope I'm right about only one engine on duty. I'm in between the Golden West and one of those irritating ridged grain hoppers where the vertical surface doesn't start until about neck height, so if it moves the sill will saw my head off. I can't believe they can move these trains without scraping them against each other, there is seriously only twelve inches of clearance in a couple spots. I see my piece from 3 years ago, remember it, and get the fuck out of there without even sketching any cars.

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i set foot in a layup/yard for the first time since July '03 a couple weeks ago, i had discovered the spot while walking around catching tags recently before. there were four or five lines of intermodals, some empty, i walked between lines looking for a car with some vertical surface area, i heard some spanish music coming from a radio in an area behind a buisness where some cars were parked next to the yard, i suspected a security guard or employee, kept an eye on the area the music was coming from, and tried not to make noise walking on the gravel, i didn't see anyone. i found a suitable car and did a piece, i had a little trouble with the fill, i couldn't see where i had already painted. i took flicks and left the way i came, and got a slushy at a 7-11 on the way home, nothing like a slushy at four in the morning.`

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the other day, i was at a yard, just taking pictures. where we park is down this gravel path, and this is one of a thousand benching trips to this place. get out, train is coming and my camera isn't ready (elk sigh vizie hope4 all come by without pictures!), and so we go around taking pictures, and when we are heading back, some workers are outside (the business suit-type) and so we wait, but then i see a cop car pull up to my friends car, so we bolt, and dash across a construction site, wait an hour, go back, cop car is still in full effect, so i get my friend to pick us up, and so my benching partner goes back to his car cause he sees the tow truck. cops search and harass him, had already tore through his car, were holding a few meanstreaks (unused), telling him he did graffiti (which he doesn't), and they towed his car. bullshitttt.

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Originally posted by why write?@Nov 24 2004, 04:01 AM

^ holy shit, thats really fucked up...i hate cops, and i hate how they act and everything about them...SUE them.

 

get realistic. what lawyer is going to help you

sue a cop pro bono for something like that,

no violence involved.

 

lawyers cost alot of money. it wouldnt

be fucking worth it.

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few weeks ago me and my boy went down to the yard to bench a few trains and paint at this chill daytime spot. On the way down to the yard, two little kids, couldnt have been more than seven started yellin at us "Y'all gon' spray paint them trains??", "Damn graffiti writers!" and the like. We just laughed about it and ignored em, but i looked back and the kid was right up next to our bikes (yea we pedaled to the yard) yelling about slashing our tires and fuckin up our bikes! Kid was even making stabbing motions with his hands toward the tires. so we walk back, and of course they hadnt done shit and they just scurried off, yelling back about calling the cops and telling their daddies. we just walked back down and went about our business, but we were laughing about that shit for about a week.

:gaga: :gaga:

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Originally posted by HATEBREEDER+Nov 24 2004, 01:14 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HATEBREEDER - Nov 24 2004, 01:14 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-why write?@Nov 24 2004, 04:01 AM

^ holy shit, thats really fucked up...i hate cops, and i hate how they act and everything about them...SUE them.

 

get realistic. what lawyer is going to help you

sue a cop pro bono for something like that,

no violence involved.

 

lawyers cost alot of money. it wouldnt

be fucking worth it.

[/b]

 

i know what you mean, it just gets me angry....

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one night me and some comrades walked up on a couple about to get busy parked on the tracks by a yard. which i thought was a pretty weird place for this since that line is usually busy. i ran away when i saw the car. hah..i thought it was someone hazardous to my freedom. they got outta there pretty quick when they saw us though. blah blah blah...

i got caught between 2 moving trains with very little room to spare once. and it was beyond scary. i was just waiting for something to come by and take my head with it. yikes.

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