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Holtwood—Foliage at Night

The leaves along Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Valley have begun to turn.

Last night, Kris, Seamus, and I went on the latest of our Port Road forays. We drove first to Washington Boro to inspect the signals, that hinted of eastbound traffic (downriver). Then we continued west to River Front Park in Marietta, where we often wait for trains.

After a little while, the roar of an eastbound began to swell in the valley. For more than ten minutes, we listened to the approaching sounds of freight cars and the chug of a GE diesel. This was Norfolk Southern’s 36A, bound for Edgemoor, Delaware, a train we’ve often seen at night.

By the time it reached Vinegar Ferry Road, it had a good roll-on, so we followed along. Passing Columbia, we were still about 30 cars ahead of the head end. We were even with 36A by the time we passed Washington Boro eastbound. Kris suggested that we try to catch the train somewhere different down the valley. So we navigated our way to Holtwood, an interlocking near a dam along the river, located toward the end of a dead-end road.

We’d visited there previously in daylight and found it uninspiring. The tracks are largely surrounded by chain-link fences, and high-voltage wires fill the sky. However, Holtwood takes on another character in the gloom of night.

NS 36A was going to be held at the Holtwood crossovers, providing a photographic opportunity.

I made a view of the crossovers to my east and waited for the train to crawl into view. Finally, it peaked around the bend, and lights brightly illuminated the mid-October foliage while darkness obscured most of the fencing.

The train stopped well short of the signals and dimmed its headlights. It was going to be a long wait, so we headed for home.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Night Photography!

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Luncheon Train Before and After Processing

In my digital photographic workflow, I treat the camera’s RAW file much as I would treat a black-and-white negative in the printmaking process. It is the raw material from which I interpret the image. The RAW file is not intended to be the final result; it is simply the most effective means of capturing the data.

Here’s a trailing view of Cape Cod Central’s Luncheon Train as it rolled through West Barnstable station. The top version is scaled but otherwise unprocessed from the Nikon NEF RAW file.

The bottom version reflects my adjustments to color, contrast, shadow and highlight detail, plus a minor crop.

Although scaled for internet presentation (the original NEF file is about 20MB), this represents the appearance of the RAW file without digital processing. The exposure and white balance were set for optimal digital capture.
This is my initial interpretation of the RAW file, using Adobe Lightroom to adjust highlights, shadows, overall exposure, contrast, color temperature and color balance, plus a very minor crop at the left. Post-processing also included slight sharpening, necessary to make the image appear sharp on a computer screen.

Tracking the Light examines railroad photography!

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FL9s with or without Wires.

And, no, I’m not writing about high-voltage catenary.

Kris and I were set up at West Barnstable, Massachusetts, to photograph Cape Cod Central’s Luncheon Train, powered by classic New Haven Railroad FL9 diesel-electric/electric locomotives.

I’ve been photographing these relics since I was a child. They have at least nine lives. But it’s still neat to catch them on the move in retro paint.

Anyway, I’d set up my photograph from the elevated platform at the old passenger station. Upon examining the image, I found that the electrical power cables along the highway made for an objectionable distraction. To correct this problem, I created a version of the file cropped to eliminate the wires from the scene.

An alternative, perhaps more complicated and morally controversial, solution would be to use AI tools to artificially excise the wires from the scene.

I opted against that. For now.

Full frame, showing the electrical cables crossing the line at the grade crossing.
This is the same file as shown at the top, but with the wires cropped out. Nothing fancy, just a simple crop using Lightroom.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photography daily!

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Kodachrome Days at Boston Switch

My posts about Attleboro generated discussion about the Boston & Providence route, including mention of a location east of Providence known as “Boston Switch,” where the Providence & Worcester’s namesake line diverged from the old New Haven “Shore Line” route.

More than 40 years ago (June 30, 1986, to be specific), Bob Krambeles gave Bob Buck and me a tour of the Providence area, which included a brief visit to an overbridge looking toward Boston Switch in Central Falls, Rhode Island.

We timed our visit to photograph the passage of Amtrak 175, The Minuteman, which blasted by at 1:14 p.m.

