So I can't decide if this is a good thing or not - MainStreet Vermilion is trying to market the city as a destination for railfans...

 

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Organization to promote Vermilion's train traffic

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

 

By RICHARD PAYERCHIN

[email protected]

 

VERMILION — Train traffic zipping through Vermilion just might become the city's newest attraction.

 

Main Street Vermilion Inc. has started a new Vermilion Main Line Rail Committee to promote the city as a destination for rail fans, the train lovers who spend time searching for and logging train engines and cabooses...

 

...For more information, visit www.DiscoverVermilion.com for local information or www.railfan.net for general information.

 

URL: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/06/02/news/mj1128750.prt

 

Post edited 9-4-009 to comply with terms of use.

 

 

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Creating the Ultimate Railfan Destination in Vermilion

Main Street Vermilion

 

June 6, 2009 -- Trains began running through Vermilion starting in 1853. For over 140 years the rumbling, roaring, shaking, screaming tornadoes have rushed through the quiet village. Ships have come and gone in this little city by the sea, but they were never the acoustic monsters like the trains which roll along like wild demons in a race. And as far as we can foresee, it will continue for 140 more years. Such is life in a railroad town.

 

Learn how the Vermilion Main Line Rail committee of Main Street Vermilion is capitalizing on the city's rail history and train traffic at a special presentation on June 8, 2009 at Ritter Library beginning at 7 p.m. The committee has been working on establishing a train viewing area in downtown Vermilion and several other sites along the tracks. A webpage and flyer have been created to attract railroad enthusiasts to the area.

 

While the sites and sounds of the railroad have long faded in many towns and cities, Vermilion's train traffic continues to increase. Some view the trains as an inconvenience, but many rail enthusiasts travel many miles for rail viewing and train photography opportunities.

 

"We're making lemonade out of lemons," stated Coletta Kubik, Vermilion Main Line Rail committee chair. The committee focuses on attracting a new target tourist to Vermilion - "railfans."

 

The railfan hobby is virtually unknown except among the enthusiasts themselves. But there are hundreds of thousands of them around the world. As the prominence of the iconic railroad has faded over the past half-century, there remains a devout group of train enthusiasts who enjoy watching trains glide along the tracks.

 

Railfans spend hours or even days watching and photographing trains. Many travel to different cities, and even different countries, to take in a variety of rail viewing. Just like bird watchers look for specific birds, railfans watch for specific cargo and passenger trains. Photography and railfanning have always been intertwined - as both the railroad and photography grew up together.

 

Is it the romance of the railroad? A passion for heavy machinery? Most railfans don't try to explain - they just love trains. The obsession over railfanning often stems from historical and technological intrigue. Trains not only represent a romanticized era, they have been central to economic growth and commerce.

 

"Vermilion is an ideal rail viewing area," stated Kubik. "The railroad action in Vermilion is virtually non-stop, and no other railroad town offers a more beautiful location in a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Erie." Plans are in the works for an internet rail-cam at the Main Street Vermilion building, and the committee hopes to eventually create a railroad museum in downtown Vermilion.

 

A presentation on the history of the Lake Shore Electric Railway, the Interurban line that ran through the heart of Vermilion, will also be offered during the meeting on June 8. Discover the fascinating rail history of Vermilion with experts Dennis Lamont, Al Doane and Bob Reese and learn about the interesting world of railfanning.

 

The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the the Vermilion Main Line, visit DiscoverVermilion.com.

 

http://www.loraincounty.com/vermilion/feature.shtml?f=17470

Some rail-traffic hot spots have put up pavilions in good train-watching spots, complete with audio of railroad radio traffic. Providing a good, safe facility is a plus for the railroads, too; rail photographers and train watchers will come, no matter what, and a well-designed accomodation helps avoid trespassing and liability risks.