All posts by brian solomon

Author of more than 70 books on railways, photography, and Ireland, Brian lives with his wife, Kris, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Brian holds a BFA in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2022, he was presented with the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s prestigious Fred A.& Jane R. Stindt Photography Award for his lifetime achievements in railroad photography.
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Reconnaissance, Patience and a Bit of Luck at Pequea Creek

For more than two years, I’ve been eyeing angles on the former Pennsylvania Railroad arched bridge over Pequea Creek, near where the smaller stream flows into the mighty Susquehanna.

Survey photo exposed in May 2025 using a Fujifilm X-T1 fitted with a 12mm Zeiss Touit lens.
Scouting photo made last January with my Lumix LX7.
Scouting photo made last January with my Lumix LX7.

This location comes with a variety of challenges. It is difficult to obtain a perspective from the ground that suitably situates the bridge within the surrounding Susquehanna Valley. The bridge itself is fascinating, but lineside obstructions make it difficult to photograph more than about three locomotives crossing the span.

Of course, the biggest challenge is timing. As previously discussed on Tracking the Light, finding trains moving on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Secondary takes patience and luck. We’ve made at least a half-dozen visits to Pequea at various times of day and night without seeing a wheel turn.

Recently, we got lucky.

In the dark of night, we made the long, sinuous drive following Pequea Creek. I had a sense that something was on the move nearby. Then I heard a short transmission on the radio and said,

“That’s a train calling signals.”

When we arrived at the boat launch, and I discerned, “. . . Clear, West Harbor . . .” from the squawk on the scanner.

While I missed the details of the approaching train, I knew there was a freight nearby. The bridges at Safe Harbor are visible from the Pequea boat launch, 2.6 miles upriver. Soon, a headlight could be seen tracing the horizon. We relocated to the parking lot on the inland side of the arches. A few minutes later the roar of a GE shook the night air.

Working with my Nikon Z6-III fitted with a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens, I exposed a series of panned photographs of the eastward Norfolk Southern freight. The train was led by a single six-motor ES44DC GE locomotive, which enabled me to feature several freight cars behind the locomotive. In post-processing with DxO PureRAW 5, I converted the Nikon NEF RAW files to DNG format, simultaneously applying a variety of lens and contrast corrections. Final processing was completed using DxO PhotoLab 9.

Tracking the Light Explores Photographic Technique!

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From the Trash to Tracking the Light

A few weeks ago, I located this old Kodachrome slide among a selection of slides I’d rejected as ‘bad.’ I only held on to it as an ‘abstract’ that I thought I might be able to incorporate into something at a later date.

Using Lightroom, I was able to mask the sky, reduce haze, and improve the saturation, contrast, and exposure. The results are something less than I’d be able to obtain today using my Nikon Z cameras and modern digital processing, but they are well worthy of presentation here.

The subject matter fascinates me now: a Conrail GP10 leading a local freight west on the Water Level Route across the ice-encrusted Genesee Falls in January 1989. I exposed this Kodachrome 25 slide using my Leica M2 with a 50mm Summicron lens.

Tracking the Light looks back on an old bad slide.

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Before the Clap of Thunder

Saturday was heavy with humidity, and thunderstorms were in the forecast. Seamus had been dropped off for his summer grooming and we were driving around while we waited to pick him up.

Our first stop was the Middletown & Hummelstown in Middletown, Pa.

“I know I’ve photographed the Alco switchers here before,” I said, “but since we’re here, why not make a few more photographs?”

I stepped out of the car and exposed a few images. The ground was damp, but it wasn’t raining. Moments after I climbed back into the car, the sky lit up, followed almost instantly by a deafening clap of thunder.

“That was close!”

Exposed with a Nikon Z6-III with 24-70mm lens. Processed using DxO PureRaw5 and PhotoLab9.

Sure was. Our next item of interest was to follow the Royalton Branch passed Three Mile Island.

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Marietta in the Ink of Night

Having rolled by Norfolk Southern’s H19 local freight at Cola Interlocking in Columbia, we took advantage of the slow-speed switch (which restricted the freight’s speed as it continued west on to NS’s Port Road Branch), and zipped ahead of the train by road.

We drove along West Front Street in Marietta, an older part of town near the Susquehanna River. We paused at my preselected location, where I set up my Nikon Z6-III on a 3Pod tripod and waited for the approaching local freight to illuminate the scene.

