All posts by brian solomon

Author of more than 50 books on railways, photography, and Ireland. Brian divides his time between the United States and Ireland, and frequently travels across Europe and North America.

photography

Delaware Lackawanna Freight Near Scranton, Pennsylvania, October 14, 1997

September 21, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Lucky Photograph on the old Lackawanna Mainline.

Mike Gardner and I were poking around Scranton on October 14, 1997. Although the foliage was nearing its autumnal peak, the sky was dull, so we were mostly exploring locations.

Alco diesel — A Delaware-Lackawanna freight led by an Alco C-425 diesel passes below a former Erie Railroad bridge near Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 14, 1997.

We drove into this spot along the old Lackawanna triple-track mainline used by Steamtown excursions and Delaware Lackawanna freights. I was curious about the abandoned former Erie line that crosses in the distance on a truss.

Neither of us expected to see a train, but to our surprise this Delaware Lackawanna local returning from Moscow came down grade. Even with 100 speed Fujichrome Provia 100F my exposure was difficult. I think this image was made at f4.0 at 1/60^th of second with my Nikon F3T and 80-200mm zoom.

Interestingly, a decade later I made a project of photographing Delaware-Lackawanna operations while working on my book Railroads of Pennsylvania published by Voyageur Press. Between 2005 and 2007, I traveled about a half dozen times to Scranton and had several very productive chases of trains PT97/PT98 on this route.

Here’s an excerpt from Railroads of Pennsylvania:

Visitors to Steamtown will be pleased to see the occasional passing of freight trains on the old Lackawanna mainline. These are not for demonstration but rather are revenue-earning for profit freight trains operated by Genesee Valley Transportation’s Delaware Lackawanna railroad. Since 1993, Delaware Lackawanna has provided regular freight service in Scranton. Today, the railroad operates on three historic routes. The most significant is eastward on the old Delaware, Lackawanna & Western mainline. Here D-L freights share the line with Steamtown excursions, much in the way the historic DL&W’s coal trains shared tracks with its famous Phoebe Snow. Three days a week D-L freights make a round trip eastward over the Poconos, through the Delaware Water Gap to a connection with Norfolk Southern at Slateford Junction near Portland, Pennsylvania.

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Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia, Cape Jack, July 24, 1997

September 20, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

A Fleeting Glimpse of a Maritime Alco Diesel Oasis.

Railway train with water — On July 24, 1997, a Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia freight rolls west at Cape Jack along the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.

I featured this image of westward Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia (say it five times fast) freight in my big book Locomotive, published by MBI in 2001. The concept of the book was very large photo reproduction of classic locomotives. There were three sections; steam, diesel and electric.

In July 1997, I made this image on trip with George Pitarys and Bill Linley. George and I had flown to Halifax from Boston. We spent three glorious days photographing in Nova Scotia and did exceptionally well with the CB&CNS. At the time the railroad ran its eastward road freight in the morning and westward train in the afternoon, which favored sun angles most of the day. George and Bill’s expert knowledge of the line allowed us to make the most of every train.

I was especially fascinated by the opportunity to photograph locomotives against the seemingly endless blue waterscape. This elevated location at Cape Jack overlooking the Gulf of St Lawrence was one of the best places to make watery vistas. I exposed this on Fujichrome Provia 100F using my Nikon N90s and Nikon f2.8 80-200mm zoom lens. Exposure was calculated using a Sekonic Studio Deluxe handheld photocell and the camera’s internal matrix meter setting.

Here’s an excerpt from my text published in Locomotive:

The CB&CNS was created as the result of CN’s desire to spin-off lightly used feeder lines. Initially the CB&CNS was part of the RailTex family of short lines and acquired by Rail America in 1999. CB&CNS operated from Truro (in western Nova Scotia) to Sydney plus a few short branches. Until 1998, this railroad was one the final strongholds for big MLW-built Alco locomotives. These were regularly assigned to daily through freights. Most were painted in CB&CNS’s attractive black & yellow paint scheme with a large red lion to reflect the region’s Scottish heritage.

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Canadian Pacific at Lyndonville, Vermont, October 8, 1992.

September 19, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Classic New England Railroading.

In October 1992, Tom Carver advised me to photograph Canadian Pacific’s Lyndonville Subdivision in Northern Vermont. At the time, traffic was down to two or three trains per week. Yet, these always operated with Montreal Locomotive Work’s diesels and despite their infrequency, departed the yard at Newport, Vermont on a predictable schedule.

At the time, I was on one of my extended autumn visits to the Northeast from California, and enjoying the cool air and anticipating the colored foliage characteristic of the season.

I departed Monson, Massachusetts at 4am and drove north on I91 directly to Orleans, Vermont, just a short distance from the yard at Newport. It was a crisp and clear morning. I expected the train to depart at 9 am, and sure enough, by 9:30 it made its appearance. I exposed some very satisfactory slides at Orleans and turned to chase (as per plan).

Although traffic had dwindled, track speed was still pretty quick, and I made a lively pursuit of the train to make more photographs. The single RS-18 was chortling along, belching the occasion puff of exhaust.

At Lyndonville, the train paused to switch, giving me ample opportunity to make photos. This was one of the images I made on Kodachrome 25 with my Nikon F3T.

In July 2012, George Pitarys and I repeated this adventure. This time chasing a Vermont Railway train running from Newport to White River Junction, again making the timed interception at Orleans. Track speeds were slower, and our chase was more relaxed. I’ve not yet made plans for my 2032 chase of the line.

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Dublin, Flight Fest—15 September 2013

September 18, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Photographing Low Flying Planes from Dublin Streets.

On the afternoon of 15 September 2013, I joined some of my Irish friends along the South Quays of the River Liffey to watch Flight Fest. This free air show was a great opportunity to see a variety of aircraft in action.

Most of the time Tracking the Light focuses on railways, so this should be a refreshing interlude.

I exposed all of these photos with my Canon EOS 7D with either a 28-135mm zoom or a fixed 200mm prime lens. I set the ISO at 400 and most of my exposures were made at a 1000^th of a second. Focusing was tricky, since the auto focus tends to get fooled by sky and some of the planes were traveling quickly.

I was especially interested in the B-17 Flying Fortress and Airbus A380. The variety of flying machines made for a nice afternoon. I used several vantage points all from city streets.

For other views of Dublin, check my Dublin Images Page on this site.

Last year, Dublin hosted the Tall Ships. This year Flight Fest. Perhaps next year they could host Tram Fest on the LUAS? It’s an idea anyway.

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Amtrak 207 at New Haven, Connecticut, June 26, 2012

September 17, 2013 brian solomon 2 Comments

Fortuitous Encounter with the Highest Numbered P42.

On June 26, 2012, I was changing trains at New Haven, Connecticut while on my way to Philadelphia. I’d come in on the Springfield-New Haven shuttle. This was a push-pull set consisting of a former Metroliner cab car and an Amfleet coach pushed by Amtrak 207.

