Eleven years ago, I attended the Streamliners at Spencer event in North Carolina with fellow photographer Pat Yough.
Over the course of three days I exposed hundreds of photos of the myriad preserved locomotives and roling stock on display.
While the various EMD diesels were the stars of the show, one of the curiosities was this former Santa Fe Railway Alco PA dressed as Nickel Plate Road 190.
Working with a Lumix LX7, I made this image at dusk on the evening of 31 May 2014.
Below are three versions (all scaled for internet presentation as Jpg images);
1) the unaltered Lumix RAW file.2) DxO PureRaw converted Lumix Raw DNG file without adjustment to exposure or constant.3) The cropped Pure Raw DNG following adjustments to shadows and highlights, contrast and exposure, with localized exposure control in the sky using Adobe Lightroom’s sky-mask AI feature.
I like the curving track in the shadow of the hillside at Tamaqua, Pa. This has that classic look of old time mountain railroading.
Below are two versions of the same digital file. I exposed this view of Reading & Northern’s vintage EMD diesels in early evening light using my Nikon Z7-II.
The top photo is an in-camera JPG that was enhanced at the time of exposure using Nikon’s Active D-Lighting setting.
The bottom photo is the camera’s NEF RAW file with adjustments in post processing using Adobe Lightroom. These refined the contrast and controlled highlight and shadow setting.
In-camera JPG enhanced using Nikon’s Active D-Lighting setting NEF RAW file with adjustments in post processing using Adobe Lightroom.
Last night Kris and I paused at Leaman in Paradise, Pa., to roll by Amtrak’s Keystone enroute to Harrisburg.
It had been raining heavily all day, and just as I stepped out of the car the sky opened up.
I’d set my Lumix LX7 to ISO 400, which is about the functional limit of its sensitivity. While it is possible to set the ISO setting higher, the results are not usually worth it.
I set the zoom to its maximum (17.7 mm), which about the equivalent to a 70mm lens on 35mm film camera. As the train drew close, I panned the leading ACS-64 locomotive with the shutter a 1/100 of second in effort to keep the locomotive and train as sharp as possible despite comparatively high speed.
The pantograph of the locomotive was dispersing water from the overhead catenary as it sped westward.
Below are two versions of the same file.
The first is the in-camera RAW without adjustment or cropping, but scaled in Lightroom for internet presentation.
The second is an interpreted file. First, I converted the RAW to DNG using DxO PureRaw, which corrected for lens defects and reduced the effects of pixelization from high-ISO, while effectively sharpening the image. I then imported this file into Lightroom to make cosmetic adjustments to contrast and exposure, lightening shadows and reigning in the highlights.
PureRaw’s re-interpretation of the pixels in the RAW file combined with water on the lens, pouring rain and panning motion resulted in some visual artifacts that are something other than was perceived with the naked eye. However for presentation here, the interpreted PureRaw version (complete with post-processing cropping) appears as a more dramatic image.
This is the in-camera RAW without adjustment or cropping.RAW file converted to DNG format using PureRaw, then adjusted cosmetically, including cropping, using Adobe Lightroom.
I’m seriously hoping that my overly aliterative title represents a unique combination of words never previously considered in the history of language!
And, that it caught your attention.
Amtrak Keystone 661 was close by and I wanted to try a different angle at the old Irishtown Road crossing.
When the grade crossing was closed and the road relocated, a raised earthen berm was constructed south of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line. This berm offered me a slightly elevated view with some purple flowers in the foreground.
Post processing editing in Adobe Lightroom provides easy access to the camera’s metadata files, which among other things reveal the f-stop, shutter speed, ISO and other camera details. This saves me from the need to make detailed notes on my digital files, except for things like train ID, engine number and location.
On Sunday, Keystone Train 661 was running five minutes behind the advertised.
Kris and I were waiting patiently at Gap. I stood the shade of a tree.
Although this may sound vaguely poetic, in fact standing in the shade is key to this image: avoiding the direct rays of the morning sun eliminates the effects of harsh lens flare.
I exposed a sequence of images as the westward train glided through the curve at Gap. This view was made with my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens set for 190mm at f3.5. The relatively wide aperture allowed for shallow depth of field. My camera’s autofocus was set to the center lower left and the result is that the front of ACS-64 626 is razor sharp. Gap’s famous clock tower in the distance is slight out of focus, and yet a prominent part of the composition.
The classic catenary supports date from Pennsylvania Railroad’s electrification and continue to hold the wires in place for Amtrak’s trains.
In post processing I lightened the shadows and lowered the highlights to reduce contrast.
Yesterday, following a trip to the Down at the Farm Creamery, Kris and I returned to the Strasburg Rail Road.
The only camera I had with me was my trusty FujiFilm XT1 and 12mm Zeiss Touit wideangle lens.
I might tell you that I only use my FujiFilm XT1 occasionally, instead preferring my Nikon Z cameras and Lumix LX7. However, since I December, I’ve exposed more than 800 images with the XT1. (So I guess I make pretty good use of this camera after all!).
Among these were the few photos that I made of Strasburg Rail Road’s 2-6-0 No. 89 working toward Cherry Hill Road. I wanted to make the most of the scene, and the Zeiss 12mm Touit was a pretty good option.
I converted the camera’s RAF RAW file to a DNG file using DxO PureRaw, and then created two versions by making adjustments to color, contrast and exposure using Adobe LightRoom.
I’ve included each my three files below.
This is the RAF RAW file following conversion to a DNG file but without correction, cropping, adjustment or changes, except for scaling for internet presentation with final output as a Jpg.This is the same DNG file but following cropping and adjustments using multiple masks to improve contrast and exposure.I was dissatisfied with the first round of changes, so reset the previous round of corrections and began again. In this view, I masked the sky and made changes to exposure and contrast, then made a variety of subtle changes to contrast, color and exposure. Admittedly, the two interpretations are very similar, but I feel that this one has a bit more ‘snap’ to it, and just looks better.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tracking the Light examines railroad photography every day!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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
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.
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 adjustmentSame file after Lightroom adjustments.
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.
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.
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.
Tracking the Light Examines Railroad Photography Daily!
