Personally, it would take a fully restored and operable Yellowstone to get me that excited. And I hope I would be able to contain myself.

I guess he’s not sophisticated enough for a grenwich village denizen like allah.

listens2glenn on August 2, 2012 at 11:47 PM

.
Speaking from experience, not every engine has camera’s on the front, it depends on the age of the engine

Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on August 3, 2012 at 8:48 AM

.
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to HA, today . . . . .

Thanks for your reply, CIRD. I honestly believed that the Class 1s had outfitted all of their engines with cams.

So I’ll have to stand corrected on that.

Let’s see if that old locomotive can actually pull something!

Love trains, really more of an old electic interurban guy myself, especially the North Shore Line from Chicago to Milwaukee.

Naval disasters! My kind of woman!
Check out “Great Naval Disasters: U.S. Naval accidents in the 20th Century” by K. Bonner and C. Bonner.
I thought I owned the only copy.

Speaking of naval disasters, no nuclear powered Burkes is a disaster in my opinion.

So maybe this dude in the video IS just a regular guy that’s an enthusiast. But it sure as heck doesn’t look that way to me. :)

pastselldate on August 3, 2012 at 10:18 AM

I took issue when you said “guarantee.” I think we need more information on the rest of this man’s life to make any kind of judgement. To me this is no different than die hard sports fans, or even researchers. I volunteered at a paleontolgy dig once. Try it if you want to see real excitement and filming. Or go talk to reenactors at a battle or hot rod owners at a show;)

I hear you on this.
Our son is on the Autism spectrum and has extreme areas of interest and I can relate to the adults and children making fun of his interests. Kids know no better; the adults I cannot understand.
My consolation is knowing the joy those interests bring to my son and us and the fact that later in life he’ll use them to make a name for himself while the rest of the slobs b*tch and moan over his success.
Even if it’s not the interests that will help him the drive will.
I keep thinking of Edison and Gates and to a certain extent Jobs as well.

The sound of the steam whistles gives me the chills. Love them old fire-breathing monsters.

http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/index.shtml

Deanna on August 3, 2012 at 10:00 AM

I did not claim that enthusiasts are autistic — at least not all of them. However, after watching this video, it’s very much like going on our group outings. LOL!! This is very much how an Asperger’s person would present. Not saying the person in the video **IS** on the spectrum, but this is how it presents itself. And this is why people make fun of my son — because he’s quirky and different.

Knowing someone and living it day-to-day are two different things. No two are the same.

So maybe this dude in the video IS just a regular guy that’s an enthusiast. But it sure as heck doesn’t look that way to me. :)

I’m on the autistic spectrum. My interest tend toward things like shark attacks, naval disasters, train wrecks(Aspie women tend to gravitate toward interests like those)…and I’m NOTHING like that guy.
you can keep you world-and your stereotypes.

They tend to have extreme areas of interest. Kinda like an extreme baseball fan that knows all the stats spanning over decades.

How do I know this? Our son is on the Autism spectrum. Students, parents, and adults all make fun on him and make judgments.

Welcome to our world.

pastselldate on August 3, 2012 at 9:03 AM

Well then I know a whole lot of autistic people. Come on, people can have hobbies they really really love and that’s what this is. I know, I have train buffs as friends and in the family. They get excited when they see something like this, you should see them on an actual train trip. It’s like seeing and getting a picture of a rare species of animal or bird to them.
Sure some people carry it to extreme, just like any hobbyist. But outside of their hobby they are perfectly normal. And most are extremely sociable, often belonging to clubs and travel groups or as preservationists. If we are now starting to claim that enthusiasts are autistic that is taking it too far. Now if it totally dominates their lives and they show other serious lack of social skills, perhaps. JMO

Relative, perhaps?

Once we were talking to a caboosie behind the caboose, and I stood on the rail preparing to attempt a jump to the next track, swinging my arms like a standing long jumper.

“No!” he yelled, and at that moment a high speed commuter went by. I hadn’t heard it at all. He saved my life.

Here he is as a kid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBwdCpkJGc&feature=related

How do I know this? Our son is on the Autism spectrum. Students, parents, and adults all make fun on him and make judgments.

Welcome to our world.

I’m NOT calling you a liar, but I find it hard to believe any of the Class 1 corporations, today, wouldn’t have cameras on every locomotive they own.

listens2glenn on August 2, 2012 at 11:47 PM

Speaking from experience, not every engine has camera’s on the front, it depends on the age of the engine

J.E. Dyer on August 2, 2012 at 11:59 PM

Just looked at the video again. I harassed the pooch on 400: it appears to be DCAG’s aircraft and not the CO’s. Another keel-haul on the books for this old sea dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_C._Durant

Thomas Clark, 1820–85, U.S. railroad developer and financier.

Just so the guy feels complete.