While on the platform I made a few images of this General Electric locomotive using my Lumix LX3 and my dad’s Leica M4 (loaded with Fuji Acros 100 black & white film).

Amtrak P42 locomotive — Amtrak P42 Genesis diesel 207 at New Haven, Connecticut on June 26, 2012. Lumix LX3 photo.

It was only later that it occurred to me that 207 is the highest numbered Amtrak Genesis P42.This nominal fact doesn’t make the photos any better, but I thought it was interesting and significant. Firsts and lasts have been long be marked by railway photographers.

What impressed me about 207 was that it was relatively clean and the paint was in good shape. This is a contrast with many of Amtrak’s P42s that have a battle-worn appearance.

Amtrak 207 at New Haven, Connecticut, June 26, 2012 — Amtrak’s Springfield, Massachusetts—New Haven, Connecticut shuttle on the platform at New Haven on June 26, 2012. Lumix LX3 photo.

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Pan Am with Statue at North Bennington, Vermont, July 27, 2010.

September 16, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

A Bit of Art by the Tracks.

I was at North Bennington, Vermont to photograph Pan Am Railways’ (formerly Guilford Rail System) RJ-1 local freight that was performing freight interchange with Vermont Railway System.

This route had been dormant for many years but reopened in recent times. While I’d been to North Bennington on several occasions, this was the first time I photographed trains there.

The North Bennington Station has been beautifully restored. Out on the platform is a statue of a man gazing impatiently at his watch, as if he were a passenger waiting for a train.

Art with train — Statue with RJ-1 at North Bennington, Vermont on July 27, 2010. Exposed using a Canon EOS 7D with 100-400mm image stabilization zoom set at 190mm; f11 at 1/250 sec, ISO 200.

I made a variety of images of Pan Am’s former Canadian National GP40-2L working around the station. I like this one because it’s different. I used a smaller aperture to allow for greater depth of field, while focusing on the statue instead of the locomotive.

I believe that’s the old freight house beyond the locomotive and cars.

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Rhein River Valley Part 3

September 15, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Views from the East Side of the Rhein—September 2013.

Rail Freight in Germany. — A DB freight rattles northward near Filsen on the east side of the Rhein in September 2013. Lumix LX3 photo.

For me the Right Bank (east side) of the Rhein has always been more challenging and more intriguing. This side has more freight, but the vistas are more difficult to access. Certainly getting the viewpoints that I envision take a little more work.

On this trip, with the help of maps and some advice from local photographers, I found several satisfactory spots to work from.

Where the Left Bank (west side) remains dominated by passenger traffic (with the occasional freight slotted in), the Right Bank is primarily a freight route, with the requisite hourly (half-hourly at peak times) stopping passenger train.

Since my last visit to the Right Bank in 2010, the passenger service has been upgraded with modern Stadler three and four piece Flirt-model railcars. The tide of freight ebbs and flows, but its not difficult to get four or five freights at one location in a relatively short span of time.

It seems that no sooner than one train has clattered out of sight when the next is on its way. If action on the east side ebbs too much, there are plenty of boats and barges on the Rhein as well as trains on the left side. Regardless of what happens, I find it easy to expose lots of images.

A Stadler Flirt railcar is ready to come out of the sidings at Kaub. These modern electric railcars provide interval passenger service between freights on the east side of the river. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Lorchausen, Germany — Picturesque villages line the east side of the Rhein. This view of Lorchausen was exposed shortly before sunset with my Lumix LX3.

Rhein River Valley — A southward freight is led by a common DB Class 185 electric. This view is made from a vineyard near Lorch that offers superb views of trains on both sides of the Rhein. Lumix LX3 photo.

Grapes. — Plump grapes ripen in the autumn sun near Lorch, Germany. Lumix LX3 macro view.

Coal train on the Rhein. — A blue electric leads a train of PKP coal wagons on the west side of the river (as viewed from a Vineyard in Lorch). Exposed using a Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.

Looking south from a level crossing near Kaub, Germany. Lumix LX3 photo.

BLS freight on Rhein. — A BLS Cargo electric hums northbound at a lightly used level crossing near Kaub. Once a manned crossing with classic signal tower, gates are now automated. The BLS freights from Switzerland are among the most prized daily catches for some photographers. Lumix LX3 photo.

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Rhein River Valley Part 2

September 14, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

The Left Bank at Oberwesel—September 2013.

Oberwesel is south of Boppard and also on an elbow-bend in the river. It’s spectacularly set along the river and against steeply rising hills while featuring castles and a medieval city wall.

German passenger train. — A DB class 120 glides southward through Oberwesel in September 2013. Canon EOS 7D photo.

The old city wall is set up as a tourist attraction and can be easily used as a platform for photography. Not only does this provide great views of the line on the Left Bank, but gives superb angles of the dual tunnels on the line serving the Right Bank.

I visited Oberwesel in April 2010, but the light was a bit dull, so I’ve been aching for another try at it on a clear day.

While there are some good angles in the morning, I found the best light angles were obtained after about 2 pm. September is a great time to photograph because the light is good throughout the day and it’s past the peak tourist season. Jostling elbows with the masses while trying to focus on a IC train might be challenging.

Locomotive with castle walls. — A diesel running as a light engine northbound made for an ideal opportunity to frame a train in the window of a medieval wall tower. Canon EOS 7D photo.

The parade of trains is unceasing. If one side of the river starts to lag, the other will seem to make up the difference. It was only during the lunch that traffic seemed to lull. Certainly the passenger trains kept coming, but the freights must of all paused for a snack.

Not far from the south edge of city wall in Oberwesel, we found a suitable restaurant with outdoor seating, a choice of beer, and a view of the tracks

A few hours at Oberwesel gave me more great images than I knew what to do with. I could make this a multi-installment post. Will you still be there for Oberwesel Left Bank Northward Views Part 12? Hmm?

Rhein River Valley at Oberwesel. — A DB Class 101 leads an InterCity passenger train southbound. This view is from the top of an old wall tower at Oberwesel, Germany. Canon EOS 7D.

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Rhein River Valley Part 1

September 13, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

The Left Bank at Boppard and Vicinity—September 2013.

Germany’s Rhein offers one of the World’s great railway experiences. Here busy double track railways occupy both sides of the river, largely in sight of one another. This narrow picturesque valley is dotted with old villages, castles, churches and blanketed with vineyards which adds to its charm and make for more interesting photographs.

Germany ICE high speed train. — An ICE train glides northward along the Rhein as morning mists give way to sun. Canon EOS 7D photo.

For the all the challenges of wandering down lightly travel rural branch lines, or seeking out unusual, peculiar and elusive railway operations, sometimes it’s nice to get ‘a fix’ and go to a place where you will see a great volume and variety of trains in a comfortable setting.

The Rhein in early September hit the spot. The weather was perfect; a mix of sun and mist made for great lighting conditions, while temperatures were comfortable. No rain, no heavy wind. And best of all every few minutes a train comes rolling up or down the river.