I exposed this Kodachrome of what was then a standard consist on the Northeast Corridor. When the slide came back from Kodak, I labeled it and filed it away in my “New Haven Railroad” box. (At the time, I identified all railroad routes by their historic owners.)

Boston Switch as it appeared before electrification. K64 with Leica 3A. Scanned with a Nikon L5000 scanner usng VueScan software version 9.8.54.02, with final adjustment in Lightroom.
This is a slight variation on the top scan. I altered the color temp/balance in Lightroom in an attempt to get a more neutral color balance. Kodachrome 64 is a difficult film to balance.

When I went to locate this image, I found, to my surprise, that it was exactly where I thought it should be! Not bad after four decades in the dark. Upon researching Boston Switch using Google Maps, I see that the shell of the old tower is still there!

Tracking the Light steps back in time!

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Old Attleboro Tower

I’m presently researching and writing a book on interlocking towers. One reason for my visit to Attleboro, Massachusetts, was to make a visual inspection of the surviving structure that once served as New Haven Railroad interlocking tower SS165.

Until the early 1990s, this interlocking controlled the trackage at Attleboro, including the junction with the former New Haven route toward Taunton and Middleboro, Massachusetts.

I made this view with my Nikon Z7-II. Attleboro is among several locations along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor between Boston and New York City where former New Haven Railroad interlocking towers survive, although their switch and signal control functions have long since been transferred to modern control centers.

Visiting old tower structures is part of my ongoing research, although my book will focus on towers when they served their intended purpose, rather than emphasizing images of relics from an earlier age.

A window into another time.-Nikon Z photo.

Tracking the Light Examines Railroad Relics!

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Damp Morning along the old B&P at Attleboro, Mass.

The largely tangent former Boston & Providence line that connects its namesakes is among America’s oldest main railroad routes. It was surveyed in the early 1830s by William Gibbs McNeill, the line’s chief engineer. Later it was key component of the New Haven Railroad system. Today it is a key portion of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and remains busy with Amtrak and MBTA passenger trains and the occasional CSX local freight.

On dull September morning, I made these views of an MBTA F40PH-2 working the tail-end of a push-pull set bound for South Station, Boston as train 5824, seen crossing Park Street in Attleboro, Massachusetts. I thought this was a neat scene despite the chainlink fence. 

Nikon N7-II with Nikkor 24-70mm Z-series lens; set at f5.0 1/640 second, ISO 800
Nikon N7-II with Nikkor 24-70mm Z-series lens; set at f5.0 1/500 second, ISO 800

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad History Through Image Making!

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Soft Evening at Norfolk

Sometimes soft, overcast light contributes to a pleasing setting.

I made this view of outbound MBTA train 763 as it arrived at its Norfolk, Mass., station stop on the Franklin Line.

To add texture, I took a position beneath a tree near the west end of the platform.

MBTA’s distinctive HSP-46 diesels are unlikely to be mistaken for anything else.

Nikon Z7-II mirrorless camera with 24-70mm Nikkor zoom; f/4, 1/200 sec., ISO 1000. NEF Raw file processed in Adobe Lightroom.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photography daily!

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A System Map Approach?

In my earlier days, I sometimes adopted a systematic approach to photographing a railroad.

Let me rephrase that: sometimes I’d take a station-by-station look at a line, visiting every major point on a route and trying to make interesting images. I suppose you could describe that as a “system map approach.”

I’ve been photographing the Philadelphia-area SEPTA rail network since the early 1980s. I’ve traveled on most of its routes and visited most of its stations. Yet, until September this year, I’d never photographed a SEPTA train at Downingtown on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line. This is a significant place, and yes, I’ve made photos there before, but not of SEPTA trains.

The September 28, 2026 Tracking the Light featured some night photos of an Amtrak Keystone making its station stop at Downingtown. [See: Downingtown on Saturday Evening.] A few minutes after that train continued west, an inbound SEPTA local paused at the platforms, and I made these photos.

Nikon Z6-III with Nikkor f1.4 50mm; 1/250 second, f1.4, ISO 12800. Downingtown, PA.

It was only this morning that I realized that I’d ticked the box for Downingtown! Now I’ll need to figure out how to make Thorndale station look interesting. I’ve been there. It’s no Horseshoe Curve.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography Daily!

