CSX at Warren, Massachusetts—27 August 2016.

A lesson in ‘turbo-flutter.’

It was a sunny Saturday morning and the old Boston & Albany mainline was quieter than a rural Polish branch line.

Finally about 10:30 am Mike Gardner and I heard distant stirrings of an eastward freight.

We made our way to Warren, Massachusetts.

The long days of summer have resulted in the B&A route becoming unfortunately brushed in. Much of the line is largely obscured by bushes, trees and undergrowth, which make railway photography difficult.

The old Boston & Albany station at Warren remains one of my favorite surviving structures on the line; it harks back to a time when the railroad was the principle corridor for commerce in the region. Recently it has been restored.

Here we made our photographs.

A few strategic shafts of sunlight illuminate the line. I set my FujiFilm XT1’s shutter release dial to ‘CH’ (continuous high—the setting I casually refer to as ‘turbo flutter’) and waited as the train approached.

When it neared the shafts of sunlight, I held the shutter down and exposed a rapid burst of digital images, knowing that at least of one of them would place the front of the locomotive in full sun.

This satisfied my desired composition to juxtapose CSX’s modern General Electric diesel with the 1890s-era railway station building.

To demonstrate the effect of ‘turbo flutter’ as a compositional exposure tool, I’ve displayed the below sequence of images. In practice my camera exposed about three times as many photos. (Frame numbers are sequential)

frame 3427
frame 3427
frame 3429
frame 3429
frame 3434
frame 3434
frame 3439
frame 3439
frame 3441
frame 3441

Since the real cost of making a burst of exposures is very small, in this situation, I’ll happily make as many images as I need to in order to produce the photo I want. Later, if I choose, I can throw away the unsatisfactory images to save space on my hard drives.

Tracking the Light is Daily.

Tracking the Light Special: Ireland’s Grand Hibernian Inaugural Departure from Dublin Heuston Station.

This afternoon, after years of planning and months of preparation, high-end hotel train operator Belmond debuted its latest train; the Grand Hibernian.

This departed platform 2 at Heuston Station at 2:20pm (30 August 2016).

I made these photographs of the train and its Irish Rail crew.

For the railway enthusiast this means the return of locomotive hauled Mark3 carriages to regular traffic.

All images were exposed a little while ago  using my FujiFilm XT1 digital camera.

Train guards Noel and Mark at Heuston.
Train guards Noel and Mark at Heuston Station, Dublin.
Each carriage is named for an Irish County. Sadly Mayo and Dublin were omitted.
Each carriage is named for an Irish County. Sadly Mayo and Dublin were omitted.

DSCF3535

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Oy! Whosat goob?

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Departing Heuston Station on the advertised.
Departing Heuston Station on the advertised.
Green flag to depart.
Green flag to depart.

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Tracking the Light posts EVERY day and sometimes twice!

Beacon Park Final Farewell—August 2016.

My last view. (Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and Google Plus viewers may need to click on Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light to see the big picture).

This former Boston & Albany freight yard was the site of some my earliest photographic efforts.

My last-ever view of Boston's Beacon Park yard. Exposed using a Lumix LX7 and processed with Lightroom to adjust framing and contrast.
My last-ever view of Boston’s Beacon Park yard. Exposed in late-August 2016 using a Lumix LX7 and processed with Lightroom to adjust framing and contrast.

Several years ago, in a deal with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CSX agreed to close its Boston yard to open the property for redevelopment. As a result, its intermodal yard at Worcester was expanded to accommodate the lost capacity.

The result is that Boston now has virtually no through rail-freight service. The trickle of remaining CSX rail-freight traffic is handled by a local from Framingham, Massachusetts. Container (and piggyback) traffic is accommodated by road.

Many years ago, Boston was a major freight hub, and Beacon Park was a very busy place—those days have long since passed.

For the last few years, the tracks at Beacon Park have sat disused and rusted.

Presently, track gangs are salvaging what remains of the old yard.

Someone, somewhere will declare ‘progress’.

Ironically, I exposed this view from a bus on the Mass-Turnpike Extension, the highway that more than 50 years ago assumed operation on considerable chunks of former Boston & Albany right of way.

Tracking the Light is Daily.

 

Arkansas & Missouri at Springdale, Arkansas.

In August 2011, Chris Guss and I made some night photos of the Arkansas & Missouri at Springdale, Arkansas.

