It goes without saying that everybody has a special place that they have found by themselves, or maybe with the help of a friend. A place which seems like our very own to enjoy and share with others. We go to them again and again in different seasons of the year, in different light. Some folks go to watch birds, some to watch trains, and some to do both.
Whenever we are out watching trains and happen to be in the countryside, the slow times between them are filled with checking out the local flora and fauna. Parks are great for this and so we tend to gravitate toward them. A country lane that parallels the mainline also draws us when we elect to avoid the interstate highways. From them we can see Hawks as well as Racks and still avoid trespassing.
Occasionally I get the chance to get out with my Train Pals. That is when we visit urban areas to watch trains. Nevertheless, we almost always head back to the countryside because that is where the trains are in Ohio. Small communities like Deshler, Greenwich, and New London are within walking distance to open fields and woodlots, and also host dozens if not scores of trains each day. Other larger towns like Alliance and Lorain have a lot of activity mixed with an urban environment that isn't more than a 15 minute drive from the countryside. And then there are cities such as Toledo, where you can get stuck at a busy junction with train after train passing by as the truck traffic of local commerce pounds over your grade crossing of choice.
This page is OUR guide to the places that WE like. We go to them whenever our other obligations in Life permit. You will note that you can safely watch trains without tresspassing at all of these locations. Many of them are municipal parks or otherwise have at least one picnic table so you can bring along somebody who is less than Hard Core (did he say Family?).
There are a few good websites out there that offer concise information about that author's favorite sites. We have included those in the links section at the bottom of this page (we make no claims as to their no tresspass-worthiness, however).
If you have a favorite spot of your own that you'd like to share with the rest of us, please go to the bottom of this page and let us know by sending an email.
Talk to me jknorek@msen.com