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Empty Train Panned at TOME

Some evenings are busier than others. Following a loaded train toward Perryville, Maryland, we learned of an empty train coming from Baltimore and followed that west to Port Deposit, where it met another loaded train.

This sequence was exposed as the empty train passed the TOME interlocking in Port Deposit. The photos combine several of the techniques I’ve highlighted in recent Tracking the Light posts. I am especially pleased with the handheld panned photo showing the locomotives beneath the lit signal bridge.

Nikon Z6-III with Nikkor f1.4 50mm set at; ISO 16,000 1/60th second f1.6.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Night Photography!

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Railroad Photography Class on October 13, 2026

My next Railroad Photography class, held at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is scheduled for Tuesday October 13, 2026. The class starts at 9 a.m. sharp.

For registration details/tickets, see:

Railroad Photography: Making the Most of Autumn Foliage and Lighthttps://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=2000262573202&parent=https%3A%2F%2Fbriansolomon.com%2Ftrackingthelight%2Famtrak-915-again%2F

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Pequea: Close Encounter or NS Light Show?

We arrived at the Pequea Boat Launch in the gloom of night.

The scanner squawked, “Clear signal, West Harbor.”

Gazing upriver, we saw the headlights of a Norfolk Southern coal train crawling across the Safe Harbor Bridge, about two and a half miles compass north (and timetable west) of Pequea, Pennsylvania.

With time to spare, I took position on the bridge over Pequea Creek and listened.

The roar of the long, heavy train swelled as it approached. Finally, the lights swept over me and burst forth from the trees to the west.

The sensation was surreal. I wondered if I’d been sent back in time.

Tracking the Light Posts About Railroad Night Photography!

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Mastering the Night Pan.

Mastering the Night Pan

As a follow-up to yesterday’s Tracking the Light post, “Perfecting the Art of the Pan,” I am continuing the theme by detailing my night-panning technique as a means of making effective railroad action photos at night.

Many modern digital cameras, with their exceptionally sensitive image-capturing capabilities, now make it possible to expose photos of moving trains in extremely low-light situations. However, even with these tools, I’m still faced with using slower shutter speeds than would be needed to “freeze” a moving train.

My solution has been to combine a very high ISO with an extremely fast lens, using a very wide aperture in the f/1.4 range, and employ my panning technique. After exposure, I process my RAW files using sophisticated software, specifically DxO PureRAW, to minimize the effects of high-ISO pixelization, correct lens imperfections, and boost contrast.

Consider this sequence of Norfolk Southern symbol freight 36A rolling through Washington Boro, Pennsylvania, at about 35 mph.

I worked with my Nikon Z6-III in “A” (aperture-priority) mode, which allows me to set the lens to a wide setting, f/1.6, while letting the camera select the appropriate corresponding shutter speed for the lighting conditions.

This is beneficial because I don’t need to try to adjust the lens setting as I’m panning or anticipate the most effective exposure combination in advance. Instead, I can concentrate on making a smooth and uninterrupted pan and releasing the shutter at key moments.

ISO 32000, f1.6, 1/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.
ISO 32000, f1.6, 1/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.
ISO 32000, f1.6, 1/13 second, aperture priority, ‘pattern’ metering mode.

A couple of other tips:

  1. I turn off the image stabilization features.
  2. I begin panning long before the train reaches my desired locations.
  3. I handle the camera gently to avoid unnecessary jarring motion.

Pan practice helps.

See:

Perfecting the Art of the Pan

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

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REPOSTING-Approach Limited TOME—A Sequence of Night Photos

[NOTE: This is a repost of Tracking the Light from Friday October 2, 2026. The original post suffered from a variety of unexplained presentation glitches. Hopefully these have been resolved and you will see a sequence of four photos to demonstrate the signal sequence at TOME interlocking.]

TOME is the interlocking on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch at Port Deposit, Maryland. As discussed in Wednesday’s Tracking the Light post, we had been anticipating the progress of Norfolk Southern’s 596-unit coal train, which had been delayed as a result of a false reading by the high-and-wide detector near Port Deposit.