Historically, the line on the west side of the river, the ‘Left Bank,’ was almost exclusively a passenger line and featured a continuous parade of Regional, IC, EC, and ICE trains, while the ‘Right Bank’ carried freight and an hourly local service.

Today, there are fewer IC/EC/ICE trains on the Rhein as many through services run on the high-speed line between Köln and Frankfurt. While IC/EC/ICE trains still operate about once an hour in each direction (plus local stopping services) now there are more paths for freights on the Left Bank which makes the line more interesting and more varied.

Boppard is located south of Koblenz on a elbow bend and allows for a variety of angles as the sun swings around. I’ve found from previous trips that Boppard is best in the morning. These photos are a selection from three days of photography based around Boppard.

I worked with three cameras; a Lumix LX3, Canon EOS 7D and Canon EOS 3 with Provia 100F film. Only the digital results are displayed here.

Rhein valley — A DB Class 101 electric leads southward IC train through vineyards near Boppard, Germany in September 2013. Exposed with a Lumix LX3. The Lumix is fitted with a Leica lens that allows for great depth of field.

This class 642 Desiro railcar made for an unexpected visitor in the Rhein Valley. These are not the normal railcars used on the line. Canon EOS 7D with 40mm pancake lens.

German signals. — Old style Germany signals at Boppard. DB has been replacing this style of hardware with less complex signals. Many of the older signals survive on the Right Bank line. Canon EOS 7D photo.

German passenger train with castle. — A DB class 120 electric shoves on the back of northward IC train departing Boppard station. Lumix LX3 photo.

German passenger train at Boppard. — The morning sun glints off the side of an IC train paused at Boppard for a station stop.I’ve used the platform awning to shield the direct light of the sun from the camera lens to avoid unwanted flare. Lumix LX3 photo.

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German Coal Railway—Part 2

September 12, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

RWE Power: Coal trains, power plants and wires.

Continuing to explore RWE Power’s coal network brought us to the company’s Nord-Sud-Bahn. Although much of the line is sequestered by trees or inaccessible, we found some recommended locations toward the north-end of the route near the Neurath Power Station.

Our second afternoon proved pleasant weather-wise, and the continuous parade of trains, including a diesel-hauled limestone run, made for a successful photo adventure.

Among the advantages of the North-Sud-Bahn as stated in the May 2013 article in Today’s Railways, is a greater variety of trains.

Although it’s difficult to convey in photographs, what we found interesting was that many of the northward trains reversed up the line, with the locomotive at the back and the rear hopper making a loud beeping to provide warning.

It seemed that all of RWE’s trains moved a gentle speeds which eases the photographic process.

I mostly worked with my Canon EOS 7D, but also exposed some color slides with my Canon EOS 3. In addition to the trains, I made a few photos of the related power infrastructure—impressive because of its enormous scale.

A diesel leads a train of limestone hoppers near Neurath. September 2012. Canon EOS 7D photo.

RWE Power's Neurath Power Station. — RWE Power’s Neurath Power Station.

RWE Power. — High voltage electric pylons stand like enormous soldiers at attention. These power lines are an important part of the electrical infrastructure related to RWE Power’s railway operations.

A panned view of an RWE Power EL1 electric locomotive. The line is electrified with an unusual 6000 volt 50Hz standard. Canon EOS 7D photo. — A panned view of an RWE Power EL1 electric locomotive. The line is electrified with an unusual 6000 volt 50Hz standard. Why a pan? This is an effective way of separating the dark green locomotive from the green trees. Canon EOS 7D photo.

A Vossloh diesel leads a coal train that originated off the RWE network and was delivered via the Deutsche Bahn network. The hoppers are of a smaller lighter variety than those used in captive service on RWE's lines. — A Vossloh diesel leads a coal train that originated off the RWE network and was delivered via the Deutsche Bahn network. The hoppers are of a smaller lighter variety than those used in captive service on RWE’s lines.

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German Coal Railway—Part 1

September 11, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

RWE Power’s Intensive Rail Network—September 2013.

RWE Power lignite train — Neither our map or Sat-Nav showed the new RWE-Power mainline at Buir, Germany—a line just recently opened. Yet, crossing the line on a road bridge we spotted this loaded train. We hadn’t been off the plane for even two hours. Canon EOS 7D photo.

German coal railway? 60 million tones annually? An article in May 2013 Today’s Railways Europe peaked my curiosity. Taking advantage of cheap fares on Ryan Air from Dublin to Maastricht, then into a Hertz rental car for the drive over the border brought an Irish friend and me trackside by early afternoon.

While I’ve long been aware of a heavy coal railway near Köln, despite regular trips to Germany over the last 20 years, until last week I’d never bothered to investigate it.

RWE Power (formerly Rheinbraun) operates an unusual railway. This is a largely electrified network which on its main stems primarily carries lignite coal from enormous open pits to nearby power stations. It is built to a very heavy standard and tracks are separated wider than normal to allow for larger than normal loading gauge.

Complicating matters, we’d forgotten to bring the Today’s Railways article with us. But we managed to find the tracks anyway. Our first glimpse of the RWE Power mainline was of the old Hambachbahn double track line serving the Tagebau Hambach coalfield. This line is soon to be removed to allow expansion of the coalfield.

Finding nothing moving on this section we decided to relocate and accidentally stumbled upon the ‘new’ Hambachbahn double track line located a couple of miles south of the old line, and parallel to Deutsche Bahn’s east-west Aachen and Köln main line at the village of Buir.

RWE Power is presently undertaking a massive relocation of railway, A4 autobahn, and town to develop the coal beneath. The newly built railway is extremely impressive and could easily be mistaken for a high-speed line.

At Buir, we met a local railway photographer named Björn who gave us lots of advice and assisted our further photography. As it turned out, the new line was only being used for loaded trains (which passed about every 20 minutes), while the old line was handling empties.

We spent a full 24 hours studying the railway and its operations. More to come!

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Conrail SD80MACs Near Middlefield, Massachusetts.

September 10, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Twenty Cylinder Monsters Roar West on July 19, 1997.

General Motors SD80MACs — On July 19, 1997, a pair of Conrail SD80MACs is roaring westward (but progressing at crawl) on the 1.67 percent climb just passed Milepost 130 near the old Middlefield Station location. It is here that the 1912 line relocation rejoined the original 1840s Western Rail Road alignment. (seen disappearing into the trees immediately to the left of the SD80MACs) Exposed on Fujichrome with a Nikon N90s and Nikon 80-200mm zoom lens.

Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, I made many trips to the old Boston & Albany ‘West End.’ I often focused on the east slope of Washington Hill, where the combination of scenery, ruling grade and traffic patterns was especially conducive to my photography.

In 1995, Conrail ordered a small fleet of SD80MAC diesels from General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division. These were Conrail’s first AC traction locomotives and specially painted in a new white and light blue livery. (Later also applied to a small order of SD70MACs).

They were also the only modern GM diesel locomotives delivered domestically with the 20 cylinder 710 engine.

