As the days get shorter, the window of light is closing on Bird-in-Hand as a choice afternoon/evening location.
Kris and I had gone for ice cream in Leola, and on our way home we diverted to Bird-in-Hand to roll by Amtrak Keystone 656, where I’d envisioned a trailing view of the train.
After a remarkably short wait, the rails began to sing. I gazed west in anticipation and spotted . . . a blue locomotive in the lead!
It was Amtrak ACS-64 621 advertising Crayola Crayons! (Again).
I wasn’t expecting that! You never know what surprise will come around the bend.
I’d set my Nikon Z7-II for a 1/2500th of second, and I needed the shutter speed to stop the action.
I know its been lurking out there for a few weeks. And I thought a bit of patience might reward me with a prize.
Send to me Amtrak 9635!
Here’s the back story: Amtrak had painted former Pennsylvania Railroad Metroliner cab control car 9635 in the latest Phase VII paint, and I find it fascinating that one of the oldest active cars in the fleet received the newest paint. It reminds me of when Conrail painted GG1 4800, built in 1934, in Conrail blue (after briefly dressing it in bi-centennial paint). I believe it was the only GG1 to receive Conrail blue paint. In 1981, I saw it at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (and photographed it on black & white film). As a result, I was eager to see 9635 in its fresh dress. (Just in case something happens.)
A few weeks ago my friend Dan Cupper caught it near Harrisburg, and I’ve been hoping to see it ever since.
Tuesday evening, I had about an hour and half free, and I intercepted four Keystones: two west and two east. I made the most of each but no 9635.
Not a problem, I still made the most of each passing train. But the quest continues!
Amtrak Keystone 649at Shelley Drive in Lancaster, Pa,Amtrak Keystone 656 passes Atglen, Pa., eastbound.ACS-64 Number 646 works at the back of Amtrak Keystone 651 passing Atglen, Pa.Amtrak Keystone 658 just before sunset, passing Jefferson Drive in Lancaster, Pa. Exposed using a Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm Nikkor Z-series zoom.
Kris suggested we make a foray to look for a freight train. So, we were driving around in the darkness near Columbia. During our last few visits to the Port Road Branch we’ve found Norfolk Southern trains on the move between 9:30 and 10:30pm.
I investigated a few places to make night photos near Marietta. Not one to my liking. And then I thought I heard a distant whistle.
Sometimes its best to go with what you know. So we drove back to the intermediate signals at Washington Boro, Pa. These offer a sense of place, provide added railroad interest, and give us a clear signal (literally and metaphorically) that a train is coming.
“Yellow-over-Green”—Approach Medium. Our train was lined.
I set up my 3Pod tripod and made a few test photos. Off in the distance I could hear the roar of heavy freight cars rolling along the Susquehanna.
For almost 20 minutes we listened to the train gradually getting closer. Sometimes there was a whistle for a crossing, but mostly just the clattering of heavy freight cars. I knew this was going to be a huge train.
Finally, the headlights came into view. The headend roared by the signals at about 20mph. It was a symbol 594 (of the 25th), a Natural Resources (former Consol Energy) Bailey Mine to Baltimore unit coal train. I counted more than 100 cars, and then a two unit DPU, which included the Virginian heritage unit in the tradtional navy and yellow paint. By the time the last coal car cleared, I’d counted a total of 212 cars!
These photos were made with my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom. Iso set to 25000. NEF RAW files were processed using PureRaw to demosiac and correct for lens defect and finally create a DNG file. I then processed this file using Lightroom to lighten shadows, correct color balance, and a variety of other small adjustments.
On this day in 2017, I photographed Irish Rail 074, wearing the black & silver freight livery, leading a down IWT Liner from Dublin’s North Wall.
This view is on the short stretch Irish Rail quad track near Stacumni Bridge on the the Cork Line. The accepted spelling of this classic location varies an it is often spelled as ‘Stacumny’ in modern media.
I was working with my FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a Fujinon 90mm prime telephoto.
