UP Question

[Trainfanne54]

Does Union Pacific locomotive conductors call you in too local police if you are close too the tracks?

 

[Bill Anderson]

Post 9-11, I think most railroad employees will call the police if you are trespassing on railroad property. If you are legally present on public property or private property which is not the railroad's, there is nothing they can do about it provided you are not doing something illegal like throwing rocks or shooting at the train.

 

[Crow]

On UP, the Conductor or Engineer will call the dispatcher if they see something. The dispatcher will call RMCC (Response Management Communications Center) who will call a special agent (railroad police) or the local authorities. Conductors and Engineers are not allowed to have personal cell phones in the cab, unless they are powered off and stored in their grip/luggage.

 

[Trainfanne54]

The cops told me I was close to the UP tracks and they got the call from Union pacific. They said I was trespassing. They also said I was using a flash when I was taking pictures. Which I was. It was at night too. I think one of the train crew called me in. Is the UP doing more of this now?

 

[LoganTrackdog]

You will find there are plenty of great spots along any ROW that are on public property to photograph trains. In all the years I did it, not once did I get any trouble from special agents or local police. Know where you are, don't get too close, you'll be fine.

 

[EMDGP30]

The cops told me I was close to the UP tracks and they got the call from Union pacific. They said I was trespassing. They also said I was using a flash when I was taking pictures. Which I was. It was at night too. I think one of the train crew called me in. Is the UP doing more of this now?

IMO, the flash is why the police were called. There are several incidents of people pointing laser pointers at planes, especially during landing; possibly the conductor thought you were trying to ruin his night vision.

I am assuming you weren't fouling the track or were taking pictures from a signal mast.

 

[Trainfanne54]

I see. That could of been the issue. I was was taking pictures on a hill. The tracks were not that far away.

 

[one_wire]

You had the police called on you for trespassing. It had nothing to do with taking pictures. I'm a UP employee who's spent quite a bit of time over the years working along waysides and inside locomotives. Let me give you a rundown of what we consider trespassing:

Being on or within arm's reach of track, ballast, locomotive, car, or any other piece of rolling stock. Also included are shops, spur and rip tracks, or ANYWHERE you see a sign posted "NO TRESPASSING." If you think you might be trespassing on UP property, play it safe and assume you are.

The UP doesn't care if you're fanning at a safe distance away from the tracks. But I will tell you plain and simple that if you're caught by any UP employee trespassing on the property we will call the police. It's not that we're a bunch of jerks, it's because far too often people who think they know how the railroad works, when in fact they have no idea, walk out on live track or into a shop to do whatever they think they're entitled to do, they end up getting seriously hurt or killed.

If a cop comes up to you and says the UP called them and that you're trespassing, comply with their request to step away from the tracks. 99 times out of 100 the company won't even press charges nor will they seek to have you cited. Just simply take 10 big steps away and carry on. I can't stress enough how dangerous railroad tracks are. Seriously, your photo or video isn't worth your life.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trainfanne54]

Thanks for the Info. I will keep that in mind.

 

[troygly]

UP told me this as long as you are not railroad property shoot all the film you want.