Railfan Mobiles

One of the most important things for a railfan is his/her vehicle(s), because that is where he/she spends most of his/her time.
For that reason, I've decided to show a couple of the vehicles that I use while railfanning.

Caravan


2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
Exterior - Aqua (I say green)
Interior - Grey
Engine - 3.3L V6 (I think)

Radio - None
Antenna - None

We haven't done a great deal of railfanning from the van, but it is pretty nice. It has dual sliding doors, which makes it nice for having to grab the camera from the back seat in a hurry.
I'll post a picture as soon as I get a chance to take one, get it developed and scanned.

RAM


1998 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad-Cab
Exterior - Blue over Grey
Interior - Grey
Engine - 5.9L Magnum V8

Radio - Alinco DR-130 (Amateur 2-meter radio w/ extended RX)
Antenna - Larsen KG-VHF (Glass-mount 2-meter antenna)

I really enjoy my new RAM. I've had it since January 1999.
The nice things about it are that it has the back seat that leaves room for the camcorder, people, clothes, etc. It has HUGE adjustable holders that will even hold those 32oz drinks from the convenience stores. It has a console in the middle of the front seat that is big enough to hold a laptop computer (although I don't usually carry mine with me), penciles, pens, post-it notes, cassette tapes, CDs, and A LOT OF FILM!

I also keep a clipboard under the front seat that contains all of the important papers, such as:
The full railroad frequency list (by railroad and by freq)
Scott's map of 'My Big Backyard'
Scott's map of the Monon
A map of downtown Indy's railroads
The timetables for several of the CSX runs that go through Seymour and North Vernon

Just the essentials, of course :)

DURANGO - RETIRED


1998 Dodge Durango
Exterior - Amethyst (Purple in most light, blue in certain conditions)
Interior - Grey
Engine - Magnum V8

Radio - None
Antenna - None

Note: This was written before I got married in July 1999
I also enjoy using the Durango for railfanning, although I'm forced run 'without ears on' when I'm in the Durango. I haven't talked my fiance into letting me put an antenna on it yet, but she IS studying for her amateur radio license, so after she gets that taken care of, she will probably let me put one on.

We usually use the Durango for railfanning when we're carrying several people or when it is a long trip that requires luggage, more food, etc that the Ram just doesn't have the room for. It is also nice when there is a chance of bad weather, because it is four wheel drive, while the Ram isn't.

I haven't put together a clipboard for the Durango yet, so I often feel like I'm running blind without the radio or the clipboard.