Topic: Shooting on railroad tracks

[hookstrapped]

Dont.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/10/midnight-rider-director-randall-miller-jailed-for-on-set-death-of-crew-member

[Late Developer]

Agreed.

It's right up there with "This is a gun.  Don't fill with ammunition, point at self and then pull trigger.  Bad things will probably happen if you do."

[Francois]

That's why in movies the actors always carry rubber guns when acting. The only time they're allowed to handle a real firearm is when an expert takes care of all the preparations to ensure safety.

[Indofunk]

So you're saying I shouldn't do this?

[Bryan]

So you're saying I shouldn't do this?

Watch out for that Third Rail!

[limr]

To be fair, those filmmakers broke all kinds of rules and blatantly ignored safety warnings.

There are many train stations in Europe that don't have raised platforms or bridges to walk over the tracks. You have to actually walk across the tracks (there are little concrete walkways so you're not actually walking on the ties or anything.) Seems a shame to waste the opportunity since I have to walk over them anyway, and when it's such a quiet, sleepy place that I'd have to be deaf and blind to not know a train was coming.


Tracks and oven by limrodrigues, on Flickr


Tracks and flowers by limrodrigues, on Flickr

[Bryan]

I used to work with a woman that got hit by a train and survived.  She swore she didn't hear it coming.  I've heard other similar stories.  It's hard to believe that you wouldn't hear it coming but they will go over 80 miles per hour in rural areas.  My brother and I were hiking through a tunnel when a train came, we heard it but were too far from the end to get out of the tunnel.  We pressed against the wall and watched the train go by about a foot away, that got the adrenalin going! 

Safely shot from off the tracks.

[hookstrapped]

I used to work with a woman that got hit by a train and survived.  She swore she didn't hear it coming.  I've heard other similar stories.  It's hard to believe that you wouldn't hear it coming but they will go over 80 miles per hour in rural areas.  My brother and I were hiking through a tunnel when a train came, we heard it but were too far from the end to get out of the tunnel.  We pressed against the wall and watched the train go by about a foot away, that got the adrenalin going! 

Safely shot from off the tracks.

Nice pic!

[Bryan]

I used to work with a woman that got hit by a train and survived.  She swore she didn't hear it coming.  I've heard other similar stories.  It's hard to believe that you wouldn't hear it coming but they will go over 80 miles per hour in rural areas.  My brother and I were hiking through a tunnel when a train came, we heard it but were too far from the end to get out of the tunnel.  We pressed against the wall and watched the train go by about a foot away, that got the adrenalin going! 

Safely shot from off the tracks.

Nice pic!

Thank you!  Forgot to mention, Rolleiflex Automat with Ektar 100.

[jharr]

Two ways to shoot tracks safely...

Shoot completely disused tracks:


Or from safely inside the train:

[Hungry Mike]

To be fair, those filmmakers broke all kinds of rules and blatantly ignored safety warnings.

Leonore is right on that. If he hadn't been so irresponsible about shooting on the track there wouldn't have been a death.

My dad was a foreman of a railroad shop in Northern Ontario and he'd often go out to derailments, collisions or accidents (not unlike this recent one http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/03/10/sudbury-ready-to-help-gogama-mayor) so as kid I had a lot of pictures of smashed up trains and mangled tracks. Most sensible people know that anything bigger than you that has a hard time stopping needs to be given a lot of respect.

One of mine on a semi-used track:

[hookstrapped]

google "photographer death railroad tracks" 

The movie shoot death is not an isolated incident.  Even if you think you would see or here a train in time, as was mentioned, a fast train doesn't need much time to be upon you (or your model).   

[Francois]

I know from feeling the vibrations heavy trains make that these things just don't stop no matter what.
I remember from some text we had to read when I was young that the safest place to be in a tunnel when a train is coming is lying down at the edge of the wall. Taking the least profile space as possible.
But even then, I wouldn't recommend it.

I'm lucky where I live that the trains have to slow down considerably to go over an elevator bridge, it makes shooting on the tracks a bit safer. But it's true that you don't hear them coming from as far as you would think.

[Indofunk]

Just remembered another "safe" way to shoot on train tracks: stand right at a railroad crossing so that as soon as you see the gates come down you can run off the tracks.

[Jack Johnson]

Safely shot from off the tracks.

Very nice, Bryan. Eastern Washington?


How to die in San Francisco by knapjack, on Flickr

 

[jojonas~]

loving that color shot, james! may I ask what film you used for it? I'd guess ektar but I could be wrong

Here's one from me, again of the safer kind. it was shot on tram tracks


^{traveler by jojonas~, on Flickr}
holga with close up lens

[Paul Mitchell]

Or go to a railway museum... Peter R should know where this is!

[Flippy]

Possibly the most dangerous place anybody could be on an operating rail line is a bridge. Their actions were monumentally stupid, and their disregard for the safety of others is frankly frightening. I can't imagine somebody with common sense willingly putting another living person in that situation.

[Bryan]

Safely shot from off the tracks.

Very nice, Bryan. Eastern Washington?

 

Yes, just East of Othello on Highway 26.

[jharr]

loving that color shot, james! may I ask what film you used for it? I'd guess ektar but I could be wrong

Thanks. It's Portra 160, probably shot at box speed. It was a 5sec exposure.