Once the train was under way again, we drove to the signal bridge at TOME, which displayed a yellow-over-flashing-green aspect—“Approach Limited.” This means proceed, approaching the next signal at Limited speed—defined as 40 mph for freight trains and 45 mph for passenger trains.

My goal was to capture the train with this signal aspect. This is a nearly impossible challenge in a single still photograph. So, I made this series of images, in which one of the images shows yellow-over-dark. It’s not perfect, but it conveys the spirit of the scene.

In the final image, the leading locomotive has shunted the circuit, and the signal has dropped to red-over-red, its most restrictive aspect.

50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/160 second.
50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/160 second. Note that in this frame the signal head below the signal showing yellow is dark. Compare this with the previous image and the next image for the effect of a ‘yellow over flashing green’.

Tracking the Light examines railroad night photography!

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Perfecting the Art of the Pan

I’ve often featured panned photos on Tracking the Light. This is a technique my father taught me when I was relatively young, and I’ve been refining my approach ever since.

Panning is when the photographer moves the camera in parallel with a moving subject. If executed effectively, this can allow for a sharp subject against a motion-blurred background. It is an excellent way to show motion, while also minimizing a visually distracting background.

One of the tricks to executing a successful pan is to smoothly turn with your whole body, rather than just turning your head. It helps to begin panning long before your subject reaches exactly where you want it, and to continue the unbroken panning motion after you release the shutter.

A common mistake is stopping the panning action as you release the shutter. This will result in an unpleasant blur that doesn’t produce the desired effect. A similar problem will occur when using a comparatively slow shutter speed and pressing the shutter release with sufficient force to cause unplanned vertical motion. This, too, will negate the desired effect.

Practice helps. Pan various subjects in motion. I often pan birds, automobiles, freight cars, etc.

Below are a few views from the passage of Amtrak Keystone 658, where I panned the ACS-64 electric at the rear of the train. Shutter speed was 1/200th second.

Tracking the Light pans trains on the Move!

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TOME is the interlocking on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch at Port Deposit, Maryland. As discussed in Wednesday’s Tracking the Light post, we had been anticipating the progress of Norfolk Southern’s 596-unit coal train, which had been delayed as a result of a false reading by the high-and-wide detector near Port Deposit.

Once the train was under way again, we drove to the signal bridge at TOME, which displayed a yellow-over-flashing-green aspect—“Approach Limited.” This means proceed, approaching the next signal at Limited speed—defined as 40 mph for freight trains and 45 mph for passenger trains.

My goal was to capture the train with this signal aspect. This is a nearly impossible challenge in a single still photograph. So, I made this series of images, in which one of the images shows yellow-over-dark. It’s not perfect, but it conveys the spirit of the scene.

50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/160 second.
The second of four images in this sequence.

50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/160 second.

50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/50 second.
50mm f/1.4 with Nikon Z6-III, set at ISO 16,000, f/1.6 at 1/25 second.

In the final image, the leading locomotive has shunted the circuit, and the signal has dropped to red-over-red, its most restrictive aspect.

PLEASE NOTE: As of 744am on October 2, 2026, Tracking the Light was suffering from an unknown technical problem that may make it difficult to see/download some or all the photos attached to this post. I will aim to repost the entire content at a later time when the system is working better. I’m sorry about the inconvenience. The editing process has been made difficult, which also makes it hard for me to see how the post looks during editing.

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Amtrak 915 Again!

Amtrak 915 Again!

Often we drive past the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in the evening, where old Amtrak AEM-7 915 basks in the sun. Although I’ve made a variety of photos of 915 in its preserved state, when I see nice light on it, I’m still tempted to stop for yet another photo.

Recently, while scouring my archives looking for photos of railroad interlocking towers, I found a vintage photo of Amtrak 915 hard at work on the former New Haven Railroad.

Back on March 5, 1987, I caught 915 working eastbound at Southport, Connecticut. For this image, I exposed black-and-white film with my father’s Rolleiflex Model T.

I never could have guessed that 915 would become one of the few surviving Amtrak AEM-7s.

If you’re interested in seeing 915 in person, consider coming to my next Railroad Photography class, held at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on October 13, 2026. The class starts at 9 a.m. sharp.