From early 1996 until CSX assumed operation, pairs of SD80MACs were common on the old B&A route. I made a concerted effort to make images of these machines. I exposed this color slide in the summer of 1997 when the locomotives were still relatively new.

“Conrail: The Consolidated Rail Corporation”

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Electro-Motive Switcher in Holyoke, Massachusetts August 1987.

September 9, 2013 brian solomon 2 Comments

Capturing an Engine in its Environment.

Enthusiasm counts for a lot. I had just recently purchased a second-hand Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron, and I was seeing photos everywhere I looked.

I often poked around Holyoke, where the mix of 19^th century mill buildings and decaying railroad infrastructure offered endless possibilities for photography.

EMD SW1 — Springfield Terminal 1401 switches a carload of scrap metal at the north-end of Holyoke Yard on August 20, 1987. Exposed on Professional Kodachrome 25 (PKM) using a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron.

At that time, Guilford Transportation Industries was the big show in town. In addition to several through freights and a local, a switcher was often on duty drilling the Boston & Maine yard.

On August 20, 1987, I found this former Boston & Maine SW1, recently repainted and renumbered as Springfield Terminal 1401. I exposed this image from the street, across from the old passenger station. For me it captures the feel of Holyoke at the time.

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VIA Rail, Montreal, Quebec, October 24, 2004

September 8, 2013 brian solomon 2 Comments

A Clear Autumnal Canadian Morning.

Autumn is my favorite time to make photographs. Crisp days, rich low sunlight, and bright rusty foliage make for a great combination of conditions.

In Late October 2004, Tim Doherty and I spent several days exposing photographs around Montreal. On the morning of October 24, we worked this location south of downtown which featured a shining skyline view.

VIA Rail Montreal, Canada. — I exposed this image with my Nikon N90s and 80-200 zoom lens on Fujichrome film.

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Southern Pacific 4449 at Worden, Oregon, April 1991.

September 7, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

My First Glimpse of the Daylight.

SP Daylight painted steam locomotive — Southern Pacific Gs4 4449 in the classic Daylight livery works railroad-direction west near Worden, Oregon in April 1991. Exposed on Kodachrome 25 slide film. Exposure calculated manually using a Sekonic Studio Deluxe handheld photocell.

Southern Pacific’s streamlined Daylight was one of the great classic American trains. It was so popular that a recreation of the train was assembled in the 1980s using traditional equipment, including one of the last surviving SP 4-8-4s, the often photographed engine 4449.

In April 1991, I was traveling with Brian Jennison and J.D. Schmid in pursuit of various steam locomotives converging on Sacramento, California for RailFair 1991. Earlier in the week we’d made images of Union Pacific’s 844 and 3985 working former Western Pacific lines.

We’d driven overnight to this location just north of the California-Oregon state line. While I’d photographed SP lines in Oregon the previous year, Worden was new to me. The location was selected for the sweeping curve on an upgrade, which was hoped to produce a bit smoke. The location was selected for the sweeping curve on an upgrade, which was hoped to produce a bit smoke.

We knew that 4449 was on its way. I was fascinated. While I was very familiar with SP’s magnificent class Gs4 ‘Golden State’ 4-8-4s, having often seen them in photographs and magazines, this was my first experience with the engine in person.

By the time the train came into view, at least a dozen photographers were on site. A helicopter had landed on the far side of the tracks with video crew on board. This was more than just a train, it was an event!

I positioned my Nikon F3T with f4 200mm lens on my 3021 Bogen tripod loaded with Kodachrome 25. I also made exposures my Leica M2 handheld.

I made a selection of images as the train roared by. My favorite is this view, which has been various reproduced in books and other publications.

I deliberately broke a variety of conventions in the composition. Traditional steam photographers might shake their heads in dismay. I’m positioned on the ‘dark side’ of the tracks. I’m using a long telephoto lens. Instead of a centered view, I’ve positioned the train toward the left side of the frame.

Probably the most unusual thing was with my focus point. Instead of setting the focus on the front of the locomotive, I aimed it more toward the tail car. The combined result of the compositional effects is a peculiar tension that draws the eye toward the back of the train and to the scene, despite the dominance and drama of the engine.

Unhappy with this? Well, I also made a rather straightforward 50mm view. And, if that’s not good enough, did I mention the other dozen or so photographers?

Southern Pacific Gs4 4449 in the classic Daylight livery works railroad-direction west near Worden, Oregon in April 1991. Exposed on Kodachrome 25 slide film. Exposure calculated manually using a Sekonic Studio Deluxe handheld photocell.

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Monon Semaphores, Romney, Indiana, June 24, 2004

September 6, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Old General Railway Signal Semaphores In Corn Country.

CSX’s former Monon was among the last bastions of semaphores in automatic block territory in the United States. I made this image on the morning of June 24, 2004. While the line only saw a few trains in daylight, there were enough moves to keep the signals busy.

GRS Type 2A signals. — Exposed on Fujichrome with a Nikon F3T and Nikkor 180mm lens. The blade on the left displays ‘clear’, while that on the right shows ‘approach’. A northward train was on its way.

I wrote about this signal installation in my 2003 book, Railroad Signaling, published by MBI. This has since been reprinted as a softcover book. See: Quayside Press.

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MBTA at Walpole, Massachusetts, March 2, 1988

September 5, 2013 brian solomon 2 Comments

New EMD F40PH-2C with Classic Semaphore.

In the late 1980s only a few active semaphores remained in New England. One of the best places to see them was at the crossing of former New Haven Railroad lines in Walpole, Massachusetts.

Walpole, Massachusetts. — MBTA F40PH-2C crosses the diamond at Walpole. In 1988 this was still protected by New Haven-era semaphores. Exposed on Koadchrome 25 film using a Leica M@ and 35mm Summicron lens.

I made this photo of a new Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority F40PH-2 leading an outward train on the Franklin Line on the afternoon of March 2, 1988. The attraction for me was the contrast between the new locomotive and the ancient signal.

A variation of this image appeared in TRAINS Magazine some years ago. I exposed it on Kodachrome 25 using my Leica M2 with a f2.0 35mm Summicron.The combination of clear New England light, Leica optics, and K25 film enhanced the scene.

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Steam to Kilkenny, August 25, 2013—Part 4

September 4, 2013 brian solomon 2 Comments

Irish Rail Vignettes: Trains From the Train.

RPSI Kilkenny excursion — Approaching Carlow. Canon EOS 7D Photo.

Traveling by special train allows unusual perspectives of otherwise ordinary operations. It allows for images of technological contrasts and angles not normally possible.

The RPSI’s vintage Cravens are ideal rolling platforms from which to make photos because the windows open. Also, since the train travels at more conservative speeds, you have more time to absorb and record the passing scenes.

I’ll often work with a zoom lens and fast shutter speed (1/500^th of a second or higher) as to quickly frame an image and stop the action.

Other opportunity for photos are when the train stops for water, to collect or discharge passengers, and other long pauses at station platforms. All of these images were exposed during the The Marble City express excursion on August 25, 2013.

