Monthly Archives: May 2025

photography

89 Rods Down with my Zeiss Touit

My FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a 12mm Zeiss Touit is an additive camera-lens combination. This exceptionally sharp lens offers a 99 degree field of view using the X-series APC sensor.

While I only use this lens in select circumstances, especially where I want to make the most of a train in a landscape.

Last Tuesday, I waited for Strasburg Rail Road 89 as it approached Carpenters at Black Horse Road. Working with the adjustible rear display, I held the camera about 2 1/2 feet above the ground (about knee-level) and exposed a burst of images of the locomotive.

My aim was to freeze the engine in its classic pose with ‘rods down,’ while taking in the surrounding landscape. For this image, I converted the FujiFilm RAF Raw file to a DNG file using DxO PureRaw before making nominal changes to contrast, and shadow and highlight detail.

FujiFilm XT1 with Carl Zeiss 12mm Touit Distagon. f4.5 1/1000 second, ISO 200. Exposed using Fuji’s RAF RAW format.

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& Hummelstown

Yesterday’s post featured the Middletown & Hummelstown, a classic shortline that connects its namesake Pennsylvania towns.

Over the last 18 years, I’ve paid more than a dozen visits to Middletown. However until last Sunday I hadn’t visited Hummelstown.

[That’s not precisely accurate. Back in 1992, I traveled through Hummelstown by rail on the way to Pittsburgh. I recall passing the nearby Hershey plant.]

Kris had suggested that we take a drive to see if we could find a train on the move.

As we drove into Hummelstown for our first visit, we heard a distant horn sounding for a crossing. We made our way to the tracks, arriving in time to spot the headlights of an eastward Norfolk Southern double-stack container freight. Evening sun made for a nicely glinting silhoette. Talk about lucky!

I reached for my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm zoom and exposed a series of photos.

In post-processing, I cropped the distant image. Below are three versions of the distant view plus a closer image.

Full-frame without cropping.
Same image as above cropped to emphasize horizontal elements. The M&H track is at the left.
This is the same file with a few adjustements to contrast and exposure, plus cropping to emphasize vertical elements.
Closer view of the same train at Hummelstown.

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A Rare Alco under a Dramatic Sky

The Alco S-6 switcher was an uncommon model. Just over 125 were built, and only a few survive in 2025.

Kris, Seamus-the-dog and I were driving around on summer evening. Clouds were starting to give way when we approached Middletown, Pennsylvania.

The old Middletown & Hummelstown was quiet, but Alco S-6 number 151 (dressed for the late Western Maryland) was parked near the railroad’s Middletown station.

I made a few photos using my Nikon Z7-II, looking for various ways to compose the same essential elements.

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18 Years and Three Views at Irishtown Road.

In 2007, I was researching a book at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The museum’s Kurt Bell suggested that I make some photos at Irishtown Road in nearby Bird-in-Hand, which was one of the few remaining grade crossings on Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line, the former Pennsylvania Main Line via Lancaster.

Working with a Canon EOS-3 and 24mm lens, I made several Fujichrome color slides on a warm evening.

Since moving to Lancaster County, I’ve revisited Irishtown Road on several occasions. The public crossing was closed a number of years ago and the road redirected.

Below are three comparision photos. While these are all exposed from the same approximate vantage point, in my recent images I’ve not tried to exactly replicate the light and angle of my 2007 photo.

Amtrak’s westward Keystone passes Irishtown Road on 25 September 2007. An Amtrak AEM-7 works at the back of the three-car consist. Since this photo was exposed, Amtrak closed the crossing and removed the grade crossing signals. The road on both sides of the crossing was relocated.
Irishtown Road with an Amtrak Keystone in June 2004.
Amtrak Keystone 664 works east behind ACS-64 656 at Irishtown Road on 17 May 2025. Nikon Z7-II photo.

In 1963, my father also made photos near this crossing. In those days, Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 and E44 electrics were the rule of the day. Working with scans from his old slides, I may try to replicate his images at a later date.

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Railroad Photography 101-Class 2, Part II

I mentioned that during last week’s Railroad Photography 101 class (held at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania), I was working with two cameras. Previously, I displayed the images I made with a FujiFilm XT1 with 12mm Zeiss Tuoit.

The photos in this post were made with my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens.

I’ve often said that when it comes to photography ‘there is no “right” answer’. Which is why I often try to learn from other photographers, and why I’m always experimenting with equipment and technique.