For details, see:

Railroad Photography: Making the Most of Autumn Foliage and Light

Register on Eventbrite
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Another Night at Port Deposit

Norfolk Southern 596, a unit coal train, tripped the high-and-wide detector west of Port Deposit, Maryland, on the Port Road Branch.

This resulted in a delay to the train and provided some night photography opportunities in the village of Port Deposit. When the train paused waiting for its conductor to return to the headend, I had the opportunity to set up my tripod and work with a lower ISO for better data capture.

I made these images using my Nikon Z6-III with a 50mm f/1.4 lens.

NS 596 was crawling toward Port Deposit after tripping the nearby high and wide detector. Exposed hand held at 25,600 ISO, 1/30 second at f1.4.
Exposed hand held at12,800 ISO; 1/40 second at f1.4.
ISO 800, 1/2 second, f1.4. Nikon mounted on 3Pod tripod.
ISO 800, 1/2 second, f1.4. Nikon mounted on 3Pod tripod.

Tracking the Light Explores Photography!

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I Can’t Believe I Did This!

If thirty-five years ago you had told me that I’d be able to photograph high-speed trains at night, I’d have thought you were talking about blurry streaks through the darkness.

However, in 2026 I have the tools in hand to freeze an Amtrak Acela traveling at more than 100 mph at night—and without flash.

Kris and I arrived at the Newark, Delaware, station with enough time for me to check the asmtransitdocs.com app on my phone.

“Acela 2128 is through Elkton. We should be seeing a headlight in about two minutes.”

I grabbed my Nikon Z7-II fitted with my Nikkor “Fast Fifty.” I saw the rapidly approaching headlight and quickly set the camera to ISO 25,800, with the shutter speed set to “Auto.” Bright lights illuminated the station platforms.

A new Acela set blitzed through the station traveling at 108 mph.

I was able to use a shutter speed of 1/1,600 of a second, which froze the motion of the train. The results astounded me.

Trailing view of Amtrak’s Acela passing the station at Newark, Delaware. Photo exposed using ambient light at 1/1600 second.
Amtrak’s Acela at 108mph! In this view you can see the bright platform lights that illuminated the scene.

Tracking the Light Pushes the Limits of Railroad Night Photography!

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Downingtown on Saturday Evening

We timed our arrival at Downingtown, Pa., to catch the last westward Amtrak Keystone, Train 671, on its run from New York Penn Station to Harrisburg.

Located on curve, Downingtown station offers a suitable location for action night railroad photography because it has plenty of ambient illumination, both from platform lights and city streetlights.

I made this sequence as the train glided into the platform, paused for passengers, then continued its westward journey.

This common scene is repeated every night, day after day, yet on most nights it likely goes unrecorded.

Minutes after Amtrak, an eastward SEPTA local made its station stop. Stay tuned for those photos.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

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Gliding Through Landisville

For a while now, I’ve eyed the Church Street bridge over Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line in Landisville, Pa.,

We often use this road while running errands.

Last week, we paused in Landisville to order a pizza. While waiting to collect our pie, I checked the ASMTRANSITDOCS.com app on my phone and saw that Amtrak Keystone 670 was just a few minutes away.

I dropped the pizza with Kris, who was waiting in the car. “This will only take a couple of minutes.”

I walked briskly to the bridge, Nikon Z in hand. I arrived in just enough time to check the northside and southside angles before I heard the approaching train.

I opted for these down-on trailing views that show the curve in the line.

On reflection, I realized how few photos I have of the ACS-64 electrics from above.

Total elapsed time for this detour was less than five minutes. The pizza was still hot!

Tracking the Light Seeks Photographic Opportunities!

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A More Traditional Approach to Railroad Night Photography

Yesterday on Tracking the Light, I posted high-ISO action photos of MARC train 544 rolling into the former Pennsylvania Railroad station at Perryville, Maryland. Those photos were made handheld at ISO 20,000.

After the train came to a full stop, I returned to our car to retrieve my 3Pod tripod and swapped lenses, exchanging my “fast 50” for the slower, but more versatile, 24–70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom.

With ample time to set up, I exposed a series of static, long-exposure, relatively low-ISO images with the camera solidly fixed on the tripod.