Inchicore works, Dublin — Stored 201 class diesels at Inchicore. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Irish Rail 081 shunts the RPSI Cravens at Kilkenny as an ICR arrives from Waterford. It's very rare to see a locomotive in Kilkenny since all the regular passenger trains are multiple units and the freight avoids the station. Canon EOS 7D Photo. — Irish Rail 081 shunts the RPSI Cravens at Kilkenny as an ICR arrives from Waterford. It’s very rare to see a locomotive in Kilkenny since all the regular passenger trains are multiple units and the freight avoids the station. Canon EOS 7D Photo.

Irish Rail 081 shunts the RPSI Cravens at Kilkenny

Mark 4 at Kildare. — Cork to Dublin Mark4 races up-road at Kildare on August 25, 2013. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Cork to Dublin Mark4 races uproad at Kildare with 201 class 232 pushing at the back on August 25, 2013. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Double ended 2700 class railcar 2751 at Inchicore. Canon EOS 7D photo. — Double-ended single 2700-class railcar 2751 at Inchicore. Canon EOS 7D photo.

GAA supporters line the platform at Drumcondra Station. Lumix LX3 photo.

A 29000-series railcar departs Connolly Station.

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Steam to Kilkenny, August 25, 2013—Part 3

September 3, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Up Close with Locomotive 461.

RPSI 461 — 461 at Athy. Lumix LX3 photo.

Excursions are a great opportunity to make detailed photos of railway equipment. In addition to the traditional angles, I like to get close and focus on characteristic elements of locomotives and railway cars.

Locomotive 461 is an old favorite. I’ve been photographing it for more than 15 years, and I think it’s safe to say that I have a fair few photos of it. But that’s never caused me pause; I keep looking for new ways and new angles on this old machine.

Here’s just a few from The Marble City trip on August 25, 2013.

Wheel bearing cover with the initials of 461s first owner, the Dublin & South Eastern Railway. Lumix LX3 photo.

Dublin & South Eastern Railway 461 — 461 detail view exposed with a Canon EOS 7D.

Hose draining at Kilkenny. — After watering the locomotive, RPSI crews laid out hoses on the platform to drain. This is an important part of the process, but rarely photographed. Lumix LX3 photo.

photography

Steam to Kilkenny, August 25, 2013—Part 2

September 2, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s “The Marble City.”

I was impressed by the efficiency of the trip. Irish Rail employees and RPSI volunteers cooperated to bring the trip off and ensure everyone on board had a safe and enjoyable trip.

As on other recent Irish excursions, I tend to focus on the people as well as the equipment. These trips are as much about the people as either the destination or the equipment.

Yet, it’s always interesting to see how people react to the steam locomotive. Passing Drumcondra Station in suburban Dublin, I watch the expressions of Irish Rail’s regular passengers as 461 puffed through with our excursion. These ranged from total bewilderment, as if a ghost from the past drifted across their bedroom, to nods of approval, and the occasional wave.

At every stop, passengers and passers by flocked to see the engine. The swarms of people are as much part of the scene as the engine and crew.

Yet, I found plenty of time to make close-ups of the equipment too. Check tomorrow’s post for some close-up views.

RPSI 461 at Kilkenny. — On the footplate of 461. Canon EOS 7D photo.

RPSI trip to Kilkenny. — RPSI train hosts. Lumix LX3 photo.

An RPSI member assists with servicing the locomotive.

Tune in tomorrow for some nuts and bolts.

Uncategorized

Steam to Kilkenny, August 25, 2013

September 1, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Passengers enjoying the spin behind steam. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s “The Marble City.”

On Sunday, August 25, 2013 locomotive 461 hauled a well-patronized Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s excursion from Dublin’s Connolly Station to Kilkenny via Cherryville Junction.

As is often the case this time of year in Ireland, it was a largely gray day. Steam locomotives present a difficult subject on warm dull days. As a result, I opted to travel on the train, rather than stake out a spot in the countryside to try for the one ‘master shot’.

This gave me ample opportunity to make close-ups of the locomotive, its crew, and friends traveling with the train. As well as pictures from the window.

I’d intended to bring my trusty old Nikon F3 to make a few color slides, but on the previous evening, I’d been making time exposures of Dublin and the trusty old battery in the F3 gave up the ghost. Failing to follow my own advice, I didn’t have a spare. (Although I have plenty of spare cameras).

As a result all of my images of “The Marble City” trip were exposed digitally. Some with my Lumix LX3, others with my Canon EOS 7D with 28-135 zoom. Check Tracking the Light over the next few days to view some of my results.

Steam to Kilkenny, August 25, 2013 — Overseeing boarding at Connolly Station, Dublin. Lumix LX3 photo.

RPSI trip August 25, 2013 — Locomotive driver Ken Fox greets RPSI’s members on the platform at Connolly. Lumix LX3 Photo.

Lumix LX3 photo. — Passengers enjoying the spin behind steam.

Startled cattle run alongside the train near Bagenalstown. Canon EOS 7D photo.

More to come!

photography

RJ Corman on the old Beech Creek, September 1997

August 31, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Coal Train in Central Pennsylvania.

On my external hard drive I have a file of photos called ‘Miscellaneous US Railroads’. I picked this photo at random. I thought it’s a neat image. Only after, I selected it, did I learn the the owner of the railroad, R.J. Corman himself, had very recently passed away. Odd how that works.

RJ Corman coal train along the Susquehanna. — An RJ Corman empty coal train works compass south from the Conrail interchange at Keating, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1997. This line follows the West Branch of the Susquehanna River through some exceptionally isolated rural areas of central Pennsylvania—scores at least ‘five banjoes’. Exposed with a Nikon N90S on Kodachrome 25.

Back in September 1997, Mike Gardner and I were on one of our many “PA Trips”. (In case you didn’t know, ‘PA’ is the postcode for Pennsylvania). While we would usually head to the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line for a ‘traffic fix’, often we’d then take time to suss out less-traveled lines.

On this day we called into Clearfield (the base for RJ Corman operations on former Conrail branches known as the ‘Clearfield Cluster’) , where we had a chat with some railroaders. They told us that a crew was called to take set of engines up to the Conrail connection at Keating to collect an empty coal train.

So armed with this knowledge we made a day (or at least a morning) of following RJ Corman’s former New York Central Beech Creek line. This traverses some very remote territory and access to the tracks is limited.

I made this photo a few miles south of Keating of the returning train. It was one of the few times I caught an RJ Corman train on the move.

photography

Genesee & Wyoming at P&L Junction, November 4, 1987

August 30, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

The Original G&W.

On the morning of November 4, 1987, I made a speculative foray to P&L (Pittsburgh & Lehigh) Junction near Caledonia, New York. At the time I was living in nearby Scottsville, and I’d occasionally check P&L to see if anything was moving.

Genesee & Wyoming at P&L Junction — Genesee & Wyoming SW1500 47 crosses the Peanut Line at P&L Junction. Thin autumnal high clouds softened the morning sun. The photo was exposed with a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron on Kodachrome 25 slide film.