Recently, I converted the original RAF RAW file into DNG format using PureRaw and made a series of small adjustements in Lightroom to improve the appearance of the photo. [Scaled and compressed for internet presentation.]
Irish Rail class 071 diesel number 074 leads the down IWT Liner at Stacumni Bridge near Hazel Hatch, Co. Kildare on August 28, 2017.
I went through a phase in the mid-1990s when I had a Nikon N90s and a Nikkor AF 80-200mm, that made telephoto views too easy. Sometimes looking back at that period, I wished I’d backed off a bit more often.
These days my telephoto use is descretionary and selective.
I had only a few minutes to frame up a photograph at the curve at the west end of gap. This place cries out for a telephoto, so I made this view with my Z7-II with 70-200mm zoom set at its maximum focal length (200mm).
I made this time exposure of the signals at Washington Boro on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch displaying ‘approach’ aspects.
I’ve included two versions, both from the original NEF RAW file.
The top image is scaled but otherwise without editing or alteration.
By contrast the bottom image was converted from the original NEF RAW file into a DNG file using DxO Pure Raw software (to reduce pixelization, vignetting and produce an image with greater clarity). After conversion, I imported the DNG file into Lightroom and made a host of cosmetic corrections aimed at improve the images.
My challenge here is in presentation. On my screen I see hundreds of tiny points of light. Unfortunately, the Word Press blogging platform compresses my files, which is these situations suppresses the cosmic effect of the stary sky.
Original NEF RAW file, scaled for internet presentation but unedited or otherwise altered.First round of adjustment. Unfortunately the Word Press platform compresses the file, which suppresses the subtlety of the stary sky.Second round of adjustment aimed at exaggerating the effect of the starry sky in a hope that it will get past Word Press compression. You should be able to see hundreds of points of light.Enlarged view of the sky from the same file.
Friday evening, Seamus-the-Dog, Kris, and I scoped out a view looking across fields of soy plants off of Esbenshade Road to catch Strasburg Rail Road’s returning 6pm excursion.
I made these views using my 70-200mm Nikon Z-Series telephoto zoom fitted to my Z6 mirrorless camera.
The light was perfect and the angle just to my liking.
While not a bad sequence of images, it’s only 95 percent in my book.
What’s wrong? In the process of framing the image to get the foreground and background just right, I wasn’t able to pose the locomotive ‘rods down’. I guest that’s just a ‘fail.’ We’ll have to try again sometime.
Saturday night, Kris again suggested we head out to find a freight train on the move.
Since we scored a loaded coal train on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch at Washington Boro, Pa. last week, I thought that would be a good place to start. As we arrived at the intersection of Rt999 and Water Street, I heard a whistle. We could see a distant headlight.
“Westbound!” Now that was good timing.
We drove west on Water Street toward Columbia, staying a good distance ahead of the train.
We pulled up near old Cola tower, where I had enought time to set the Nikon Z7-II to ‘M’ (manual), attach it to the tripod, level out the camera and frame up the scene, while setting the sensitivity to ISO4000 and adjusting the shutter speed.
Then the headlight came into view. It was a Norfolk Southern tank train, possibly an empty ethanol move? Kris counted 93 cars.
I made a sequence of images with the camera set at f4.5.
This selection was processed using DxO PureRaw to eliminate the effects of lens vignetting and reduce pixelization from the high ISO setting.
I’m remided of the famous painting showing the race between Pennsylvania Railroad E6s Atlantic 460 and a mail plane, both carrying newsreels of Lindburg’s famous transatlantic flight.
Yesterday Kris, Seamus-the-Dog and I waited at Esbenshade Road for the Friday evening departure from Strasburg. I was positioned on the north side of the crossing. As the locomotive came into view working across the fields of soybean and corn, I spotted a small aircraft flying alongside the train.
Time waits for no one, and I had only moments to compose a photo of the race.
In 1927, the E6s Atlantic, a famously poweful and fast machine, made the best of the plane. Not so at Esbenshade. The buzzing light aircraft gain altitude and whizzed ahead of the plodding excursion.
I made these photos using my Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameras.