This is among my favorites. It was made from a low angle with the zoom set to 33mm. I processed the RAW file using PureRAW and made contrast adjustments in Lightroom. On the big screen, you can see stars in the sky.

Nikon Z6-III with Nikkor Z 24-70mm f4.0 S  Zoom, set at ISO 500, f4, 1.6 seconds.

Tracking the Light Examines Night Photography!

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MARC on a Buggy Night

Last week, Kris and I called into the MARC station at Perryville, Maryland. We hoped to catch NS freight 36A, which was holding on the Port Road at Ostego Street, but we were distracted by passenger action on the Northeast Corridor.

I saw the headlights of an eastward train crossing the bridge over the Susquehanna River. This was MARC train 544, consisting of an MP36PH-3C diesel leading a double-deck push-pull set that was terminating at Perryville.

I took a position on the platform to make the most of the station lights. The evening was unseasonably warm, and insects were swarming around the lights. This made for an unexpected effect, appearing something like snow in my photos. Kris opted to keep the car windows rolled up.

I was working handheld with the Nikon Z6-III and 50mm f/1.4 lens. The camera was set at ISO 20,000, which allowed me a shutter speed of 1/125 second—just fast enough to stop the action.

MARC MP36PH-3 11, leads train 544 at Perryville, Maryland. It was about 75F. That’s not snow falling.

Tracking the Light Catches Bugs!

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Devon Tower—November 1986

I’ve been scouring my archives looking for interesting photos of railroad interlocking towers for my next book project. I found this gem of Connecticut Department of Transportation Budd SPV2000 No. 50 passing Devon Tower in former New Haven Railroad electrified territory.

C-DOT operated the SPV’s on the Waterbury and Danbury Branches, so what was the single SPV2000 doing on the main line here?

For the moment this is a mystery.

I’ll try to find an answer to that puzzle while continuing my quest for signal tower photos! I’m open to contributions, suggestions, and information for this project, which will be a visual examination of interlocking towers in North America, with a focus on years gone by.

K64 color slide exposed at Connecticut’s Devon Tower on November 29, 1986.

Tracking the Light Examines Signal Towers for an Upcoming Book!

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Light and Shadow at Gap

Last week, I exposed this digital image of Amtrak 656 gliding through the curves at Gap, Pa., using my Nikon Z6-III with a Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens. My intent was to create a stark silhouette.

Here I’ve presented three variations of the same NEF RAW file.

The top is essentially unadjusted, except for scaling the file size for ease of presentation.

The middle photo is the product of adjustments to color and color saturation, contrast, and exposure using Lightroom. The bottom is essentially an unsaturated version of the middle image, with further adjustments to highlights and shadows.

Tracking the Light Presents Variations on a Theme!

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Bord na Mona—Empties in the evening.

Hazy, bright sunshine prevailed over the Irish Midlands at Corbane, near Ferbane (Co. Offaly) on the evening of August 23, 2014

We had been following an empty Bord na Móna train of peat wagons returning to the bog for reloading. This was a rarely photographed portion of the three-foot-gauge network, and located a considerable distance from the Shannonbridge Generating Station where the peat would be burned for electricity.

This location was uncharacteristic of the Bord na Móna network that mostly crossed bogland. Here, on higher ground, the line passes through a cutting, where the tiny locomotives would struggle ascending a grade.

I made this view with my Canon EOS 7D fitted with an f/2.8 200mm prime telephoto lens. Last night, I processed the Canon CR2 Raw file using DxO PureRAW 5, then made post-processing cosmetic edits with DxO PhotoLab 9.

Tracking the Light Looks Back!

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June 2015—Looking up At 30th Street Station.

I’d traveled from Richmond, Va., to Philadelphia on Amtrak train 94.

Working with my Lumix LX7, I made this view of the columns outside 30th Street Station.

Last night, I used PureRAW 5 to process the Lumix RW2 RAW file, showing the full capture and image area—normally hidden during conventional RAW to JPG processing.

I’ve also included the same photo cropped to a rectangular format to eliminate the extra image area.

Lumix RW2 Raw File showing the full capture of the image area.
Conventional crop of the same RAW file.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

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Lynx and the LX7

By spring 2014, my old Panasonic Lumix LX3 (my first digital camera) was functionally worn out. I had made an estimated 65,000 exposures, and the camera had traveled extensively with me, subject to my normal level of heavy use.