Arkansas & Missouri at Springdale, Arkansas on August 17, 2011. Exposed with a Canon 7D mounted on a tripod using existing light.
Arkansas & Missouri at Springdale, Arkansas on August 17, 2011. Exposed using existing light with a Canon 7D mounted on a tripod.

Tracking the Light is on autopilot while Brian is Traveling.

New England Central at Stafford Springs—August 23, 2016.

The familiar sound of 645 thunder down in the valley spurred me into action.

A southward New England Central freight was climbing Stateline Hill in Monson, Massachusetts. This is an old routine (and yes, I’ve written about this before.)

When I hear a train coming through Monson, I have a few minutes to get organized. In this instance, a brilliant clear blue dome with nice morning light was the deciding consideration.

En route, I heard the southward train get its ‘paper’ (radio–issued track authority) to proceed toward Willimantic, Connecticut. In this instance, I was alerted to the location of the train; south of milepost 55 (near the Massachusetts-Connecticut state line).

I headed for my preferred spot in downtown Stafford Springs, Connecticut south of milepost 49.

FujiFilm XT1 digital photo.
FujiFilm XT1 digital photo.

One advantage of Stafford Springs is that the railroad makes an east-west twist through the village on its otherwise north-south run. This favors the morning light for a southward train.

The other advantage is Stafford’s quaint and distinctive New England setting.

Here's the trailing view that shows the village.
Here’s the trailing view that shows the village.

Photos exposed digitally using my FujiFilm XT1

Tracking the Light posts everyday!

Palmer, Massachusetts—The Visual Quandary of the North Side of the Tracks.

In the longer months, there’s nice morning sun on the north side of the tracks at Palmer, Massachusetts and this seems to offer a potentially good vantage point.

There are several interesting structures here: including the former Union Station (now the Steaming Tender restaurant) and the old Flynt building (painted grey and lavender with fluorescent pink trim).

Yet I’ve found that placing a train in this setting rarely yields a satisfactory composition.

Here’s the on-going compromise; using a wide-angle perspective if I place the train far away, it tends to get lost in the scene. And, yet when it’s too close it obscures the old station building. The Flynt building either dominates on the right, or ends up cropped altogether. A telephoto view here presents its own share of complications.

The other day, I turned on to South Main Street in time to see the CSX local freight (symbol B740) west of the New England Central diamond (crossing). This gave me just enough time to park the car, walk briskly across the street, set my exposure and use my FujiFilm XT1 to make this sequence of photos.

CSX local freight B740 has a pair of vintage GP40-2 diesels. To the left of the train is the old Palmer Union Station.
CSX local freight B740 has a pair of vintage GP40-2 diesels. To the left of the train is the old Palmer Union Station.
This closer view obscures the station.
This closer view obscures the station.
The trailing view lack a sense of place. I know this CP83 in Palmer, but really it could be anywhere. It does offer a good view of the antique diesels and the signals, so that's something.
The trailing view lacks a satisfactory sense of place. It is  CP83 in Palmer, but it could be anywhere. Yet, it does offer a good view of the antique diesels and the signals, so that’s something.

Not bad for grab shots, but they still suffer from my visual quandary as described.

Puzzling through these sorts of vexations is part of my process for making better photos. Sometimes there’s no simple answer, but then again, occasionally I find a solution.

In the meantime I present my photos as work in progress.

Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light is a Daily Blog.

Ghost of the New England States; Budd-built Babbling Brook Blitzes Warren.

 

Yesterday’s (August 25, 2016) Boston section of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited carried an American classic: the streamlined Budd-built observation car Babbling Brook, a former New York Central car of the type that operated on the New England States (Boston-Chicago).

My dad and I made photos of Amtrak’s eastward Lake Shore Limited (train 448) by the recently restored Warren, Massachusetts railroad station.

New York Central Babbling Brook passes the old Warren, Massachusetts station on August 25, 2016. The New York Central System leased the Boston & Albany in 1900. Central’s Budd-built New England States Limited was B&A’s premier post-war passenger train and passed Warren daily. There were fewer line-side trees back then. This image was adjusted in post-processing using Light Room. I’ve tried to emulate the contrast and color palate of a late 1940s image.
New York Central Babbling Brook passes the old Warren, Massachusetts station on August 25, 2016. The New York Central System leased the Boston & Albany in 1900. Central’s Budd-built New England States was B&A’s premier post-war passenger train and passed Warren daily. There were fewer line-side trees back then. This image was adjusted in post-processing using Light Room. I’ve tried to emulate the contrast and color palate of a late 1940s image.
Telephoto view at Warren, Massachusetts.
Telephoto view at Warren, Massachusetts.