Strasburg Rail Road’s former Canadian National 89 is a 2-6-0 Mogul type locomotive. Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens.
On Friday August 8th, 2025, Kris, Seamus and I were on one of our evening drives.
It had been just over a year since I lost my old notebook. My finally entry had been on departing Downington on Amtrak’s eastward Keystone as we traveled toward Philadelphia. I’d noted the passenger count. I only noticed its absence long after our arrival in Philadelphia.
The day it went missing, I wrote to Amtrak, filled out a lost item form, and ultimately received an automated response that my ‘item’ was not located and the case was closed. To this day, what became of my notebook remains a mystery. I really hope that it one day makes its way back, as the notebook itself was a gift from Kris during our last trip to Ireland.
So, back to August 8, 2025; we paused at Amtrak/SEPTA’s Downingtown station just as eastward Keystone No. 658 was coming to a stop. I leapt into action and made these photos with my Nikon Z7-II.
As the train glided away, I sort of hoped that my missing notebook would magically materialize out of the ether.
August 20, 2016: Pan Am Railways operated the company office car train on the Fitchburg Line west toward Mechanicville, N.Y.
I made this view of the train passing through the crossovers at CP-AY in Ayer, Mass., before following the train west.
Yesterday, I reprocessed the original FujiFilm RAF RAW file using DxO PureRaw to see how this modern software could improve the image.
Below are some examples of the orignal file (scaled and saved as JPG) and after conversion to a DNG file.
The last image-pair is an adjusted variation of the DNG file intended to correct for exposure, contrast and color, while applying digital sharpening. Each photo is described in the captions.
FujiFilm RAF RAW file scaled as a JPG without adjustment or significant post processing.Enlarged section of the top version (FujiFilm RAF RAW file scaled as a JPG without adjustment or significant post processing.).FujiFilm RAF RAW file converted to DNG format with DxO PureRaw which corrects for lens defects and re-interprets the data of the original file. This is scaled as a JPG but without cosmetic adjustment.FujiFilm RAF RAW file converted to DNG and following processing in Lightroom with cosmetic adjustments to color, contrast, exposure, saturation and sharpness.Enlarged section of the final interpreation of the FujiFilm RAF RAW file following conversion to DNG and cosmetic adjustments to color, contrast, exposure, saturation and sharpness.
Yesterday, Kris and I went to see the new film Freakier Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, and we really enjoyed the story.
One of the scenes in the film features the First Street Bridge with a Los Angeles Metrorail Gold Line lightrail train, and I thought I’d review a few photos that I made there nine years ago using my old FujiFilm XT1 with 18-135mm lens.
To improve on the original Fuji RAF RAW files, I processed them using PureRAW to convert them to DNG format. Among other things, this corrects for lens imperfections and re-interprets the digital data that improves the appearance of the image.
Below are some examples: direct JPG conversions from the RAF files on top with the PureRaw conversions to DNG below. Each image is captioned appropriately.
Fuji RAF RAW file converted directly to JPG using Lightroom without cosmetic corrections to color, exposure, contrast or sharpness.Enlarged version of the above: Fuji RAF RAW file converted directly to JPG using Lightroom . [Fuji RAF RAW file converted directly to JPG using Lightroom without cosmetic corrections ]
Compare the PureRaw conversions below.PureRAW conversion to DNG format; leveled and scaled as a JPG without cosmetic corrections to color, exposure, contrast or sharpness.Englarged version of the above image: PureRAW conversion to DNG format; scaled as a JPG without cosmetic corrections to color, exposure, contrast or sharpness.
With fading dusk in the western sky and light levels falling fast, I bumped the sensativity of my N7-II to ISO 16000.
Amtrak Keystone 653 was due and the curves at Gap, Pa., gave me both a light and speed advantage. The glimmer of color in the sky provided enough of a glow to quelle the inky blackness of night while adding just a little contrast and texture to the shadows, and a nearby street lamp threw a little light on the foreground. The curve itself has a slow order that results in Amtrak trains slowing to a more manageable speed.