Considering a replacement small digital camera, I borrowed my father’s Lumix LX7.

I brought the LX7 I brought this camera with my on a trip to North Carolina with Pat Yough, and made extensive use of it.

On May 31, Pat and I visited Charlotte, where I used the Lumix to photograph the Lynx light-rail system. 

Pleased with the high-quality images from the LX7, I bought one of my own a few weeks later. I’ve carried one with me ever since!

Recently, I’ve been using modern digital processing to get the most out of my older Lumix RAW files.

 
Lumix RAW file converted with PureRAW 5 to DNG format (which implements DeepPRIME3 corrections). Afterward I adjusted the file in Lightroom to improve highlight and shadow detail and provide better color balance.

Tracking the Light Looks Back Over Older Digital Files!

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Nose Light

What is “nose light”? You might call it “front lit.” This is a lighting condition when the sun’s position illuminates the railroad in such a manner that the shadows fall right between the rails, with the front of a train or locomotive brightly illuminated and both sides of the train fully in shadow.

It can present a bold, dramatic lighting opportunity, or result in a lackluster, contrasty image.

I made this view the other evening at Shelley Drive in Lancaster, Pa. As you can see from the shadows cast by the catenary masts, the sunlight is front-lighting the approaching Amtrak Keystone. The shadows are perfectly parallel with the rails.

The top photo is essentially unaltered. The bottom photo has been adjusted from the same NEF RAW file.

Working in Lightroom, I produced an alternative version of the image by greatly lightening the shadows and overall image, while controlling the highlights. I warmed the color balance slightly.

I was aiming to improve the overall appearance of the photo while preserving the basic lighting situation.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

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On the Roll with H19!

Last week, on arrival in Columbia, Pa., the signal for the Columbia Secondary was lit Slow Clear—the route was made for Norfolk Southern’s H19 to work west through Cola Interlocking and on to the Port Road Branch.

We didn’t wait long before we could hear the freight sounding for crossings in town, and then its headlight came into view. Cars on North Front Street helped illuminate the scene.

I made the first three photos from the well-lit parking lot near the old PRR station as H19 passed, then we followed the freight west through Marietta. At Vinegar Ferry Road in Marietta’s Riverfront Park, we paused, and I made long-time exposures of the passing freight.

North Front Street, Columbia, Pa.,
We didn't wait long before we could hear the freight sounding for crossings in town and then its headlight came into view.
Vinegar Ferry Road, Marietta, Pa.,

All photos were exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.

Tracking the Light explores night photography!

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Vertical Night Pan

Here’s another take on what has become a familiar setting for my railroad action images.

Last week, after photographing at Cola in Columbia, Pa., we followed Norfolk Southern’s eastward 632 unit coal train on its way down the Port Road Branch to the bridges at Safe Harbor.

This location is easily accessible in the evenings and offers considerable man-made ambient light, much of it from lights around the hydroelectric dam and related electrical infrastructure (which supplies high-voltage alternating current to Amtrak).

This evening, low-hanging clouds over the Susquehanna River made for a dramatic sky beyond the bridge, while lights behind me helped illuminate the railroad. I opted to make vertical pans of the eastward train.

To do this successfully, I had to turn off my Nikon Z6-III’s image stabilization. While this may seem counterintuitive, it is necessary to pan without image stabilization because the system will actually prevent a sharp image of the panned subject as it tries to “correct” for the camera motion.

After exposure in RAW, I processed the files using PureRAW 5 (which I’ve described in detail in earlier posts) and afterward made nominal corrections to shadows, highlights, and color balance in order to make the most of the data captured.

f1.4 1/10 second.
f1.4 1/15 second.

I am very satisfied with the way these images turned out. They really capture the majesty of the enormous trestle while portraying the coal train in motion and making the most of the clouds and foreground.

Tracking the Light Examines Night Photography!

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Variation on a Nocturnal Theme—Coal Train at Columbia

Under the cover of darkness, Norfolk Southern unit coal train 632 (Keating to Baltimore) was rolling down the Royalton Branch. Kris and I waited for it in Columbia, Pa., and when we heard it was getting close, I moved into position opposite Pennsylvania Railroad’s old Cola tower.