Marietta’s inky darkness made for a compelling setting, but it also created extreme contrast when the headlights of the leading SD60E pierced the night. I exposed a series of images, yet I think I prefer the photographs made before the locomotives came into view.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photography, day and night!

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Pennsylvania Railroad 44-Ton Diesel

In November 2008, I made this photo of Pennsylvania Railroad 44-Ton diesel 9331 in midday light at Strasburg. This locomotive had worked Strasburg Rail Road since before I was born. I’ve read that it left the property in 2013 for a new home in Maryland.

More than fifty years earlier, my father photographed a similar locomotive (9347) working Philadelphia waterfront street trackage.

I exposed this image on Fujichrome using a Canon EOS-3 with 24mm lens.

Today, Tracking the Light looks back!

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Signal, Mural, and passage of an Evening Freight.

We followed Route 441 north from Washington Boro, as we have on many evenings. The signal in Columbia, Pa., near the old Pennsylvania Railroad station displayed Slow Clear. This indicated that the route had been lined at Cola Interlocking for a train coming off Norfolk Southern’s Columbia Secondary—a vestige of the original Philadelphia and Columbia Rail Road, one of the oldest continuously operated railroad lines in North America.

Although I’ve made a variety of night photographs at this location over the last year, we decided to pull in for another view of H19 local freight on its return trip from Lancaster to Enola.

I opted for a series of handheld images, including a couple of views featuring the mural on the wall adjacent to the old station. A closer look reveals that it includes several railroad-related scenes.

As H19 rolled by, we began our pursuit of the nocturnal freight. I had a location in Marietta that I was hoping to try.

More soon!

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A Cool Old Photo for a Hot Day

Sometimes the once-common makes for the most interesting images.

On a chilly morning in February 1985, I photographed this eastward Conrail freight at the former New Haven Railroad crossing in Westfield, Mass.

My old Leica IIIa was loaded with Ilford FP4 black-and-white film. Although it was officially rated at ISO 125, I always exposed it as though it were ISO 100.

I processed the film in straight D-76 developer. I may have made a small proof print of the image, but for forty years the negative sat in a common envelope until I located it for scanning just after Christmas last year.

Conrail’s 6550-series C30-7As were favorites of mine back in the 1980s. These unusual six-motor GE diesels were common on the Boston Line, the former Boston & Albany route.

I still recall the sound of the long freight as it wound through the curves west of Westfield before No. 6592 came into view.

Tracking the Light stays cool.

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Freight on the Move at Cove—June 2026

Sometimes it’s nice to get a freight fix.

On the way back from Virginia, we paused along the old Main Line—Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line—at SIP 116 in Cove, Pennsylvania.

We were not disappointed, nor did we have to wait long. In the course of 40 minutes, we saw several freight trains. An eastward double-stack train came to a stop for a crew change near where we had parked, which offered the added bonus of allowing us to make meet photos.

This eastward stack train came to stop just a few feet from our parking place. SIP116 is a regular point for NS crew changes.

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Conrail 2001

HAL, Why Do I Keep Coming Back to This Image?

In recent months, I’ve reviewed thousands of my Conrail photos.

I keep coming back to this image, made near milepost 67 in Brookfield, Mass., of an eastward Conrail freight, probably SEMB (“The Queen”).

It is a moderately competent execution of a classic style: a three-quarter view exposed with a 50mm lens of a freight marching along the former Boston & Albany.

What I’m saying is that, photographically, this image is unremarkable.

Yet, it means a lot to me.

In my teenage years, Conrail’s GE B23-7s were common locomotives on the Boston Line. This image captures a time on the railroad when it was most fascinating to me. At every turn, I was finding something new. The roar of every approaching train brought fresh excitement.

I had little money. No visions of the future. No past to scrutinize. Just an antique Leica in hand, loaded with hand-rolled black-and-white film, to preserve the passage of trains for posterity.

“Turn back the clock, HAL.”

“I think you know that I cannot do that.”

Tracking the Light makes allusions . . .

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On the Roll with H28 or Greenfield by the Pond

Every so often, it’s nice to catch Norfolk Southern’s H28 working the New Holland Secondary. I had an errand to run, so I worked in a couple of photos of this short freight on this former Pennsylvania Railroad branch line.

