Meet the Train Dog! Railfanning at it's Best!

"The Train Dog, aka Abby!"
(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

WOOF! It's me, Abby, my adventure's with my human begin! I have been taken on my first "solo" railfanning adventure with my human. I guess that needs some explaining! 

Paws, railfanning is an interesting hobby of Dad's. Barkingly, there are many humans from really young, paws, to really old who enjoy the hobby. The hobby varies among the human's specific interests too. Woofs, some humans enjoy making model railroad layouts often designed after a favorite area like a town where they live or grew up, a model layout designed by a professional, or just enjoy trains of a specific area or railroad. Some humans enjoy standing trackside following the trains from origin to their destination by radio scanners, laptops, and their phones. They know nearly every single detail of the train- which is pawingly fascinating. Quite a few humans take videos and photography while watching the trains. Dad does that! It's all quite interesting to paw the least. 

"CSX at Shenandoah Junction, WV"
(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

My human is mostly interested in the historical aspect of railroading and watching the trains roll by. He remembers watching the Southern Railway roll through the town where he lived as a young boy and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway which rolled by his grandmother's house.  He likes reading Trains and Classic Trains Magazines, the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Magazine, and the Journal of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society! 

Paws, this isn't really my first railfan trip. It's my first "solo" trip with Dad. He and a buddy went on a railfan trip in December and took me along! It was so cool. Barkingly, it was fun to hang out with them but Dad wanted to take me on a "solo" trip so he can totally focus on me and my safety and teach me a few things. Don't get me wrong, he was focused on that with his buddy around too - this is just learning more about safety! 

Woofsly, I pawsitively love sitting in the backseat of my human's Subaru Forester and waiting for a train to come and watching it go by! Dad says his favorites are freight and coal trains! I love watching any of them! WOOFS! 

Pawingly, my nickname is "The Train Dog!" What better nickname could I have? WOOFS! 

Paws, if you know of some great locations to watch trains in Central and Northern Virginia, West Virginia (Eastern side), Southern Maryland, or Southern Pennsylvania pawlease leave a comment below. WOOFS!