I made these views using my FujiFilm XT1. Pop exposed a Fujichrome color slide with his Leica M.

Brian Solomon’s

Tracking the Light posts every day.

 

 

Palmer, Massachusetts Then and Now; 1984-2016.

Conrail SEPW (Selkirk to Providence & Worcester at Worcester, Massachusetts) makes a drop at Palmer, Massachusetts on Ma7 6, 1984.
Conrail SEPW (Selkirk to Providence & Worcester at Worcester, Massachusetts) makes a drop at Palmer, Massachusetts on May 6, 1984.

I exposed these two views from almost the same angle on the South Main Street Bridge in Palmer, Massachusetts.

In 1984, Conrail operated the old Boston & Albany, and the main line was then a directional double track route under rule 251 (which allows trains to proceed in the current of traffic on signal indication).

SEPW has stopped on the mainline, while the headend has negotiated a set of crossovers to access the yard and interchange. That’s the head end off in the distance.

I made this 1984 view on Plus-X using a Leica fitted with a f2.8 90mm Elmarit lens.

The comparison view was exposed on July 25, 2016 using  a Lumix LX7 set at approximately the same focal length. Although similar, I wasn’t trying to precisely imitate the earlier view and was working from memory rather than having a print with me on site.

Exposed using my Lumix LX7. I used the ‘A’ mode and dialed in -1/3 to compensate for the bright sunlight and the dark side of the train. This image was extracted from the in-camera Jpeg and compressed for internet viewing, but I also made a RAW file of the same image. Both are to be archived on multiple hard drives.
Exposed using my Lumix LX7. I used the ‘A’ mode and dialed in -1/3 to compensate for the bright sunlight and the dark side of the train. This image was extracted from the in-camera Jpeg and compressed for internet viewing, but I also made a RAW file of the same image. Both are to be archived on multiple hard drives.

Tracking the Light posts Every Day!

Brian’s photos of Pan Am Railway’s Office Cars; Resurrected from Beyond.

Yesterday’s Tracking the Light featured the gripping headline:

“OH NO! I JUST WIPED MY CARD . . .”

And there I’ve told the story of how I accidentally erased my day’s finest efforts (and brought them back again.)

It’s bad enough to accidentally destroy your own work, but it’s especially galling to ruin the photos from such a great day. Bright sun, clear blue skies and a polished executive train moving a moderate speeds.

Simply we’d nailed the Pan Am train at multiple locations in great light, and there were several sets (groups of photos) that I was really happy about.

Followed by the sickening feeling of loss.

The day's finest photos: GONE!
The day’s finest photos: GONE!

The film equivalent of this sort of disaster is the accidental opening the camera-back before rewinding, where-in you lose a half dozen photos or so, but if you close it up quickly you can usually save most of the roll.

The worse film-related catastrophe was when your box of film came back from the lab with a little green slip; ‘Owing to a unique laboratory occurrence, we are sorry to report . . .’

By contrast, my digital disaster was an easy fix (Click the link to read Monday’s post for details: http://wp.me/p2BVuC-4ih).

As I mentioned yesterday, when this sort of thing happens: avoid making it worse by continuing to use the card.

Although I’d ‘erased’ (wiped, zapped, cleaned) the camera’s memory card. In truth, all I’d done was erase the catalog. All of my photos remained on the card. Yet, resurrecting them was a slow painstaking process.

Here are some of my favorite photos that’d I never thought I’d have opportunity to post on Tracking the Light

Working west at Buckland. Exposed on a SanDisk Extreme PRO 32 GB memory car using my FujiFilm XT1. Erased accidentally and retrieved using RescuePRO Deluxe. For details see Monday's Tracking the Light.
Working west at Buckland. Exposed on a SanDisk Extreme PRO 32 GB memory car using my FujiFilm XT1. Erased accidentally and retrieved using RescuePRO Deluxe. For details see Monday’s Tracking the Light.
My friend Tim D. was behind the wheel, and driving well-known back roads along the Deerfield River scored us this view near Charlemont, Massachusetts.
My friend Tim D. was behind the wheel, and driving well-known back roads along the Deerfield River scored us this view near Charlemont, Massachusetts.
This was a grab-shot near Zoar. I have to admit, it was this view I was most disgusted having lost.
This was a grab-shot near Zoar. I have to admit, it was this view that I was most disgusted having lost.
Pan Am's office cars disappear into Hoosac Mountain.
Pan Am’s office cars disappear into Hoosac Mountain.
A friendly wave near Eaglebridge, New York.
A friendly wave near Eaglebridge, New York.
Lots of folks were out for this view at Fisherman's Lane in Schagticoke, New York.
Lots of folks were out for this view at Fisherman’s Lane in Schagticoke, New York.

Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light Posts Daily.

HARD LESSON. “Oh No! I just Wiped my Card . . .”

 

The day's finest photos: GONE!
The day’s finest photos: GONE!

I had that sinking feeling—like I just crashed into the county sheriff—Knowing I’d done a bad thing and that it was irreversible.

Or was it?

Here’s my lesson for you:

Saturday August 20, 2016, had been an exceptional day. Tim Doherty and I had followed the Pan Am Railway office car train with simonized F-units and a former Wabash dome along the old Boston & Maine.

From East Deerfield west we’d enjoyed a clear blue dome and made dozens of great shots.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch, and got news of a westward empty coal train.

There I was at Buskirk, New York. I knew the coal empties were getting close. I was reviewing the digital photos on the back of my Fuji XT1, watching for a headlight, and trying to dial the phone, when all of a sudden I noticed the back of the camera read, ‘no image’.

It was like a door slammed.

Off in the distance a coyote howled and the sky went dim.

What have I done!”

Rather than completely panic I did two smart things:

  • I immediately shut the camera off.
  • I took the card out of the camera.

I always carry a spare card in my wallet; so I replaced my now unhappily blank card (formerly holding the day’s take) with my spare.

In this way I could carry on making photos without risking further loss. (That empty coal train was just minutes away).

Tim offered me some advice on retrieving my lost photos.

When I got home before I did anything else, I backed up what I could to hard drive on the computer; then I began the slow process of trying to rescue my lost files.

Luckily I’d been using a SanDisk ExtremePRO card. This had come with a link to SanDisk’s RescuePRO Deluxe software. I followed the instructions and over the next 9 hours my laptop was gradually able to retrieve the erased files.

Saturday’s photos were renumbered and mixed in with images from last April of trams in Bordeaux, France, but in the end all of my Pan Am OCS photos were safely recovered.

So more than 28 hours after my near-fatal mistake, I was finally able to view my photos of the Pan Am OCS in brilliant living color. Happy days!

Here’s the link: PHOTOS OF PAN AM RAILWAY’S OFFICE CARS; RESURRECTED FROM BEYOND.

Tracking the Light posts daily!

 

Kenosha, Wisconsin on film—July 2016. Click on Tracking the Light for details.

PCC car at Kenosha, Wisconsin. Detailed view exposed on Ilford FP4 using a Leica 3A with 35mm Nikkor lens.
PCC car at Kenosha, Wisconsin in July 2016. Detailed view exposed on Ilford FP4 using a Leica 3A with 35mm Nikkor lens. Kenosha, Wisconsin operates a short streetcar circuit between the Metra station and Lake Michigan. This car was originally from Toronto, Ontario.

Tracking the Light is Daily!

The Railway Scene; Some Elements, Operations and Technology to Consider.

Quantification isn’t the best approach. Yet, I like to consider various elements of the railway scene when reviewing my photography.

I realize that many photographers focus their work on those elements that grip their interest.

In my travels, I like to keep my spectrum as broad as possible. I’m always seeking to capture different scenes that relate to the railway as a whole.

Below are some of the many categories covered in my photography and in the posts on Tracking the Light. Undoubtedly some topics are more popular than others.

North American Class 1 lines.
North American Class 1 lines.
Freight cars.
Freight cars.
Suburban railways.
Suburban railways.
Mainline steam trips.
Mainline steam trips.
Signals.
Signals.
Railway maintenance equipment.
Railway maintenance equipment.
Railway precursors.
Railway precursors.
Subways and rapid transit.
Subways and rapid transit.
Train crews.
Train crews.
Light rail and streetcar systems.
Light rail and streetcar systems.
North American short lines.
North American short lines.
Railway tracks.
Railway tracks.
Preserved railways.
Preserved railways.
Abandoned railways.
Abandoned railways.
Heritage streetcar lines.
Heritage streetcar lines.
Maintenance trains.
Maintenance trains.
Amtrak.
Amtrak.
Railway bridges.
Railway bridges.
Railway stations.
Railway stations.
Trolley museums.
Trolley museums.
Disused lines.
Disused lines.
Advertising liveries.
Advertising liveries.
Industrial railways.
Industrial railways.
Tourist trains.
Tourist trains.