As 653 came into view, I made a series of pan photos. I’ve presented the best two here. These required conversion to DNG format using PureRaw, followed by adjustments to shadows and highlights in Lightroom.
Last night Kris suggested we drive around to find a train on the move, so we went over to Washington Boro, Pa., on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch to check the signals.
We were in luck! And as soon as I saw that these had been cleared for an eastward move, I set up my 3Pod tripod.
Manipulating the camera in the inky darkness is easier said than done. As the train whistle announced its approach, I struggled to find my desired setting. I couldn’t see the dial and I was fighting with the camera to get the shutter speed, ISO, and lens settings where I wanted them.
Ultimately, I selected a default setting where the camera automatically set the ISO to 25,600 and allowed me to adjust the aperature.
All very well, but unable to see what I was doing led me to select some ‘random’ mode in the darkness that only exposed photos as JPG, rather than my usual setting that exposes both JPG and NEF (RAW) files simultaneously.
As the coal cars rolled by at speed on continuous welded rail, I finally got the camera into ‘M’ (manual mode), which enabled me to set the ISO to 200, the shutter speed to 90 seconds, and the aperture to f4. Unfortunately the White Balance was set to a daylight setting rather than an automatic, so I needed to fix the White Balance in post-processing.
It was pretty cool to finally catch a train here in darkness.
Auto ISO at 25,600-in camera JPG scaled for internet presentation.Auto ISO at 25,600-in camera JPG scaled for internet presentation.Auto ISO at 25,600-in camera JPG scaled for internet presentation.Auto ISO at 25,600-in camera JPG scaled for internet presentation.Final frame; ISO 200 in Manual Mode. 90 sec exposure at f4.0. White balance corrected in Lightroom.
It’s that time of year again. The setting sun is at a nice angle for reflective glint at Jefferson Drive in Lancaster, Pa. With the smoke from Canadian wildfires continuing to tint the setting sun, I thought I’d try a 200mm view of Amtrak Keystone 658 on its eastward journey.
In post processing, I made a variety of minor adjustments to shadows, highlights, saturation and contrast to improve the overall appearance of the photo.
Below are two images in my sequence. Both received the same adjustments.
My hope is that it—the title— will capture your curiosity so that you will open the post and view the photo. Sometimes, I opt for the elusive, the subtle, or the vague. Other times, I simply spell it out.
On rare occasion, I’ll imply a contest.
This is not one of the latter.
There is no prize but the photo itself.
I exposed this image on a visit to the ÖBB bahnhof at Selzthal, Austria on January 7, 2012.
Dusk had fallen, and the snow was falling too.
My Lumix LX3 proved the perfect tool to capture the ‘blue hour’ (I’heure bleue in French; and no, neither jazz nor perfume)—that elusive moment between day and night, which is perhaps best experienced in falling snow in a distant nation far from worries present and past.
Lately, it’s been really hot, so I thought it would be nice to look back to a day-almost 20 years ago-when I photographed a DB InterCity Express train on a frosty cold January morning at Jenbach, Austria.
Denis McCabe and I had traveled on this train from Innsburck. Upon stopping at Jenbach, I jumped out and walked to the headend to expose this Fujichrome slide using my Contax G2 rangefinder.
Later, we changed to a Zillertalbahn narrow gauge local and traveled through the hoar frost up the Ziller Valley.
What better place to catch a smoky sky than in Smoketown?
I’ve eyed up this location for a few years now. It’s not great in bright daylight, but I’ve thought it might make a nice view in the evening.
Last night, Kris and I had gone for ice cream, and afterwards were driving around in the post sunset glow. Canadian fires continue to tint the evening sky.
We parked off Mount Sidney Road, I had time to frame up the scene, set the ISO rating on my Z7-II to 8000, and lo-and-behold, there was the blue-white sheen of an ACS-64’s headlights on the rail.
Even at ISO8000 my exposure was f4 at 1.60th of a second.
I processed the NEF RAW file using DxO PureRaw to create a DNG file, which I then imported into Lightroom for minor adjustment. Among other corrections, PureRaw eliminated the granular effect of ISO.