P&L Junction had once been a very busy place. Here the original Genesee & Wyoming had connected with Lehigh Valley, Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh, a branch of the Erie, and New York Central’s so-called ‘Peanut Line.’By 1987, the only railroads left were G&W and its Rochester & Southern affiliate.

I was fortunate to find a southward train and I made this image of a southward G&W salt train heading across the diamond with a vestige of the old Peanut Line (that G&W used to reach a couple of miles into Caledonia). A classic ‘tilt board’ crossing signal protected the diamond.

Today, it seems that G&W railroads are everywhere. I even saw a G&W company freight in Belgium a couple of weeks ago. Back then, I couldn’t have imagined that this New York state short line would reach so far!

photography

Belfast & Moosehead Lake, Unity, Maine, August 29, 1986

August 29, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

27 Years Ago Today.

I spent a pleasant and memorable week photographing in Maine in August 1986.This was shortly before I began my studies at the Rochester Institute of Photography, and represented a moment of visual freedom, unburdened by demands of professors, intellectual assumptions, or assignment deadlines.

On August 29^th, Brandon Delaney and I had photographed the Maine Central. At Burnham Junction we stumbled upon the Belfast & Moosehead Lake working the Maine Central interchange.

Although this wasn’t my first experience with B&ML, I was delighted to catch this elusive operation at work. We chased the train back toward Unity. I made this image featuring a classic farm with barn and silos.

I exposed it on 35mm Kodachrome slide film using a Leica M2 with 200mm Leitz Telyt telephoto lens mounted with a bellows using a Visoflex viewfinder arrangement on a compact Linhof Tripod. Although cumbersome, this was my standard arrangement for making long telephoto views. Exposure was calculated manually using a Sekonic Studio Deluxe handheld light meter (photo cell).

Belfast rail trail to have parking, bathrooms

photography

Trams of Gent Part 2

August 28, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

One Europe’s Best Settings For Tram Photos.

Gent, Belgium. — De Lijn is Gent’s tram operator. Here a 1970s vintage PCC hums along with a church towering above it. Lumix LX3 photo.

It just seemed there was a photo opportunity everywhere I turned.In addition to these digital photos, I exposed a fair few color slides as well.

What’s that? Yes, film. But those images will remain latent (unprocessed) for some time yet.

Uncategorized

Trams of Gent—Part 1

August 27, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Narrow Gauge Railway Among Stunning Architecture.

Gent (sometimes spelled on maps as ‘Ghent’) is a moderately sized Belgian city with remarkable beautiful architecture. You’ve probably heard lots about nearby Brugge. I visited that city in 1999. Last week, on recommendation of friends, I traveled to Gent, which I found vastly more interesting and photogenic.

Gent’s narrow gauge tram system navigates the some of the most unusual trackage I’ve ever seen, while the city’s buildings and canals make for stunning settings for which to make photographs.

Tram, Gent — Modern tram glides along the streets of Gent, Belgium. Canon EOS 7D photo.

PCC cars in Gent. — Gent’s older trams are 1970s era PCC (Presidents Conference Committee) cars based on American designs. Canon EOS 7D photo.

A maze of tracks makes for curious operations.

The question may be asked: does the city provide a backdrop for trams, or rather, do the trams augment photos of the city?

The best to come . . .

photography

Brian’s Belgian Rail Marathon, Liege and Beyond

August 26, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Getting the most from My SNCB ‘Railpass’.

At Leige (Liège-Guillemins) I boarded an InterCity train for Brussels and glided along in comfort along perfectly maintained track. At Bruxelles-Nord/Brussel-Noord (French and Flemish names appear randomly applied to Brussels stations—so far as I can tell) I changed to another express, this one destined for Antwerp.

View from the train, Belgium. — Gazing east from a westward SNCB InterCity train bound for Brussels. Lumix LX3 photo.

I was aiming for Antwerpen Noorderdokken, a location I explored in March, where freight trains access the port of Antwerp. Another change of trains at Antwerp Central brought me to this station. As I walked toward my desired photo angle, I noticed a dark wall of clouds rolling in off the North Sea. (It had been clear and cloudless at Liege!)

Yet, I managed to photograph six freights before the sun vanished—mission accomplished. Boarding my eighth train of the day, I aimed to ride around Antwerp and then back toward Brussels.

By the end of the day, I’d visited eight locations and traveled on ten trains. Not too shabby for the first day of my August visit to Belgium.

Freight train. — A French freight diesel leads a container train from the Port of Antwerp near Antwerpen Noorderdokken. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Electric freight train, Belgium. — Belgian Class 13 electrics crawl along with an empty freight train near Antwerpen Noorderdokken. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Electric freight. — SNCB class 28 electrics lead a train of tanks from the Port of Antwerpen. Canon EOS 7D.

Train with dark clouds. — Dark clouds rolling off the North Sea signal the time to head back toward the station. Canon 7D photo.

SNCB passenger train. — Departing Antwerpen Noorderdokken on a local train, another SNCB passenger train was rolling along on an adjacent track. Lumix LX3 photo.

SNCB Class 27 electric at speed. — Many SNCB passenger trains work with locomotives at both ends. Here a class 27 electric works the back of a train accelerating toward Antwerp Central. I’m on a local that will run around Antwerp on a different route. Lumix LX3.

Tips and Technique

Magnificent Modern Railway Station at Liege, Belgium.

August 25, 2013 brian solomon 4 Comments

Calatrava’s Railway Masterpiece.

Calatrava's Liege Station. — Calatrava’s magnificent railway station at Liege is one of the finest modern structures in Europe. Lumix LX3 photo.

To my total surprise and delight, Liege (Liège-Guillemins) has been completely transformed since my last visit in August of 1998— when I paused to change trains from Bonn, Germany to Charleroi. I remember a dreary, tired and uninspired railway station and it was this facility I was expecting.

I admit, the new station had completely escaped my notice until that moment when I got off the train last week. I must have missed the memos, the parades and fireworks that certainly must have announced the opening of such a spectacular railway facility back in September 2009.

Calatrava designed station at Liege. — Liege station in August 2013. This graceful canopy was opened in September 2009. Lumix LX3 photo.

The station largely consists of modern vaulted canopy spanning five railway platforms. Designed by prolific Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava it is constructed of steel, concrete and glass, and makes for a very positive railway experience.

The canopy softens the sun while maintaining a bright environment to watch and photograph the passage of trains. Exposures must be made carefully, because the large white structure tends to fool camera meters in the same way of a bright snowy day.

I found it necessary to overexpose (add more light) by about 2/3s of a stop above what the camera meter had recommended.

Incidentally, Calatrava also designed two Dublin bridges over the Liffey; the Joyce Bridge near Heuston Station, and the Samuel Becket Bridge in the Docklands, both of which I’ve often photographed.

Liege Station — The new SNCB Station at Liege is a total contrast with the dreary postwar facility it replaced. LX3 photo.