For these photos, I set up the museum’s portable LED lights to provide better lighting a on select locomotives. The intention was to direct diffused light into shadow areas and allow for more uniform exposure.

My next class at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is scheduled for Tuesday June 10th. See: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/railroad-photography-101-session-three-tickets-1318803158749?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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Wandering around Manheim Station

We though we’d heard a whistle for a crossing on Norfolk Southern’s Lititz Secondary. The timing was about right for the local to pass, so I drove us over to Manheim, Pa., by the preserved former Reading & Columbia station where we waited for a little while.

Although the local failed to materialize, I used the opportunity to document the scene and some of the preserved railroad equipment at this location. A trolley is preserved here, and it resides in a small trolley barn near the station. One of these sundays, perhaps we’ll come by for a visit when the trolley is on display.

Photos exposed using my Lumix LX7.

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Cherry Hill Classic Comparisons

We arrived at Cherry Hill Road shortly before Strasburg Rail Road’s evening train was due.

This presented a comparison opportunity.

Working with my Nikon Z7-II, I simultaneously exposed in RAW and JPG (with Active D-Lighting feature ).

The purpose of this comparison was to see how close Active D-Lighting would match my post-processing corrections in a ‘perfect’ evening sunlit situation.

Below are three versions. The first is the un-modified camera-RAW (scaled and converted to JPG for presentation in Word Press); the second is the same RAW file adjusted in Lightroom to my desired appearance in terms of exposure, contrast, color and saturation. The last is the scaled in-camera JPG with Active D-Lighting feature.

Un-modified camera-RAW (scaled and converted to JPG for presentation in Word Press). In order to maximize the amount of data captured, I intentionally exposed the RAW on the dark side and plan to adjust highlight and shadows appropriately in post processing. Normally, I would not present the unmodified RAW file.
Same RAW file as above, but adjusted in Lightroom to my desired appearance in terms of exposure, contrast, color and saturation.
Scaled in-camera JPG with Active D-Lighting contrast-reduction feature.

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Lumix RAW File Epiphany . . .

I just experienced an ‘oh wow, you must be kidding’ moment.

For more than 15 years I’ve been making photos with Lumix LX-series cameras. One of the principle advantages of these cameras is their ability to capture images using both RAW and JPG.

Recently, I’ve been reexamining my Lumix RAW files using DxO PureRaw software, which corrects for lens aberrations and converts the files to DNG format.

For this TTL post, I thought it would be neat to compare the camera-RAW file, the un-adjusted PureRaw file, and my cropped but otherwise unadjusted RAW file.

I didn’t expect to learn that all of my Lumix RAW files exposed since 2009 have had MORE image area (albeit distorted) than I was aware of!

In other words, I’d never seen the full picture before.

Below are the three variations of a single Lumix RAW image that I exposed at New York’s Grand Central Terminal in July 2018.

Each is described in the captions.

Lumix RAW file directly out of the camera without cropping or cosmetic adjustment. This was converted to Jpg, but not scaled or otherwise altered.
Lumix RAW converted to DNG format, but presented without cropping or cosmetic adjustment. This was converted to Jpg using Lightroom, but not scaled or otherwise altered.
Lumix RAW converted to DNG format and cropped to eliminate the areas without lens coverage. Compare this image with the top photo in terms coverage. Notice how much more image area is at the sides compared to the top photo. In simple terms, I’ve been getting more covereage with each photo than I had been aware of. WOW!

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Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania—Class 2 Part 1

Tuesday at 10am, my second class in the Railroad Photography 101 series convened at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

I delivered my 30 minute slide show, then brought participants into the main hall, where I used portable LED lights to provide illumination of locomotives that normallyl languish in shadow.

Afterwards, I answered questions, offered suggestions, discussed the value of post processing and discussed photography.

During the session, I worked with two cameras. These views were made using my FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a Carl Zeiss 12mm Touit. This allowed me to make photos of equipment in comparatively tight places, All these images were exposed with camera firmly mounted on a 3Pod tripod.

Except for the image of the PRR B1 electric, the photos benefit from fill light from the portable LED lights. My next class is scheduled for Tuesday June 10. See: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/railroad-photography-101-session-three-tickets-1318803158749?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Red Signals and a Crescent Moon

The Norfolk Southern signals at Cola in Columbia, Pa., displayed a stop indication for movements in the westward direction.

The moon was a fine crescent and I aimed to juxtapose the lunar aspect with the railroad signals against the backdrop of the old Pennsylvania Railroad catenary masts.

