Rails and reflections: The story of a lifelong railfan

By PAIGE ROMANOWSKI
Staff Writer

We love our big orange locomotives and so do our railfans. Between photographing trains, sharing railroad history and building models, they’ve formed a community to share their interests. Skip Waters, a North Texas native, has been part of his local railfanning community for more than five decades.

“I grew up with my father putting a train in my hand as soon as I could push it along the floor,” Waters said. “Some fathers and sons go camping, but I received model trains every Christmas and we attended train shows on the weekends when we could. I’ve been a railfan and historian of sorts for over 50 years – all because of my father.”

Waters’ most exciting railfanning experience with his dad was their first mainline train ride together from New Orleans to Houston on the “1984 Louisiana World’s Fair Daylight” powered by Southern Pacific (SP) 4449.

“I was a fan of the American Freedom Train and saw it for the first time in 1976 in New Orleans,” Waters recalled. “So, when the World's Fair Daylight trip announced it was being pulled by SP 4449, we both knew we wanted to be on it.

“The day was fantastic as we left New Orleans Union Station and crossed the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River,” he said. “We booked a coach seat, but we made our way back to the observation car and had to hold the rear door open because the air conditioning ran out of fuel coming out of New Orleans. The trip was fun in so many ways because I was with my father.”

Absorbing the appreciation for trains from his dad, Waters continued their shared hobby by serving as a director on the board for the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) and as vice president of the North Texas Chapter, as well as a position on the board of the Louisiana Steam Train Association and as president of the Wichita Falls Railroad Museum.

Waters remarked that railfans are quite different from members of the general public who watch trains pass by at rail crossings.

“We’re a kooky bunch and there’s no one model for us,” he said. “The only thing we all have in common are the two rails between us. For me, I’m a railfan because I love steam locomotives, their history and their uniqueness. When you get into train watching, people like me will go out of their way to find units that appeal to them and follow them up and down the line.”

Each Class I railroad has its claim to fame. But for many railfans, supporting a specific railroad has less to do with what they move and more to do with their unique history, power or technology.

Waters said he railfans for BNSF because of the size of our network and rich history.

“You can't help but admire the massive network BNSF runs,” he said. “Every time I venture out west along the Southern Transcon, I get caught up in watching the many trains that pass by and seeing whole trains in the distance knowing it's about to pass me again at the next crossing or overpass. There have been many times, while in Gallup, New Mexico, a fleet of diesels led by a rare Santa Fe silver and red Warbonnet-painted locomotive with a long manifest comes thundering past you – only to be met by another fleet of BNSF orange and green locomotives heading in the opposite direction. It’s all magical to watch. Everyone around you sees a train passing by. I see a nation's commerce in motion.”

In addition to cherishing our extensive history, Waters appreciates the role we play in supporting the railfan community. For example, at the 2008 Lone Star Rails NRHS National Convention, BNSF ran a mainline excursion for convention attendees called the “Quanah Zephyr” from Fort Worth to Quanah, Texas.

“We needed a fleet of passenger cars and at the last moment, BNSF stepped up to work with Amtrak to bring over a fleet of coaches from California for our trip, which saved the day,” Waters said. “Thanks to BNSF, we’re still benefitting from that generous act of kindness. That sold-out trip is still being talked about today as one of the best convention excursion train rides NRHS has ever offered.”

In addition to enjoying train rides, Waters and his railfan friends also love just watching trains. In fact, they created a unique railfan event in Saginaw, Texas, near BNSF’s headquarters, called “24 Hours at Saginaw.”

The event is a gathering for railfans to spend 24 hours at the Saginaw interlocker and record how many trains pass through. Hosted by the North Texas Chapter of NRHS, the event is held annually on Memorial Day weekend and draws up to 100 railfans from across the region.

“The event has been a railfan favorite every year,” Waters said. “In addition to watching trains, we host speakers, video programs and safety demonstrations. We usually record 50-60 trains per event.”

BNSF has supported the group during the event with tips and reminders surrounding trackside safety.

In Waters’ 50 years of supporting the industry and rail history, he proudly continues his rail adventures locally and across the United States.

“At the end of the day, my love for trains comes from my dad – he’s the reason I continue,” Waters said. “When I chase trains, I know he is with me and I with him."