Calatrava designed station at Liege, Belgium. — This memorizing structure compels photography from every angle. Yet, exposures must be calculated carefully or the proliferation of white and skylight can result in an underexposed (dark) image). LX3 photo.

SNCB InerCity train arriving at Liège-Guillemins. LX3 photo.

photography

Brian’s Belgian Rail Marathon—August 2013.

August 24, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Making Use of an SNCB ‘Railpass’ Ticket.

Does Belgium offer one western Europe’s best-kept secret railway experiences?

Belgian passenger train — Interior of the upper level on a double-deck SNCB train. Exposed with my Lumix LX3.

Railway station. — SNCB station entrance at Ottignies, Belgium in August 2013. Lumix LX3 photo.

In 1835, Belgium was first on the Continent to adopt the steam railway. It subsequently developed one of the densest railway networks in Europe. Today, (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges—Belgian National Railways) operates one of the best national networks.

Although, often overlooked in favor of more scenic countries, Belgium is a great place to ride trains. I’ll be honest, while I’d made a few trips to Belgium in the 1990s, in recent years I’d generally ignored it in favor of other places. Recently, I’ve been stunned to find what a pleasant place it is to ride trains.

The railway is well integrated with other modes. Services run frequently on regular intervals across the network. On most routes there’s a good mix of local and express trains. The equipment is varied and generally comfortable, and the staff are very professional, courteous, helpful, and smartly dressed.

On the downside, I found that some stations, especially un-staffed smaller ones, were neglected and in a poor state and this tended to detract from the overall experience. By contrast, other stations were in very nice shape.

I’ve made two trips to Belgium this year. Last week (August 2013), I made good use of a 10-ride ‘Railpass’ ticket that I purchased for 76 Euro back in March.

This is an open-ended ticket where you write in your starting station and destination with date of travel for each journey. From my experience its an excellent value, and especially valuable for wandering.

My goal was to make a circular trip to explore potential photographic locations while traveling lines I’d not previously experienced.

SNCB class 18 electric. — Platform level view of an SNCB class 18 electric at Ottignies, Belgium. Lumix LX3 photo.

Beginning in a southern Brussels suburb, I rode south via Ottignies (see yesterday’s post) and Namur to Marloie, and then eastward over a scenic secondary line to a small station called Esneux, where I spent an hour making photos.

From Esneux, I rode northward to Leige, where I found a stunning surprise . . .

(To be continued . . .)

SNCB electric passenger train. — My train to Esneux arriving at Marloie, a small station in southern Belgium. I appear to be on the wrong platform! (Its a good thing SNCB makes prolonged station stops). LX3 photo.

Train interior. — SNCB electric multiple unit interior. Large windows and spacious comfortable seat compensate for a basic functional design. Lumix LX3 photo.

Railway station in Belgium. — SNCB station at Esneux, Belgium, August 2013. Lumix LX3 photo.

SNCB station at Esneux, Belgium, August 2013. Lumix LX3 photo.

photography

SNCB at Ottignies, Belgium, August 16, 2013

August 23, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Compare Two Views of a Northward Express Train.

On the morning of August 16, 2013, I was changing trains at Ottignies, a suburban station south of Brussels on the line toward Luxembourg. I had just under an hour to explore and make photos.

For many ordinary passengers, I expect that changing trains is a purgatorial experience, but I’ve always found that is a great time to make photos and helps break up the journey. Such was the case this day.

The sky was bright and blue, and Ottignies was entirely new to me. The station has several platforms, and at regular intervals trains converge to allow passengers to change from one train to another. In addition it serves the local population.

I made this pair of photographs of a northward express train led by a SNCB (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges—Belgian National Railways) class 13 electric. What impressed me about this location was the slight jog in the track on approach to the station and the immense proportions of the overhead footbridge, which combined give the image greater depth.

A SNCB class 13 electric leads a Brussels-bound express passenger train through the station at Ottignies, Belgium on August 16, 2013. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with f2.8 100mm telephoto. Both images required nominal contrast adjustment in post processing.

My quandary in editing is deciding which of the two photos I prefer. The first offers a view with signals and more of the footbridge, while the second is more focused on the locomotive and train.

Both were exposed digitally with my Canon EOS 7D and 100mm lens. The train was moving swiftly and I had only moments to make my composition before it blitzed the platforms.

photography, Tips and Technique

Irish Rail at Stucumny Bridge, November 2009

August 22, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Trains Pass At Sunset on the Quad Track.

In November 2009, I was at Stucumny Bridge near Hazelhatch (west of Dublin on the Cork line) to take a look at the recently opened quad track. It was a clear evening and the sun was an orange ball hanging in the western sky.

Shortly before sunset, up and down Mark 4 trains (Dublin-Cork) passed each other making for a nice illustration of the relatively busy line. I’ve always like glint photos where trains reflect low sunlight but these are hard to execute in Ireland for a variety of reasons.

Sunset of trains passing. — An unmodified view; Irish Rail Mark 4 trains pass on the quad track at Hazelhatch in November 2009, exposed on Fujichrome Velvia 100 slide film
using a Canon EOS 3 and f2.8 200mm telephoto .

I exposed this with my Canon EOS 3 and f2.8 200mm telephoto on Fujichrome Velvia 100 slide film. (Velvia has a super-saturated color palate that tends to enhance the sunset glow).

I calculated the exposure based on the sky rather than taking an overall reading that would tend to over expose the image. Here a bit of experience working with low sun really helps.

For me the real problem with the photo is the difficult wire cutting across the middle of the frame. There may have been an angle to avoid this altogether, but with the two trains moving, I had only a few moments to release the shutter. The electrical pylons and high voltage wires in the distance don’t bother me, these are part of the scene.

Irish rail at sunset. — Here’s the same scan of Mark 4 trains at Hazelhatch, but modified using Photoshop to effectively erase the cable cutting across the middle of the frame. This image is an experiment, and by far the exception to the rule. I very rarely alter the content of my images.

I’ve taken the liberty of making an adjusted version of the photo by using Photoshop to extract the wire. I enlarged the scan of the slide and using the ‘Healing Brush’ and ‘Clone’ tools, I effectively blended the offending wire out of the image.

This is not something I normally do. Typically, I don’t apply visual surgery to alter my photos. However, with modern tools and a sense for retouching this is not especially difficult. It’s taken me twice as long to write up this post than it took to erase the wire. You can be the judge.

photography

Southern Pacific on Donner Pass, June 1990.

August 21, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Working with Harsh Light in the California Sierra.

On the advice of J.D. Schmid, in June 1990, I’d bought my first single lens reflex; a Nikon F3T (which I still use, occasionally). Initially, I owned just two lenses: a 35mm PC (perspective control—tilt/shift) and a second-hand Nikkon f4.0 200mm telephoto.

For most of my photography, I was still working with my Leica M2, and so the Nikon was just a new toy.

Living in Roseville, California near the Southern Pacific yard, gave me ample opportunity to explore and photograph SP operations. My favorite subject was Donner Pass, and most weekends would find me wandering around at high elevations seeking angles on the railroad.

