The long days of summer are fading fast. With each rotation of the Earth, there’s less light in the evening sky.

Kris and I had just passed Columbia, Pa., when we heard the Norfolk Southern River Line dispatcher talking to the approaching Enola–Edgemoor, Delaware, freight (train symbol 36A).

We turned around, and I started scouting for a suitable place to make action photos in the last light.

I settled on a grade crossing near Washington Boro, where I’ve photographed previously.

Working with my Nikon Z6 III, I made this sequence of images of the approaching train. Here, the concept of the sequence is important, as the group of photos tells the story. 

I picked a spot where the line curves at the end of a long tangent, a location that makes the most of the train. Although night was closing in, I hoped to demonstrate that one locomotive led a very long freight, but the angle was a little bit off. The old PRR electrification masts hint at the heritage of the line.

Photos processed using DxO PureRaw5 and PhotoLab9 to make the most of NEF raw data.

Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light has explored railroad photography since 2012!