I tried this angle several weeks ago and felt it had potential for another try. I like it because the location is readily visually identifiable and has a lot of railroad history.

Among the challenges at this location at night is trying to compensate for the locomotives’ excessively bright headlights. This evening, I was also facing high humidity, stemming from damp conditions along the Susquehanna River, which kept causing condensation on the lens.

My result is atmospheric, if imperfect.

Nikon Z6-III, 50mm f/1.4 lens, set at ISO 40,000, 1/160th of a second, f/1.4. NEF RAW file processed using PureRaw 9 with DeepPRIME 3 digital corrections.

Tracking the Light explores the Night!

photography

It was a beautiful late-summer evening. We paused at the old Leola Station along Horseshoe Road in Lancaster County, Pa., where I’ve made a variety of images over the last few years.

I snapped a few photos with three cameras. This image was made with my Nikon Z7-II with a 24–70mm lens. I have yet to view the results from my Lumix LX-7 digital camera and Leica M4 (loaded with Kodak Ektachrome).

24-70mm set to 32.5mm, f/4.0, 1/60 sec., ISO 1600. Image adjusted from NEF RAW using DxO PureRAW 5 with DeepPRIME 3 corrections and post-processing with DxO PhotoLab 9.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

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N&W A on 19th Street

Only once did I catch Norfolk & Western’s A-Class 2-6-6-4 under steam.

My pal TSH and I were on our annual two-week summer photography adventure.

July 23, 1988, was a rainy, gray day, and we found ourselves in Erie, Pennsylvania. Our aim was to make photographs of Conrail on the Water Level Route, but the weather wasn’t ideal for that objective, so we took a break from modern mainline action for a steam interlude.

We set up on Erie’s 19th Street along the route of the former Nickel Plate Road—the trade name of the predecessor railroad (in case the context wasn’t clear). After a short wait, the big locomotive came walking down the street, much to the astonishment of some of Erie’s residents.

I made a couple of Kodachrome slides of the event, and my general feeling is that, despite the weather, the color photos are better than this pair of black-and-white images.

Part of the problem with the black-and-white images is that I’d underprocessed the negatives. I recall the disappointment of looking over the still-wet film when I realized what I’d done: I’d over-diluted my D-76.

Recently, however, I was partially able to correct for this chemical error using modern scanning and digital post-processing. Now, I find that the trailing view is pretty cool.

Tracking the Light Looks to Improve Old Photographs!

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A Road, A Shadow and Amtrak

So there it is: Jefferson Drive.

And there I am, in shadow.

Waiting to preserve Amtrak’s Keystone 651 on its westward trip to Harrisburg.

There’s no secret in this photo. No special technique. I’ve intentionally included the key elements that play a role in making the image.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography!

photography

Ghost of the Western Maryland

We paid a nocturnal visit to Middletown, Pa., where I photographed Middletown & Hummelstown’s Alco S-6 switcher in Western Maryland paint from Brown Street.

I worked entirely from ambient light, which included street lights near the railroad yard, and a background glow from the nearby Harrisburg Airport.

Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens, ISO 200, f4.0, 25 seconds. Viewing the scaled file on my computer, screen the stars are evident in the sky.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens, ISO 200, f4.0, 25 seconds.
Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens, ISO 200, f4.0, 25 seconds.

With my Nikon Z7-II mounted on a 3Pod tripod, I exposed a series of relatively long exposures with the camera set to low ISO (200) to allow for greater data capture. My exposures were nearly 30 seconds. In post processing, I reduced overall contrast, lightened shadow areas to reveal detail not evident with the naked eye, and controlled highlights.

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A View from Hoboken.

An apropos photo on today’s anniversary.

On the morning of August 2, 1986—more than 40 years ago—I made this view of NJ Transit’s former Erie Lackawanna U34CH 4170, set against the backdrop of New York City’s iconic World Trade Center twin towers.

Kodachrome slide film exposed with a Leica 3A fitted with a Visoflex and 200mm Telyt lens.

Tracking the Light Looks Back!

Railway photography by Brian Solomon