Below is the straight NEF RAW scaled and converted to JPG but unaltered in terms of appearance (exposure, color, contrast, grain or vignette-control).
Straight NEF RAW scaled and converted to JPG but otherwise unaltered.NEW RAW after conversion to DNG and cosmetically adjusted in Lightroom to enhance appearance.
Above is my interpreted NEF RAW file after conversion to DNG with changes to color, contrast, exposure etc.; below is the same file with extreme interpretation of color, contrast and exposure. The result is surreal.
Friday evening we rolled by Amtrak westward Keystone Train 651 near Shelley Drive in Lancaster.
I’d calculated the running time from Parkesburg based on the departure listed in the ASM.transitdocs app, and it passed within 30 seconds of my estimation.
I made several photos. The leading image is a fairly straightforward view of the former Metroliner cab control car leading the consist. As the train passed, I exposed several digital images in rapid succession.
One of these trailing views made for a graphic silhouette.
Upon review, I decided to play with the NEF RAW file in Lightroom to see if I could improve the image.
Below are several variations, concluding with a converted image using PureRaw software to create a DNG file that I then adjusted in Lightroom.
Details below.
Amtrak Keystone 651 rolls west near Shelley Drive in Lancaster. ACS-64 617 works at the back of the consist.Trailing silhouette; NEF RAW file without interpretation. This straight out of the camera. File scaled as a JPG for internet presentation. NEF RAW file adjusted in Lightroom to lighten shadows, control highlightes, enhance color, and alter contrast.NEF RAW file following conversion to a DNG file using PureRaw. NEF RAW file following conversion to a DNG file with heavy-handed adjustmentin Lightroom to lighten shadows, control highlightes, enhance color, and alter contrast. Version 1. File cropped to show the primary image area.Same arrangement as above (PureRaw converted DNG, Lightroom etc). Adjustement version 2.
Not every situation is made to order for photography.
I was on my way to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to conduct research for my next book. Since I was just a little early, I opted to divert via Esbenshade Road and roll by Strasburg Rail Road’s returning 1pm train.
I heard the engine working the grade. On most recent visits, former Canadian National 2-6-0 No. 89 has been assigned to the run. Since this is a relative small locomotive the crews have to work it reasonably hard ascending the grade from Cherry Hill.
However, on this afternoon I listened carefully; the softer bark of the stack told me that the engine wasn’t working especially hard. This couldn’t be 89, so it must be No. 90—the former Great Western 2-10-0 (a relatively big Baldwin).
Inded it was!
Canadian wildfires made for the air thick with particulates, and the sunlight was tinged with brown. Not pretty light at all.
Photos exposed using my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm lens.
NEF RAW files were adjusted using Lightroom to maximize detail.
Last weekend, Kris and I were running some errands when I got a tip from our friend Dan Cupper that Amtrak no. 42, the eastward Pennsylvanian was led by a freshly painted Genesis P42 in the new Amtrak phase VII scheme.
This livery was introduced a few years ago on Amtrak’s Siemens Changer diesels, but those are as rare as hen’s teeth in these parts.
Kris and I stopped at Home Depot near Parkesburg, then timed our arrival at Christiana to coincide with the passage of both east and westbound Pennsylvanians.
Owing to the angle of the tracks and the nice old buildings near the line, Christiana is a choice place to catch eastbounds in the early afternoon.
I made these views of the passing train using my Nikon Z7-II.
It’s always neat to catch something in new paint. I wonder how many of the Amtrak Genesis diesels will get this treatment?
During our coal mine tour a few weeks ago, I exposed this image of a coal mine locomotive on display deep below the surface.
It was pretty dark inside the Lackawanna Coal Mine, so I set my Z7-II for ISO 8000 in order to record this photo handheld.
Afterwards, I made four versions of the same image. The first is a NEF RAW straight out of the camera. The second has been processed using Lightroom. The third is the NEF RAW after conversion to DNG format using PureRaw; the last is the Lightroom adjusted PureRaw DNG formatted file. Each is captioned appropriately.