Tracking the Light posts Every Day!

 

Santa Ana, California—Ten Photos in 45 Minutes—August 2016.

During one of my recent Metrolink blitzes, I rode from Los Angeles Union Station to Santa Ana where I changed for an Inland Empire-Orange County Line train running from Oceanside to San Bernardino.

I timed this brief visit to coincide with a flurry of Amtrak and Metrolink trains. I had just 45 minutes to make images of this classic Santa Fe station having never previously explored here.

I found Santa Ana to be an excellent mid-morning location.

The footbridge is photographer friendly and the old Santa Fe building makes for a suitably California setting. The height of the bridge allows for both distant telephoto views as well as wide-angle down-on photos.

I exposed these views digitally using my Lumix LX7 and FujiFilm XT1.

I arrived on Metrolink train 600 from Los Angeles Union Station. I had enough time to walk to the headend and expose this view with my Lumix LX7 before the train departed.
I arrived on Metrolink train 600 from Los Angeles Union Station. I had enough time to walk to the headend and expose this view with my Lumix LX7 before the train departed.
Metrolink 687 arrives behind a borrow BNSF AC4400CW. This framed view was exposed using my Lumix LX7.
Metrolink 687 arrives behind a borrow BNSF AC4400CW. This framed view was exposed using my Lumix LX7.
A Metrolink F59PHI works at the back of Los Angeles bound train number 687. Here my Fujinon 18-135mm lens gave me a nice view of the train and station from the footbridge.
A Metrolink F59PHI works at the back of Los Angeles bound train number 687. Here my Fujinon 18-135mm lens gave me a nice view of the train and station from the footbridge.
Metrolink 633 is among Metrolink's services that doesn't serve Los Angeles Union Station. This is a short-turn that runs from Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo to Fullerton.
Metrolink 633 is among Metrolink’s services that doesn’t serve Los Angeles Union Station. This is a short-turn that runs from Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo to Fullerton.
By using my 18-135 zoom on my Fuji XT1 I was able to exposed a series of trailing photos of Metrolink 633 as it accelerated away from Santa Ana.
By using my 18-135 zoom on my Fuji XT1 I was able to exposed a series of trailing photos of Metrolink 633 as it accelerated away from Santa Ana.
This is a telephoto view of train 633 from the same vantage point as the photo above.
This is a telephoto view of train 633 from the same vantage point as the photo above.
Metrolink's timetable shows both of its services to Santa Ana as well as Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.
Metrolink’s timetable shows both of its services to Santa Ana as well as Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner.
A detailed view of the Santa Ana station exposed using my FujiFilm XT1.
A detailed view of the Santa Ana station exposed using my FujiFilm XT1.
Amtrak 566 Pacific Surfliner slows for its station stop.
Amtrak 566 Pacific Surfliner slows for its station stop.
Metrolink 802 will take me to San Bernardino. I arrived under partly cloudy skies and departed under a California blue dome. Happy days!
Metrolink 802 will take me to San Bernardino. I arrived under partly cloudy skies and departed under a California blue dome. Happy days!

Tracking the Light Posts Everyday.

California Freight Cars—18 New Photos.

Too often railway photography focuses on the head-end.

When traveling, I tend to take a greater interest in what’s behind the locomotive(s).

I made these views of freight cars while exploring Union Pacific and BNSF in California.

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It’s interesting to see the mix of modern and antique cars on the roll. Some of these are more than four decades old, others are nearly new.

Working with my FujiFilm XT1, I exposed photos in a variety of lighting situations.

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BNSF_Coil_train_cars-DSCF2207

BN_chip_car_DSCF2211

BNSF_grain_hopper_DSCF2085

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BNSF_JB_Hunt_stacks_trailing_Caliente_DSCF2816

Coil_car_DSCF1324

BNSF_earthworm_grain_cars_at_Bealeville_sunset_DSCF1364

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Rails along the Los Angeles River—August 2016.

Yesterday on Tracking the Light I displayed views of Metro Rail from the First Street Bridge in Los Angeles.

Here are few views of trains from the bridge.

This scene reminded me of Germany’s Rhein Valley with busy lines on opposite sides of a river; except cast in concrete, without much water or unspoiled scenery, hemmed in by urban growth and decorated with graffiti. Oh, and the trains are diesel-powered rather than electric.

