I borrowed my wife's Orange and Green Charade last night. One litre of raw power, 3 cylinders of asphalt-tearing terror on thirteen-inch rims. It's stock, alright, nothing done to it, but it pushes the barely 2000 pounds of Charade around with AUTHORITY. I'm always catching mopeds and 18-wheelers by surprise... I was headed back from BNSF Mormon Yard in Stockton with my manly triple-latte cappuccino blast ("No Cinnamon, ma'am, I take it BLACK"), when I stopped at the Wilson Way and Hazelton Avenue streetlight. As the Charade throbbed its throaty idle around me, I sipped my bold beverage and wiped the white froth from my stiff upper lip. I was minding my own business, but then I heard a rev from the next lane. I turned, made eye contact, then let my eyes trace over the competition. Ford Festiva -- a late model with a big UP sticker, could be trouble. Low profile tires, curb feelers, and schoolbus- yellow paint. Yep, a hot rod, for sure, No doubt he was railfanning the nearby UP West Yard on Airport Way. The howl of his motor snapped my reverie, and I looked back into the driver's eyes, nodded, then blipped my own throttle. As I tugged on my driving gloves and slipped on my sunglasses (gotta look cool to be fast, and I am *damn* cool, hence...), the night was split with the sound of seven screaming cylinders... Then the light turned... I almost had him out of the hole, my three pounding cylinders thrusting me at least a millimetre back into my seat, as smoke pouring from my front right tire... my unlimited slip differential was letting me down! I saw in the corner of my eyes, a yellow snout gaining, and I heard the roar of his four cylinders. He slung by me, right front wheel juddering against the pavement, and he flashed me a smile as his .3 extra liters of motor stretched its legs. I kept my foot gamely in it, though, waiting for the CHECK ENGINE light to blink on in the one-gauge (no tachometer here!) instrument panel. I saw a glimpse of chrome under his bumper, and knew the ugly truth... He was running a custom exhaust -- probably a 2-into-1 dual exhaust... maybe even cutouts! Damn his hot-rod soul! The old lady passing us on the pedestrian crossing cast a dirty look in our boy-racer direction... Yet still I persisted, with my three pumping pistons singing a heady high-pitched song, wound fully out. Though only a few handfuls of seconds had passed, we were nearing the pedestrian crossing at the other side of the intersection, and I heard the note of his engine change as he made his shift to second, and I saw his grin in his rearview mirror fade as he missed the shift! I rocketed by, shifting, and nursed the clutch gently in to keep from bogging, keeping my motor spinning hot and pulling me ahead, now trailing a cloud of stinking clutch smoke. Not ready to give up so easily, he left his foot in it, revving, and I heard one wheel *almost* chirp as he finally found second and dropped the clutch. We careened over the 3 track crossing before Aurora Street, now going at least 15 miles per hour. A bicyclist passed us, but intent on the race as we were, neither of us batted an eye. He pulled slowly abreast of me, and neck and neck, we made the shift to third, the scream of motors deafening all pedestrians within a five foot circle. He nosed ahead as we passed 30 miles an hour, then eased in front of me, taunting, as we shifted into fourth. I was staring up the dual 6" chrome tips of his exhaust, snarling, my cappuccino forgotten, as he lifted a little to take the next corner. I saw my opportunity, and counting on the innate agility of my trusty steed, I pulled wide into the number two lane and kept my foot buried in carpet. Slowly, I inched around him, feeling my Charade roll slowly to the left as I came abreast in the midst of the Aurora Street turn. I felt the Daihatsu ease onto its suspension stops, and felt the right rear wheel slowly leave the ground - no matter, though, because my drive wheels, up front, were pulling me through the corner, and around the Festiva. The Ford driver beat his wheel in rage as my wife's car eased past him on the outside, my P155/80R13's screaming in protest, as we raced to the next light. We coasted down, neck-and neck, to the red light. I tightened my driving gloves, ready for another round, when this WIMP in the next car meekly flipped his turn signal and made a right onto Webber. Daihatsu superiority reigns!!! I drove off sipping my masculine drink, awash in my sheer virility, looking for other unwitting targets.... Perhaps a Yugo, or maybe even that Volkswagon Van I seen down by the old Stockton Tower!
That's hilarious, and you have a real flair for writing, man! Next time I go down to CA I'll bring my massive 4 cyl. Saturn to challenge you.
