Incident at Weggers

By far, the greatest railfan spot I have ever been to. (Photo by the so-called “old guy” with the dreaded and utterly reprehensible Nikon D100.)

I’m at the mighty Canandaigua Weggers last week, probably last Wednesday (May 13, 2009), checking out.
“Have a nice day,” the clerk coos.
I turn around to arrow my cart toward the door.
The lady behind me is smiling broadly, and looking right at me.
“Altoona, Pennsylvania, eh?” she says. “My son was just admiring your railroad hat.”
“Horseshoe Curve,” I say. “Ever been there? By far the greatest railfan spot I’ve ever been to; and I’ve seen many, even in California.”
“No,” she says.
“By all means do it!” I say. “Trains willy-nilly, and you’re smack in the apex of the Curve. You won’t regret it.
And take your kid too.”
“Is it the sort of thing kids can enjoy?”
“He’ll love it. Trains up close and personal.
And ya might hafta wait 20 minutes or so, but wait. You’ll get rewarded.
It used to be four tracks,” I say. “Now it’s three; but I have seen as many as three trains at once.
And since it’s uphill, the uphill trains are wide open.
I usually say ‘wait 20 minutes and you’ll see a train.’”

RE: “‘Old guy’ with the dreaded and utterly reprehensible Nikon D100.......” —My macho, blowhard brother-from-Boston, who is 13 years younger than me, calls me “the old guy” as a put-down (I also am the oldest). I also am loudly excoriated by all my siblings for preferring a professional camera (like the Nikon D100) instead of a point-and-shoot. This is because I long ago sold photos to nationally published magazines.

“Weggers” is Wegmans, a large supermarket-chain based in Rochester we often buy groceries at. They have a store in Canandaigua.

RE: “My son was just admiring your railroad hat........” —I am a railfan, and have been since I was a child.

Horseshoe Curve, west of Altoona, Pennsylvania, is by far the BEST railfan spot I have ever been to. Horseshoe Curve is a national historic site. It was a trick used by the Pennsylvania Railroad to get over the Allegheny mountains without steep grades. Horseshoe Curve was opened in 1854, and is still in use.