Southern Pacific on Donner Pass. — A Southern Pacific freight descends Donner Pass between Crystal Lake and Yuba Pass, California in June 1990. Exposed with a Nikon F3T with 200mm lens on Kodachrome 25 slide film. As with other of my backlit images, the secret is keeping the sun from falling on the front element.

The Sierra can be a challenging place to make railroad photos. On this morning, I was between Yuba Pass and Crystal Lake on the west slope of Donner. I’d photographed this SP westward freight descending the mountain using the new F3T and 200mm lens on Kodachrome 25.

Despite photographic conventions, I was positioned on the dark side of the line, and aimed into the sun, while looking cross-light the train. The glinty back-lit rocks help silhouette the locomotives. Although the time of day resulted in harsh contrast and a stark scene, I like the result. It captures the spirit of raw mountain railroading that for me was SP on Donner.

This is a place where the tracks are cut into a rock shelf and require lots of power to get trains over the spine of the Sierra Range. Back lighting and telephoto compression shows the heat of from the dynamic brakes rolling off the tops of SP’s ‘Tunnel Motors’ (locomotives specifically built to endure the rigors of Donner). In the distance is a hint of one of SP’s wide signal bridges, necessary for winter operations.

photography

South Shore Sunset, October 1994

August 20, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Interurban Electric Near South Bend, Indiana.

I was driving from Erie, Pennsylvania back to Waukesha, Wisconsin after a week of photography on the former Baltimore & Ohio in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

West of South Bend, the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend runs parallel to the former New York Central ‘Water Level Route’ (then operated by Conrail).

I’d found a lightly used grade crossing, where I photographed a few Conrail freights. I didn’t have a South Shore schedule, but hoped I might see something roll over the old interurban electric line.

Ten years earlier, I’d taken a memorable trip over the line from Chicago to South Bend. Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, my father had made many images of the South Shore, and I was always fond of the line, despite having missed its operation of antique multiple units and Little Joe electrics that had made the line popular with photographers.

South Shore electric — Caption: Outbound South Shore train at sunset near South Bend, Indiana in October 1994. Signals on Conrail’s parallel former New York Central mainline are visible to the left of the train. Exposed on Fujichrome 100 with a Nikkormat FT3 with 28mm Nikkor lens

As daylight faded, I notice that the old Union Switch & Signal color signals facing me suddenly changed from displaying yellow to red. This indicated to me that something was about to happen. And, sure enough, a few minutes later I could hear a train clattering along.

I found a low angle to feature the richly colored sky and I made a single exposure on Fujichrome 100 using my Nikkormat FT3 with 28mm Nikkor lens. This remains one of my favorite railway photos: for me it captures the essence of South Shore’s interurban electric operation. I’ve used it in various places over the years.

photography

Lanesboro, Pennsylvania, October 21, 2001

August 19, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

Erie Railroad’s Starrucca Viaduct.

In October 2001, I was working on my book Railroad Masterpieces (Published by Krause Publications in 2002). Among the featured ‘masterpieces’ was Erie Railroad’s magnificent Starrucca Viaduct at Lanesboro, Pennsylvania. A classic Jim Shaughnessy under and over view was used on the book cover.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Lanesboro, Pennsylvania, October 21, 2001 — Starrucca Viaduct at Lanesboro, Pennsylvania on the morning of October 21, 2001. Exposed on Fuji Sensia 100 slide film with a Nikon F3T with Nikkor f2.8 180mm lens.

Posting photos on Tracking the Light yesterday of Lanesborough, County Longford, reminded me of this image at another Lanesboro (albeit a different spelling) many miles and an ocean away.

On October 21, 2001, Tim Doherty and I drove to Lanesborough so I could photograph Starrucca. At the time Norfolk Southern was operating the line and very little traffic was traversing the bridge. We didn’t expect to find a train and as it happened, we didn’t see any that morning.

Later, we photographed the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Tunkhannock Viaduct and former Pennsylvania Railroad Rockville Bridge. All three bridges were covered in the same section of the book, and I thought it would be neat to visit all of them in one day.

A black & white variation of this image appeared in the book, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the color version published. I’ve always liked the tree shadow on the inside of the 4^th arch.

Tracking the Light posts new material every morning.

Please spread the word and share Tracking the Light with anyone who may enjoy seeing it!

http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/

photography

Bord na Mona, Lanesborough, August 10, 2013

August 18, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

A Pleasant Summer’s Day Exploring an Irish Narrow Gauge Railway.

Bord na Mona trains. — Laden Bord na Mona trains approach Lanesborough, County Longford on the morning of August 10, 2013. Canon EOS 7D photo.

Last winter, I made several visits with my friends to Bord na Mona’s network focused on the Lough Ree Power Station at Lanesborough, County Longford. (See: Irish Bog Railways—Part 2 February 16, 2013, Irish Bog Railways—Part 3, March 2, 2013), On Saturday, August 10, 2013, I returned for another day of photography on this fascinating system.

Having explored various Bord na Mona railways (see: Irish Bog Railways—Part 1, Irish Bog Railways—Part 4, August, 2013), I find that the lines around Lanesborough are the most interesting and photogenic. Here variety of scenery and operations are exceptionally conducive to my photography.

Summer offers more pleasant temperatures and longer days, but also brings more foliage, taller grass and other challenges that I didn’t experience in February!

I think its safe to say that I didn’t get bored with Bord na Mona. From the first moment trackside, the railway seemed to be buzzing with trains. The section of double track running east from Lanesborough toward Mountdillon was especially busy.

I even had another opportunity to catch one of the ash trains on the move. (See: Bord na Mona’s Ash Train). Perhaps my bold proclamation of its elusivity has tipped the scales in my favor—a sort of reverse jinx, as it were.

Or maybe, its my persistence. It’s nice to get a lucky catch, but likewise, the more time spent trackside, the better the odds of seeing the unusual, as well as the elusive, the rare, and the obscure. Having a better sense for when trains run helps too!

Bord na Mona — An empty rake near Derreghan Cross Roads with the expanse of harvested boglands on the right.

photography

Freight Train at Rijeka, Croatia on August 17, 2005.

August 17, 2013 brian solomon Leave a comment

On This Day Eight Years Ago.

Rijeka, Croation — Exposed with a Nikon N90s with a Nikkon 85mm lens on Fuji Sensia 100.

Eight years ago today I was traveling in Croatia by train. I made this image from the platform of the Rijeka station. It shows one of Croatian Railways (Hrvatske Zeljeznice and known by the initials HZ) class 1061 electrics (an articulated type adapted from an Italian State Railways design) leading a short freight from Rijeka’s main goods yard.

Rijeka is a scenically situated Adriatic port. My great-grandmother was from a village near here. She emigrated to the United States in the late 19^th century, back when Rijeka was known as Fiume, a city in the former Austrian-Hungarian empire.

Austria-Hungary was fragmented as a casualty of World War, which began as result of strife in the Balkans. Exploring the old empire is among my hobbies.

Greetings from Rovinj, Croatia

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