A BNSF AC4400CW works toward Los Angeles Union Station with Metrolink train 607.
A BNSF AC4400CW works toward Los Angeles Union Station with Metrolink train 607.
At the back of 607 is a Metrolink MP36PH diesel.
At the back of 607 is a Metrolink MP36PH-3C diesel.
Union Pacific light engines on the east bank of the LA River.
Union Pacific light engines on the east bank of the LA River.
Railways in stereo. An outbound Amtrak Pacific Surfliner can be seen on the west bank, with Union Pacific GE diesels on the east side.
Railways in stereo. An outbound Amtrak Pacific Surfliner can be seen on the west bank, with Union Pacific diesels on the east side.
On its way to San Diego, Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner against the LA skyline.
On its way to San Diego, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner against the LA skyline.

The broad, largely dry concrete channel is symbolic of the chronic drought in Southern California.

Although unworldly, the environment around the Los Angeles River is undoubtedly familiar to many people because of its prominent role in Hollywood Films and popular television.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

Gold Line with Skyline—Los Angeles Metro Rail.

Metrolink runs the Los Angeles-area heavy rail commuter/suburban services. Metro Rail runs LA’s subway and light rail lines.

Earlier this month (August 2016), I made some views of the Gold Line extension to Atlantic from First Street. This offers some nice views of the cars with downtown Los Angeles skyline.

Looking east toward Atlantic. Gold Line's Pico/Aliso stop can be seen in the distance. (Not to be confused with Pico on the Blue Line/Expo Line that is located southwest of downtown. Just in case you were confused).
Looking east toward Atlantic. Gold Line’s Pico/Aliso stop can be seen in the distance. (Not to be confused with Pico on the Blue Line/Expo Line that is located southwest of downtown. Just in case you were confused).
This trailing view of an in bound Gold Line set was made with a slightly wide-angle focal length using my FujiFilm X-T1.
This trailing view of an in bound Gold Line set was made with a slightly wide-angle focal length using my FujiFilm X-T1.
Here's the same light rail train exposed from the same vantage point, but using a telephoto focal length, which compresses the distance and allows for the skyscrapers to visually loom above the road.
Here’s the same light rail train exposed from the same vantage point, but using a telephoto focal length, which compresses the distance and allows for the skyscrapers to visually loom above the road. A secondary benefit from this perspective is that it crops out the high-voltage wires that featured prominently in the earlier view. (Not so good, of course, if  you are a wire enthusiast!)

To pull in the skyline, I used a telephoto lens, which makes the buildings seem larger when compared to the light rail cars. When taken to extremes this effect can make the skyscrapers appear surreal.

Tracking the Light posts every day.

Metro Rail Expo Line; Light Rail under Sunny Skies—Los Angeles, August 2016.

I was keen to explore one of the Los Angeles-area’s most recent light rail extensions:  Metro Rail’s so-called Expo Line that runs west from a connection with the Blue Line (near downtown) and roughly follows the alignment of an old Pacific Electric route along Exposition Boulevard to Santa Monica.

The portion of the line from Culver City to Santa Monica was opened in May this year, and so still has that newly-built appearance.

LA Metro Rail pays tribute to the old Pacific Electric at its stations with artwork and historical interludes.

Attention to the platform art will yield the viewer bits of history and PE Heritage.
Attention to the platform art will yield the viewer bits of history and PE heritage.

Using my Lumix LX7 and FujiFilm X-T1 I made these images under bright sunny skies. Yet, I wonder about the opportunities for evening and twilight images on this line?

The Expo Line’s largely east-west alignment combined with LA’s propensity for air-pollution should present some impressive lighting conditions.

PE_heritage_Expo_Line_Santa_Monica_DSCF1594
I’m not the first observer to embrace the pictorial effects of Los Angeles air quality.

Perhaps a visit with a very long lens during a smog alert could yield some colorful results?