Nikon Z7-II 24-70mm lens set at 70mm. ISO 100 f4 1/10th second. Camera mounted on a tripod.
Nikon Z7-II 24-70mm lens set at 70mm. ISO 100 f4 1/8th second. Camera mounted on a tripod.

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Tamaqua Comparisons

Evening light at Tamaqua, Pa., allowed for another comparison between my Nikon Z’s in-camera Active D-Lighting JPG contrast reduction setting and my own interpretation of the NEF Raw file.

In this situation, my feeling is that ADL interpretation missed the mark. While it may have softened the contrast, the color and overall interpretation did not accurately render the scene.

Below are the two interpretations. This feature will need further study. On the plus side of this exercise is that I always exposed using NEF and JPG simultaneously.

Scaled version of the in-camera JPG using Active D-Lighting adjustment preset. The ADL feature comes with the Nikon Z camera.
Adobe Lightroom work window displaying the unmodified NEF RAW file.
My interpretation of the Nikon’s NEF RAW file using Lightroom to correct for color, contrast and exposure.

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Mogul on a Bright May Morning

It was a clear morning last Saturday and I was aiming to try something a little different. Over the last couple of years, I’ve made countless photos of Strasburg Rail Road number 89 (a former Canadian National 2-6-0 Mogul type) crossing the pastoral fields in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Working with the contrast of mid-morning, I exposed this view of 89 on its return run from Leaman Place. By including a small tree, I’ve provided a visual balance to the locomotive.

The result is a scene that could have been a century ago.

Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom lens. NEF RAW file adjusted using Lightroom.

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Closing the Gap near Christiana

We were on our evening drive after work.

I was watching the ASM.Transitdocs.com app to monitor the progress of east and westward Amtrak Keystone trains.

My aim was to catch both 656 eastbound and 651 westbound within a few minutes of each other.

As we drove east on Highway 30 passing Bird-in-Hand and Paradise, I noticed that both trains had fallen behind their advertised schedules, so I kept pushing east.

Initially, I was aiming for Gap, Pa., but at the last minute continued to Christiana.

I arrived in time to set up at the old PRR freight house that the Lancaster Chapter NRHS has set up as a viewing platform.

Moments after I arrived, train 656 came into view. Westward 651 was delayed about about ten minutes, but with a total elapsed time of only 12 minutes, I’d caught both trains.

Train 651 had a bonus; this was led by Amtrak ACS-64 670, the highest in the series. This engine has been a bit elusive for me. Although I photographed it on film a couple of days earlier, this sequence at Christiana represents my first satisfying digital photos of the locomotive. A small victory in the bigger picture, but these days I’ll take it.

Amtrak Keystone 656 passes Christiana, Pa., led by a former Metroliner cab control car.
Trailing view of Amtrak Keystone 656 at Christiana, Pa.
Amtrak ACS-64 670 leads Keystone 651 westbound at Christiana. I’d been watching this train’s westward progress on the ASM.Trainsit.docs ap.

These photos were exposed using my FujiFilm XT1 with 16-55mm lens.

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Active D-Lighting

I’ve continued to experiment with my Nikon Z’s ‘Active D-Lighting’ contrast reduction feature.

In this example, I photographed an Indiana & Ohio C40-8CW in the New England Central yard at Palmer, Mass.

This was a perfect opportunity to see how the Active D-Lighting feature would accommodate high-contrast midday sun.

Since the ADL feature only affects the in-camera JPG, I opted to craft a comparison image working from a PureRaw converted RAW file that I manually adjusted using Adobe Lightroom.

The Jpg is right out of the camera and scaled for internet; the converted RAW file required a host of manually implemented color, contrast, and exposure corrections to make the most of the image.

Any thoughts?

In-Camera JPG with Active D-Lighting feature. Other than size scaling, this is free from adjustment.
Nikon NEF RAW file adjusted manually. Consider the difference in truck detail between this photo and the In-camera JPG.

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Port Road at Washingtonboro, Pa.

Kris asked, ‘Is there some train that you’d like check out tonight?’

Yes, yes there is. I’ve been hoping to catch another move on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch near Columbia, Pa. This line is the former Columbia & Port Deposit line, which in its heyday was a key route for Pennsylvania Railroad and an electrified line.

Conrail discontinued electric operations in the early 1980s, but the catenary supports largely remain in place. Owing to a curfew on the Northeast Corridor, Norfolk Southern’s operations are largely nocturnal. However, since we are moving into the longer days there are opportunities to catch trains at dawn and dusk.

