Railfan Security Corps???

I learned of this Reuters article reviewing another site; the article suggests that at least one Class Iroad, the BNSF, might be coming to realize thatrailfans are an asset in keeping their property secure.

After all, "boots on the ground', or at least none more that absolutely necessary, are not exactly part of 21st century railroading's game plan.

Brief passage:

• ROCHELLE, Illinois, Nov 24 (Reuters) - With a round face, curly mop of sandy hair and shy demeanor, bespectacled Wayne Davis looks like an average American, but he claims that, as a railroad buff, he is also a vital asset to national security.
  
  "We are a valuable natural resource in the war on terror," Davis, 33, says of himself and hundreds of thousands like him.
  
  A machine worker from Beloit, Wisconsin, Davis has come to Rochelle, a small town where the tracks of the two largest U.S. railroads -- Union Pacific Corp. (UNP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. (BNI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) -- cross, guaranteeing that around 100 trains will pass every 24 hours.
  
  
  "I've loved trains since I was 2 years old," he said, his boyish face lighting up.
  
  Whenever a train comes into view, Davis springs to his feet and grabs his video camera to record the event so he can relive it later on at home. Although it is a weekday in November, around 30 other people are here.
  
  In Rochelle and at hundreds of other locations around the country -- from Pennsylvania's Horseshoe Curve to Dolton Junction in Chicago -- rail fans gather to take notes or shoot photos of the passing trains. They watch the tracks via webcams and discuss their observations in Internet chat groups.

Reuters

It's just fluff. What's to keep the "terrorists" themselves from joining this program? The less information a railroad has about me the better.

Three words: Slow News Day.

You know, it's a shame that we get blow off remarks like that. During wartime there have seen any number of civilian volunteer groups who have assisted the authorities in observing and reporting dangerous activity. We have had coast watchers, Civil Defence, air raid wardens, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliaries, etc. There is a place for informed railfans in spotting potential hazzards both of a criminal nature and accidents. If the railroads would offer a one day course in what to look for and provide emergency access to rail authorities (the right phone numbers would be helpful) we could be a genuine asset to the rail industry. The first time one of these rail spotters prevented a terrorist strike or a hazardous spill derailment the value of such a program would be instantly obvious and appreciated. Has anyone ever thought to approach a railroad with such a proposal ?

kevikens wrote:You know, it's a shame that we get blow off remarks like that. During wartime there have seen any number of civilian volunteer groups who have assisted the authorities in observing and reporting dangerous activity. We have had coast watchers, Civil Defence, air raid wardens, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliaries, etc. There is a place for informed railfans in spotting potential hazzards both of a criminal nature and accidents. If the railroads would offer a one day course in what to look for and provide emergency access to rail authorities (the right phone numbers would be helpful) we could be a genuine asset to the rail industry. The first time one of these rail spotters prevented a terrorist strike or a hazardous spill derailment the value of such a program would be instantly obvious and appreciated. Has anyone ever thought to approach a railroad with such a proposal ?

In a way I tend to agree with this one until I observe some of the railfans
in the field and some of the stuff that is posted on raillroaddotnet, then I
have to wonder if the railroad wants calls all hours of the day and night
from "nut cases", then I think that something like this would probably need
to be controlled by some method if possible.
There are some railfans around who operate as if they owned the place
and this certainally is not the case.
I could cite some examples on here if necessary but I would rather not do
that.
Noel Weaver

Noel: I agree that many railfans would be more of a hindrance than a help to rail safety. Any large organized group will have its crazies who will foul the waters for everyone. But just as the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol monitor their membership and remove incompetents the same could be done by the railroads. What I am suggesting is that the railroads create and monitor selected rail fans and offer them some training in what to look for. They could create some hoops for the rail fans to jump through such as a few all day classes, written tests for railroad knowledge and common sense. These requirements would tend to discourage and weed out the nuts. Members could be issued photo ID's by the railroads. I am convinced that such informed and mature railfans would be a very real asset in detecting and reporting potental problems. As for possible problems with improper behaviour remember that any force that deals with public safety such as EMT's. volunteer firemen, auxiliary policemen will have its incompetents who will engage in dangerous, even criminal activities but we still rely on them as the good they do far outweighs the uncommon acts of wrongful behavior. I wish that someone who reads this site who has some connection to any railroad would present this proposal to their administrators.

I'm sorry but I stand by my original statement that this only saw the light of day on the wire services because it was a Slow News Day. That doesn't necessarily reduce the potential value of this program.

[As a sometime student of journalism, it seems to me that as far as the popular press is concerned, if you follow organized professional sports with a commitment to understanding as many facts and figures as you can, you're "passionate"; if you apply this to trains, coins or other hobbies, you're "a nut".]

However, I won't be signing up for any such railfan program since I don't feel I need to provide personal information to make observations of large moving objects from public property. Further, I can call 911 or a railroad security hotline just as easily without yet another ID card.