A telephoto view exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 of a modern light rail car approaching Santa Monica.
A telephoto view exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 of a modern light rail car approaching Santa Monica.
The Expo Line features a variety of light rail equipment, which is an uncommon feature for such a new line. Exposed at Santa Monica with my FujiFilm X-T1
The Expo Line features a variety of light rail equipment, which is an uncommon feature for such a new line. Exposed at Santa Monica with my FujiFilm X-T1
Many stations are decorated with artwork and embellished with historical tidbits. Exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1
Many stations are decorated with artwork and embellished with historical tidbits. Exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1
Expo Line station at Santa Monica.
Expo Line station at Santa Monica.
A Lumix LX7 view of an LA-bound car departing Santa Monica.
A Lumix LX7 view of an LA-bound car departing Santa Monica.
Trailing view of the same cars.
Trailing view of the same cars. Metro Rail is advertising the Expo Line on the side of this car.
An old car in new paint graces the streets of Santa Monica. LX7 photo.
An old car in new paint graces the streets of Santa Monica. LX7 photo.
Clean new signs are a feature of the Expo Line extension.
Clean new signs are a feature of the Expo Line extension.
Outbound cars at Jefferson. Lumix LX7 photo.
Outbound cars at Jefferson. Lumix LX7 photo.
Jefferson; cars stop just long enough to make a photo before boarding.
Jefferson; cars stop just long enough to make a photo before boarding. This one is 1027; do YOU remember the significance of that number?

PE_heritage_Expo_Line_Santa_Monica_DSCF1593

At Pico, the Expo Line shares platforms with the Blue Line (that runs to Long Beach). Careful, you might board the wrong car!
At Pico, the Expo Line shares platforms with the Blue Line (that runs to Long Beach). Careful, you might board the wrong car outbound!
Pico looking toward downtown LA. Lumix LX7 view.
Pico looking toward downtown LA. Lumix LX7 view.

For more on the Expo Line see this article in the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-expo-line-speed-snap-story.html

Also see: https://www.metro.net/riding/maps/

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(Sometimes more than once).

Southern Pacific Tracks at Sunset—May 17, 1991.

It was more than 25 years ago that I made this evening view at Pinole, California using my Leica looking west across San Pablo Bay toward Mt. Tamalpias.

Fog rolls in from the Pacific; and the SP was still the SP.

Exposed with a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron on Kodak Tri-X processed in Agfa Rodinal.
Exposed with a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron on Kodak Tri-X processed in Agfa Rodinal.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily.

 

Norfolk Southern helpers at Latrobe, Pennsylvania on August 11, 2011.

Norfolk Southern helpers at Latrobe, Pennsylvania on August 11, 2011.
Norfolk Southern helpers work east on the  back of a heavy carload freight at Latrobe, Pennsylvania on August 11, 2011.

I made this view with my Canon 7D just over five years ago. I’d arrived on Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian and was met by Pat Yough and Mark Leppert.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily.

Photographing Passenger Trains on California’s Santa Susana Pass.

Back in the day, Southern Pacific’s famed Daylight was often pictured crossing Santa Susana Pass—a scenic cleft in the rocks between Simi Valley and Chatsworth, California.

Once a remote area, this is now hemmed in by suburban development, freeways and public parks.

Riding Metrolink, I’d noted several potentially interesting locations on the west side of the pass (SP timetable west, today Union Pacific timetable north).

Reviewing Google Maps, I found that views of the line should be accessible from Corriganville Park, located a little ways to the east of Simi Valley. So one afternoon last week, David Hegarty and I made an exploration of the area.

There’s a flurry of Metrolink and Amtrak trains in the evening. We found some locations near CP Davis (location of a passing siding) with an aim to make images of BNSF GE-built AC4400CWs that have been working many Metrolink trains.

A BNSF General Electric-built AC4400CW leads Metrolink 118 near CP Davis on the west (north) side of Santa Susana Pass.
A BNSF General Electric-built AC4400CW works Metrolink 118 near CP Davis on the west (north) side of Santa Susana Pass.
A few of Metrolink's F59PHI diesels have the full paint treatment completed with blue and aqua ribbons. It was nice to get this one working with a bit of scenery on train 117 from Los Angeles.
A few of Metrolink’s F59PHI diesels have the full paint treatment completed with blue and aqua ribbons. It was nice to get this one working with a bit of scenery on train 117 from Los Angeles.
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Although not the prettiest locomotives, Metrolink’s boxy model F59PH diesels make for a bit of variety. Here train 119 is seen near tunnel 26.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, train 790, featured a GE Genesis P42 instead of the  Amtrak F59PH's more commonly assigned to California services. The engine is at the back of the consist working in push-pull mode.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, train 790, featured a GE Genesis P42 instead of the Amtrak F59PH’s more commonly assigned to California services. The engine is at the back of the consist working in push-pull mode.

I exposed these images with my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera, but I also made a few color slides that will be processed at a later date.

Tracking the Light posts every day.

 

 

 

Amtrak’s Coast Starlight along the Pacific Coast—August 2016.

