Amtrak ‘Cities Sprinter’ ACS-64 number 633 tows one of its sister electrics with train 163 as it arrives at Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, December 2, 2017.
I exposed this view using my Lumix LX-7.
Amtrak’s line at Providence is charmless, but functional. Heavy electrification in an urban environment is rarely picturesque. To make a satisfactory image of a moving train takes patience, skill or both.
This is a routine view of American passenger rails in action, nothing sexy, and nothing complicated or tricky photographically.
Does my cross-lit midday view of a Siemens electric with 1970s-era Amfleet passenger cars work for you?
As always, I’m so impressed with the Lumix 7’s ability to handle a variety of lighting conditions in one exposure.
As for the railroad in Providence… I lived there from 1974 to 1979, before they relocated the station and tracks. Those were miserable years for passenger railroading. At least Amtrak was getting new cars. I remember seeing the huge coil springs on them and thinking, “That’s smart, given how bad the track is.”
But the Providence station platforms–on a gentle curve–had the sweep that a big station should have. And there was a great view of the state capitol on its hill.
Even that was a far cry from when the freight line under the East Side was still in use and there were yards east of the station.
As for the NE corridor, I think what’s needed is some kind of monorail or maglev up on stanchions, string-lining some of the twists and turns in Connecticut that prevent it from being a true high-speed route. Separating it from the commuter rail traffic would be another benefit. Oh, well–yet another line-side civil engineer.
It looked fine. Did you make some contrast or other adjustment trickery with either the camera other than stated or one of your programs to get the shady side to be seen well?
It’s an interesting picture in a pretty horrible location, especially with the two locos. I know it’s a very European view, but I always feel that the NE Corridor is a very complicated way to provide a service that I have mostly found to be be rather mediocre and unpunctual. Plus the weird (to Europeans) procedures for boarding – although in fairness Europe has become more complex in this regard in recent times. However, there are still a lot of trains in Europe that you can just get onto without any kind of advance arrangements.