All have been scaled for internet presentation.
Image 1: NEF RAW file straight out of the camera.Image 2; NEF RAW that was processed using Lightroom. NEF RAW after conversion to DNG format and without adjustment or post processing adjustment. NEF RAW after conversion to DNG format following post-processing adjustments to color, contrast and exposure.
My earlier fortuitous photographic fog-fail was a blessing in disguise.
With an hour to spare before the next eastward Keystone, I drove east toward Gap and at the last minute decide to try for Christiana.
Since Amtrak’s westward Keystone 611 was running late, I figured I’d try to intercept it, and Christiana was a good place to catch morning trains in both directions.
Not long after I arrived at Christiana, the former Metroliner Cab Control car leading 611 came into view, so I made a sequence of it passing.
I began to wonder, what if the next eastbound train doesn’t have Amtrak 621 (the Crayola Blue ACS-64) in the lead?
Then the rail tinged, and a headlight came into view . . .
I anticipated that Amtrak’s Crayola-Blue ACS-64 621 would lead the first or second eastward Keystone from Harrisburg.
With this in mind, I arrived at Jefferson Drive in the morning to intercept the first train. For me this was a good news/bad news scenario.
The good news: although I’d cut it a bit fine, I arrived ahead of the train.
Bad news, the ambient humidity was extremely high, so as soon as I stepped out of the car my camera lens fogged. No amount of cleaning would keep it clear.
Good news: the Crayola Blue locomotive wasn’t leading.
Bad news: my photo of the first train was fogged.
Good news: Kris suggested I use the ‘Dehaze’ effects slider in Lightroom to correct for the fog, and to my surprise this trick worked very well.
Better news: I had another chance at catching Amtrak’s Crayola Blue locomotive on the move. So I drove east with the heat on in the car and the windows open. My hope was that, while uncomfortable, this might bring my camera up to temperature so that it would be less likely to fog when I got out of the car.
This is scaled, but otherwise unmodified RAW file as it came out of the camera. Although it was a bright clear morning, high humidity fogged the front element of my lens, which had the side effect of resulting in underexposure as well as reducing clarity and contrast.Kris suggested that I try Lightroom’s ‘Dehaze’ slider. This effect compensated for the undesirable effects of lens fog. Afterwards I lowered the saturation slider and lightened the image using exposure controls. It’s not perfect, but much better than the flat, soft and underexposed image that I had out of the camera.
Amtrak Keystone 653 from Philadelphia was running behind the advertised. I figured we could drive against it and catch it passing Gap, Pa.
We arrived with a few minutes to spare. I had time to set up my 3Pod Tripod and framed up a scene with a tree by the former PRR Main Line.
I exposed a couple of test photos to check exposure and focus.
Before long, I heard the squeel of steel wheels on steel rails. I made this series of time exposures. To my surprise, Amtrak ACS-64 621 wearing the Crayola-blue advertising livery was working the back of the consist.
Wow! That was neat! Trailing, eh? Hmmmm.
It did little for the photos, except add an ever so slightly blue tint to the second image in the sequence. But, I knew what I’d be after the following morning! Stay tuned . . .
When we spied the blue ACS-64, Kris smiled and said to me, ‘You’re welcome!” Wow that really was cool, even if didn’t mean much in the photo, just a fleeting hint of blue.
Scranton’s Steamtown is a museum of North American railroading. But it is also a citadel of Lackawanna heritage. It is the respository of Lackawanna equipment and artifacts.
In its heyday more than a century ago, Lackawanna was an increadibly busy and very profitable railroad. In 1915, some 32 freight and passenger trains in each direction would work the mainline east of Scranton on a daily basis. Today these rails still host the occasional freights operated by Genesee Valley Transportation’s Delaware-Lackawanna, but its a far cry from the busy thoroughfare it was once.
Outside of Scranton, fragments and vestiges of the Lackawanna survive, but decades have passed since these represented a cohesive and vital transportation network. West of Binghamton, New York, little remains of the Lackawanna main line.