Back in 1994, I’d made a project of Southern Pacific’s famous Coast Line focusing on the line between Watsonville Junction and Santa Barbara, California.

Traffic was sparse compared with other SP mainlines. Yet there were 2-3 through freights in each direction daily, plus Amtrak numbers 11 and 14—the Coast Starlight.

 Last week, I decided to revisit Gaviota, California to make photos of the Coast Starlight. I often require images of this popular train as illustrations in books and magazines, and my 1994 Kodachrome slides are now a bit dated.

However sparse through freight was on the Coast in 1994, it was busier then than now. I neither saw nor heard of any Union Pacific trains on the move during my exploration, and the only active UP presence I noted was that of a passing HyRail truck and a track gang.

Looking Southern Pacific timetable east (Union Pacific direction south—and never you mind the compass) Amtrak's Seattle-bound
Looking Southern Pacific timetable east (Union Pacific direction south—and never you mind the compass) Amtrak’s Seattle-bound Coast Starlight works along the Pacific Coast on the bluffs above Gaviota. Exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera in August 2016. SP’s Daylight look especially fine here. 

Amtrak 14 was on time and the pleasant mix of sun and coastal mist made for a nicely lit scene that captures the spirit of this supremely scenic run.

Tracking the Light posts Daily.

High-hood on the overpass-This Day Five Years Back.

Wheeling & Lake Erie high-hood GP35 crosses the road on August 11, 2011.
Wheeling & Lake Erie high-hood GP35 crosses the road on August 11, 2011.

It was exactly five years ago (August 11, 2011) that Pat Yough and I were chasing a westward freight on the Wheeling & Lake Erie.

Among the unusual locomotives operated by this line are some former Southern Railway high-hood GP35s riding on Alco trade-in trucks.

The attraction of this bridge was that it was still lettered for the old Pittsburgh & West Virginia.

Tracking the Light continues to Post Daily while Brian is traveling.

Tracking the Light Looks At Air Force One.

Perched atop a high hill in a purpose-built building in Simi Valley is Boeing 707 27000 that served for nearly three decades as Air Force One.

Boeing’s 707 is unquestionably one of the most beautiful commercial aircraft.

This 707 was styled by pioneer industrial designer Raymond Loewy for its role as Air Force One.

Loewy is well known in railroad circles for his locomotive and train designs. This included Pennsylvania’s GG1 electric and S1 Duplex steam locomotive, and Northern Pacific’s post-war North Coast Limited streamliner.

Panoramic composite exposed with a Lumix LX7.
Panoramic composite exposed with a Lumix LX7.
Working in silhouette, I made this low angle view to show the lines of the 707.
Working in silhouette, I made this low angle view to show the lines of the 707.

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Under the belly of the plane.
Under the belly of the plane.
Classic Loewy styling.
Classic Loewy styling.

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Air Force One is a key display at Simi Valley’s Ronald Reagan and Air Force One Museum. I exposed these photographs using my Lumix LX7.

Tracking the Light posts daily!

Taking a Spin on Los Angeles-area Metrolink.

Metrolink is nearly a quarter century old, having commenced operations in 1992.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve enjoyed traveling and photographing the Los Angeles-area Metrolink. The comfortable coaches, variety of locomotives, and interesting route structure makes it one of the more interesting suburban railways in the United States.

Interior view of a Rotem double deck
Interior view of a Rotem double deck

In addition to lines focused on Los Angeles Union Station are several non-radial routes/services, which makes Metrolink unusual among American commuter lines.

All trains are diesel powered with double-deck cars. The newer Rotem-built cars are my favorite to travel in.

Detail of a Rotem-built double deck.
Detail of a Rotem-built double deck.

Using my Lumix LX7 (and other cameras), I’ve made dozens of images from the train, as well as interior views of the equipment, and of course views of the trains and stations.

One of the older cars.
One of the older cars.
Rotem double-deck detail.
Rotem double-deck detail.
Rolling along through suburban LA.
Rolling along through suburban LA.
Passengers board a morning train.
Passengers board a morning train.
Rolling toward Los Angeles Union Station behind a BNSF AC4400CW.
Rolling toward Los Angeles Union Station behind a BNSF AC4400CW.
Paused at Riverside.
Paused at Riverside.
BNSF local freight at San Bernardino.
BNSF local freight at San Bernardino.

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Ticket to ride.
Ticket to ride.

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Tracking the Light posts Daily.