We tried to find a train on the move few weeks ago without results. So we repeated the exercise by driving to Washingtonboro along the Susquehanna River. First, I checked the intermediate signals for a westward move (toward Harrisburg) and concluded that nothing was lined in that direction. However, when I observed the signals for an eastward train, I was delighted to see that the No. 1 track had been cleared for a movement; the signal was displaying ‘yellow over green’, which indicates Approach Medium. This was the clue I’d been seeking.

I said, ‘We are in luck!’

And we were.

Working with my Nikon Z7-II, I made these photos of an eastward carload freight, probably symbol freight 36A that runs from Conway Yard to Edgemoor, Delaware. Kris filmed the train with her phone.

Our patience on the old Port Road paid off.

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Wabash Dome at East Deerfield

The Boston & Maine wasn’t famous for its Budd domes.

Yet, it was sure cool to see this classic car on the Pan Am Office Car train passing the west end of East Deerfield Yard.

Exposed in May 2017 with a FujiFilm XT1.

Soft afternoon light accentuated the lines of this stainless steel car.

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Brian Solomon’s Railroad Photography 101 Session 2: Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

Next Tuesday, May 13, 2025, I’m giving the second class of my Railroad Photography 101. This will largely emulate the program of my first class. I hope to impart skills, perspectives, techniques to participants, while offering a better understanding of railroad photography.

This will be held on Tuesday, May 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and will emphasize technique and the approach to indoor light.

If you are interested in attending, see:  RRMuseumPA.org .

I hope to see you there!

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Blue Bell Railway departing Kingscote

Working with my old Canon 7D DSLR, I made this view from the window of a Bluebell Railway excursion train departing the station at Kingcote on April 20, 2013.

I made minor adjustments to the original Canon CR2 RAW file file using Adobe Lightroom.

I’d made good use of my Canon from June 2010 through early 2015. Since that time I’ve only picked up the camera intermittently, although it still works and produces very good images

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Narrow Gauge in Swiss Vineyards

In April 2017, I exposed this view of a Swiss narrow gauge local train ascending from Aigle toward Leysin. This colorful little train was operated by Transports Publics du Chablais, an operator known by its initials TPC.

Recently, I converted the original FujiFilm RAF raw file to a DNG file using DxO PureRaw, then made some minor adjustments using Lightroom. These changes minimized lens defects, produced a sharper image, and made for a better photograph.

FujiFilm XT1 with 18-135mm Fujinon zoom set at 29mm.

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Stafford Springs, Connecticut May 4, 2017

Eight years ago. New England Central 608 northbound passes Stafford Springs. Photo was made with a FujiFilm XT1 and 18-135mm lens. Raw file was converted to DNG using DxO PureRaw and adjusted with Lightroom.

DNG file before Lightroom adjustment
Same file after Lightroom adjustments.

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Kings Cross-May 3, 2016

On this day nine years ago, I photographed London’s Kings Cross station using my Panasonic Lumix LX7. Recently, I converted the RAW file using DxO PureRaw to improve the photograph and correct for lens defects.

Lumix Raw file converted to DNG format using DxO PureRaw.

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Double-headed Narrow Gauge Fuel Train.

In February 2013, I exposed this trailing view of a Bord na Mona fuel train approaching Lanesborough, Co. Longford, Ireland.

This once busy narrow gauge line was part of a network operated to supply the generating station at Lanesborough with milled peat for fuel. The fuel train pictured was used to supply fuel oil to Bord na Mona’s peat harvesting machines on the bog.

This was one of many photos I made of the Bord na Mona using my Lumix LX3 pocket digital camera.

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Palmer Diamond—Ten Years Ago

On May 1, 2015, I exposed this photo of a New England Central freight crossing CSX’s Boston Line on the Palmer, Massachusetts diamond.

Some 28 years earlier, I’d exposed images of Canadian National Railways GP40-2Ls working at this same location. I’d have to find the photos and compare the rosters, since it is possible that the lead locomotive in this photo was one of those engines.

At the time I made this image in 2015, there were relatively few New England Central locomotives in Genesee & Wyoming paint, which had made this image a novelty because of NECR GP40-L 3015.

Yet, now when I look at it the photo, it is the bird in the sky that catches my interest.

FujiFilm RAF Raw file converted using DxO PureRaw to a PNG file and then adjusted for color, contrast and exposure in Lightroom.

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