First off, I loved the report on the race! My stories of vehicles and chasing trains usually seem to end up in a ditch at the west portal of the Cascade Tunnel.. I've been stuck in that ditch more times than I care to admit to and with more than one vehicle. Back in the days when I was doing most of my train chasing we usually took my mom's minivan because my little Mazda pickup couldn't fit more than 2 people. Sometimes we'ed take BN99000's car, but since I couldn't drive it, he got to do all the work. I also did some trainchasing in my Ford F250 before it dies, but that thing is way too big to go tearing around narrow streets trying to follow a switch job. I'm about to get a new car and I'm really looking forward to going trainchasing in my 96 Kia Sephia! I mean, I'll actually be able to get up to 60 in somthing less than 10 miles! I think the ideal trainchasing vehicle is probably a minivan or maybe an SUV. you need lots of space for all the camera gear and scanners and snacks and trainchasing guides and other crap. It's also nice to have all those windows so when you're pacing a GP60B down the road you can get the picture without a door post in the way. Finally, four wheel drive is always nice since we tend to take vehicles places they were never meant to go, like into ditches.
Maybe I should throw my REAL muscle in the mix, TWICE as many cylinders as that Daihatsu beast. Probably three times the displacement too! http://www.60degreev6.com/members/ridgerunner/sunbird.jpg It's not at all bad on dirt roads, I've hauled ass like a rallycar in that thing before.
My little 96 protege crosses ditches fine. One wheel at a time. Ive bottomed out more in my driveway than on a row. And my horn sounds alot better than whats strapped to the top of locomotives. Mine plays 11 notes and 5 tones @118 db vs a few tones @ a scale not able to measure.
my little 98 Saturn SL2 will go anywhere.....................................................................................................................................................excuse i have snow shoveling to do.
My wife's mini van has chased me across some pretty interesting terrain. When she and my boys are following Dad in on a homebound train, anything can happen.
Good story! 90% of the time I am in a rented car, so I get to railfan in a current model of some cool car. My favorite trip was across the country to Iowa in our white Towncar. I railfanned the CC&P in Ft. Dodge in that baby! Either that or I drive my Dad's '91 Taurus, which is getting old now.
I used to use a big red Cadillac Fleetwood for my daily transportation. That always got attention when I pulled into the railyard for work or went out on the line. I now drive a 4x4 Jeep Cherokee which suits my needs just fine. It gets me on the line where I need to go most of the time and fits into places where SUVs can't go because of tight clearances. I was out in the field with a film crew that was using our railroad. They were wondering why someone like me would have a Jeep instead of a large truck or SUV with my job. Just before we got to the site, the service road passes under a bridge of a neighboring railroad's branch line. The Jeep made it through the narrow underpass, their SUV (a Ford Excursion) didn't. The film crew's boss siad later on "Now I see why you chose a Jeep!"
well this is my new ride. got it in november and have put about 25oo railfanning miles on it already!!! [ 26. January 2003, 02:06: Message edited by: Mopac3092 ]
John, I hope you clean all the empty pop cans out of it before you give it back to him!!! This is what I drive now. The `02 Mustang GT in the foreground. Mick (my son) loves riding in it. I think he likes the exhaust note that it rumbles cause he goes VROOM- VROOM from his child seat in the back.
dont have my own car, so i catch the bus to the train station and just ride the train to wherever i feel like going, its always fun to just ride the rails and take photos of trains for a day.
Good story . Wow 3 whole cylindars . Next time youre in Ohio look me up. Got a manly 99 Dodge pick-up with a V8 thats rarely been beaten. I could use a real challenge here. ...Mike
Robert, That is about the funniest story I have ever heard. Its leads me to believe that maybe you have a little to much time on your hands. For me its been everything from my moms 1965 Ford Fairlane. to my current ride a 2000 Dodge Ram with the big V-8. I great as I sit up high to get a better view of the action Shannon As my wife says.........you got to watch them rails WP LIVES
Actually I wrote it as a joke for a few laughs. The places are real though, all those streets in the "Race" are popular railfan sites in Stockton, CA.
I've gor you guys. My hot car (summer only) is an '86 with no cylinders and it will beat most on the road. The winter car is a '88 4 cyl. by Chevy. Do you know what the summer car is?
I've got you guys beat on cylinders. My car has no cylinders and is quicker than most on the road. It's a '86. Can you figure out what I drive? You can get into a lot of trouble with no cyllinders. I've been train chasing from Oklahoma to Northern Michigan in it. Doug
HA! You must have one of those Mazdas that has the Wonkle (sp) rotary engines in it! I got to see one of those run, that is a fascinating motor!
