ACT Trainspotters beware!!

raven · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 12:57 pm

A favourite lunch time spot for me is to drive down to Kingston sidings (near the old Freight terminal) and watch the 12.16 Explorer depart from Sydney or watch the oil train back into the siding.

Today I was quietly eating my lunch in the car when a guy from the SRA approached me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was a trainspotter and was eating my lunch. Not good enough. He then claimed I had been there for over an hour (actually I had been there exactly 24 minutes) and there had been a lot of "bad things" going on at the Canberra rail station opposite and I should move on.

Although I had a drink in my hand when I spoke to him he claimed I wasnt having lunch and I had no business being there. I once again explained that I was a trainspotter and was there simply to look at trains. I even told him that the oil train would be in any minute. That certainly took him by suprise but I was again asked to leave as it was State Rail property (mind you the general public can drive into the area as the drive thru Pet Barn is there and there are no fences/signs describing it as private property etc. He then followed me out of the siding area.

I appreciate the threat of terrorism, he was just doing his job etc. However, I have been down there over 30 times in the last six months and no one has said anything. Just another sad indictment on society that enthusiasts get given no leeway and everything has to be played by the book.
Mad

freightgate · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:19 pm

Sounds to me like he wasn't all that busy

raven · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:23 pm

Sarcasm mode on:

It must be a full on day dealing with 3 passenger trains and an oil train that comes in every 3rd or 4th day.

The really amusing thing is that I have seen people (not rail employees in their high vis vests) wandering across the tracks as a shortcut and no-one has questioned them. I am sorely tempted to go back and have lunch there again just to give them something to do by warning me!! Very Happy

freightgate · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:25 pm

raven · Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 1:27 pm

Suprisingly yes. I would have thought there was a market for container freight as well but I guess the trucks are cheaper/quicker.

mjja · Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 1:48 pm

When I'm in trouble I say I'm a Rail Tram and Bus fan. That sounds like the Rail Tram and Bus Union and I've never had any trouble after that.

If you're feeling argumentative you could point out that there are no signs saying private property and keep out. But I've usually succeeded in making the accuser angry with that method.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

widowmaker · Posted: Fri May 30, 2003 11:58 pm

A while ago i was taking some photo's of a explorer coming in one night at Canberra station a few minutes later some Female member of station staff came up to me claiming i was in the wrong and i couldnt take photo's now this i understand because its not really public property but she also claimed i was going to do somthing stupid like jump on the tracks or somthing. I think Staff in Canberra have to much time on there hands due to lack of train movement.

standard_gauge · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 12:27 am

Panic · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:41 am

I had a similar experience to this in Sydney. Does anyone know the atual relevant law / policy / where we stand on this?
I've had some good and bad cases of this. Often I ask station staff if they mind me taking photos and they don't mind at all. When I can't find one I just take photos. Sometimes they turn up and are okat with it, but occasinally there are real nasty people who think hey're out to prove something.

I had some station assistant yell at me on North Sydney station. She said it was illegal for me to take photos on the station. I then went outside of the station and proceeded to use my telephoto lens to take photos of trains. Seeing this she came out and stood in front of me inisisting that I was not allowed to take photos of the station. I just stood there calmly, pulled out my mobile phone, dilled my home number and said into the phone "Hello, is that A Current Affair? Yeah? Well I've go a great story for you!" And started taking pictures of this station asistant. She quickly found another place to go.

Dependentonrail · Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:48 pm

kenoath · Beginner Joined: Jun 12, 2004 Last Visited: Jun 14, 2004

widowmaker · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 5:10 pm

agabook · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 7:23 pm

i think in some cases the government has gone too far with terrorism.true,the Madrid bombers most likely took photos of where the bombs went off but i do not think a trainspotter would be as crazy as the terrorists.

Batchelor is a disgrace,stick a freeway on his head!
new rail to Portsea,East Donny and Rowville

drivesafe · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:02 pm

Hi folks, I was on Milsons Point about 6 months back, taking video when a station assistant came up to me and said that the station master wanted to know if I was taking professional video or was it for myself.
I told him it was just for me and he replied that I had been there a while and it would probably be better if I went somewhere else to keep the SM happy.
I asked him about what he meant by professional video and he said the SM was worried that he might see his face plastered all over TV that night.
HE WISHES

I had been there about 45 minutes so I just moved on, but while I was there, 2 police officer came over and stood near me while they waited for the next train and didn’t take much notice at all.
After that, I did some checking and to do any form of photography on railway property, you have to first do a $750 Safe Working course and then get permission for where you want to photograph.
I don’t know what happens if you get court without having done the course or not having the permission?

About 18 months ago I was on the footbridge over Yeerongpilly station, in Brisbane. I had been there for about 20 minutes, waiting for the XPT when a station attendant come over the bridge to me and asked me what I was doing as a number of passengers had complained that I was up to something.
I explained what I was doing and he said it was pretty obvious, with all the cameras set up. By the way I was set-up on the stairs on the roadway not on railway property.
The attendant said he didn’t mind if I got what I came for and the gave me a piece of paper with a phone number on it and said to ring this department and I should be able to get permission the get some photos.
This was a Sunday so the next day I rang the number and explained that I wanted to get video of suburbans in a number of different places and that it would take some time. I was told I could probably get permission to do that and that when I was ready, to contact them and they would arrange permission covering a 1 month period but I would have to sign a release form and I would not be allowed to film the faces of QR employees or QR patrons. There was no fee involved.
Regards

Electra · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:55 am

Yes, the situation in Canberra has certainly changed since the days when Cyril Bartram was Commonwealth Railways (ACT) Superintendent and John O'Donnell was Station Master. As long as one reported to them first, they were quite happy to give permission to enthusiasts to photograph and inspect rolling stock within the yard. It's worth noting that when Cyril retired in mid-1985 a considerable number of enthusiasts, including myself, attended his farewell dinner in Queanbeyan.