Today started out just fine getting up at 6 am and working on the CRO newsletter for about 4 hours and getting a lot done. Headed trackside and parked at one of my favorite spots in Woodstock hoping to catch CN 148 intermodal train. Pretty quite for about an hour and had the scanner on so figured I would hear any train eastbound at the scanner at 53.3 about 3 miles away.
We had some light snow overnight but most of it was melting with the Sun shinning.
Nothing on the scanner but all of a sudden I heard a train and jumped out of the car, grabbed the SLR and video camera and headed to where I wanted to shoot from. There was a small incline as I approached that spot and tried to stop as I was going a bit too fast.
I guess the ground was still frozen and both feet slide out and I went down very hard flat on my back.and hit very hard. I tried to protect my cameras so no chance to try and protect myself. I hit so hard that my arms and legs both went numb and pain shot through my back. First think that scared my was the loss of feelings in my arms and legs. I immediately tried to move them and was relieved when feeling slowly came back. I was in an area where there was nobody so was not expecting any help. I managed to get to my feet using the tripod but could hardly move.
Decided not to go to emergency a I figured just bruised my back and rib cage and not much they could do anyway. Struggled to get my cameras and managed to get into my car and get home. After much grimacing and groaning made it into my apartment. Figured I would give it some time and if got worse would head to the hospital. Took a number of pain pills and headed to bad. Been about 4 hours since I fell and my back is stiff and sore but most of the pain is in the front where the sternum is. More pain pills and I think I will survive as probably bruised and damaged places I did not know I had.
It could have been much worse so will be thankful my own stupidity did not result in something worse. Just have to suffer the next couple of days. Have an appointment with my doctor on Friday so hopefully can survive till them.
I did manage to ignore the pain long enough to set up the video camera and take some photos of the train so not all bad. 🙂
Take care out there. I have to start following my own advice.
RAILPAST JUNCTION 
Very sorry to hear about your FDGB Walter, as we called it in my former profession … (fall down, go boom) but I know the feeling and the need to hurry to get things set up once you hear the scanner go off or the sound of a train whistle and with conditions just right, an FDGB takes place … do hope you are feeling much better very soon and that you are able to be trackside again pain free … unfortunately the older we get, the longer that tends to take … and your advice about taking your own advice seems like good advice Walter! All the best!
Thanks, feeling better today after many pain killers, heating pad and sporatic sleep. Just need to take it easy and hope all the things I relocated go back to where they belong. Last time I damaged myself was also in winter and fell off a ladder after somebody moved it and broke my heel while trying to fix my railroad scanner antenna. At least it was not a ambulance ride to emerg and 8 weeks of hopping on one leg.