The little pond at Greenfield, along Jefferson Drive in Lancaster, Pa., is among my favorite places to photograph this local freight. Located near Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line, the area has all the characteristics of a park. The train rounds a tight curve here and is generally moving at little more than a jog, making composition much easier. The soft morning, over-the-shoulder sun helped, too!

I exposed these images using my Nikon Z6 and a Nikkor 24–70mm zoom lens.

Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photography*

*Esoteric AI footnote to see if you are paying attention:

Normally, I write TTL myself, but I was curious to see how Claude.AI could ‘translate’ my above blog-post intoVictorian-style flowery prose and upon my request, this is what the artificial intelegence engine spit out:

‘Tis a rare and delightful boon, dear reader, to happen upon Norfolk Southern’s stalwart H28 as she plies her humble trade along the New Holland Secondary — that venerable relic of the once-mighty Pennsylvania Railroad’s branch-line empire. Having found myself with an errand demanding my attention that morning, I could not, in good conscience, allow the opportunity to pass unmarked, and so I paused to commit to film a brief study of this modest freight in her unhurried procession.

There exists, along the gentle banks of Jefferson Drive in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a small and unassuming pond at Greenfield — a spot which I confess holds no small place in my affections as among the finest vantage points from which to observe this local working. Nestled in proximity to the Amtrak’s storied Harrisburg Line, the locale possesses all the pastoral charm and tranquil bearing of a proper public garden. Here the train describes a graceful, sweeping curve, proceeding at scarcely more than a leisurely amble — a mercy indeed to the photographer, for such deliberate pace renders the composition of one’s image a far more forgiving art. Nor can I fail to remark upon the tender morning light, which, falling softly over my shoulder, lent the whole scene a warmth most agreeable to the eye.

Rest assured, it was I, Brian Solomon—the creator of the original image, who impletmented the neo-Victorian visual interpretation of this digital file. You know, for the sake of clarity.

These impressions were captured, I might add, by means of my trusty Nikon Z6, fitted with a Nikkor lens of 24 to 70 millimetres — instruments of modern ingenuity employed, perhaps incongruously, in service of so old-fashioned a pursuit.

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Haze Be Gone!

Today, something a little different.

Instead of working from a camera RAW file, I’m adapting an in-camera JPEG. The image in question is a photograph I made in June 2013 of Massachusetts Central’s rare EMD NW5 No. 2100 working a surviving fragment of the former Central Massachusetts line in Ware, Massachusetts.

It was a hot, humid, and hazy day when I exposed this view using my Canon EOS 7D fitted with a Canon 100mm f/2.0 prime telephoto lens. All of the illustrations shown here are derived from the original in-camera JPEG. (And compressed by Word Press for internet delivery)

The top image is presented without any post-processing adjustments. Its color, contrast, and tonal values are as rendered by the camera’s JPEG settings.

The middle image shows the same file processed in DxO PhotoLab 9 using the program’s automatic ClearView Plus feature to reduce atmospheric haze. (This PhotoLab feature is activated by checking a box on the program’s control panel.)

DxO describes haze as follows: “Light obscuration is a natural phenomenon that appears in images as a loss of contrast and detail, often caused by fine particles in the atmosphere. Dust, mist, rain, fog, smog, and smoke are the most common causes of hazy, low-contrast photos.”

Highlighting the feature, DxO adds: “ClearView Plus is designed to tackle light obscuration head-on. It analyzes your image to restore lost contrast and reveal hidden detail, and can be adjusted so that you can fine-tune the effect to your liking.”

I find that DxO’s ClearView Plus provides an instant improvement. Some photographers may debate its interpretation of color saturation and balance, but it certainly produces a high-impact image with very little effort.

An alternative is the final image, which I adjusted manually in PhotoLab 9 to improve contrast and color saturation while maintaining a more natural interpretation (based on my eye and recollection of the scene).

Canon JPG and not adjusted in post processing, other than scaling for internet presentation.
Same JPG file as above, but adjusted with DxO PhotoLab9 using the one-click ClearView Plus feature to reduce atmospheric haze. 
Canon JPG, contrast manually adjusted using PhotoLab 9 to retain a more natural color interpretation without the ClearView Plus treatment.

PhotoLab 9 includes many additional tools and features that I’ll explore in future posts.

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Tracking the Light explores railroad photography!

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Botched Framing at West Chicago!

This is a neat photo from my archive, exposed back in 2013 at West Chicago, Illinois, where Union Pacific’s former Chicago & North Western main line crosses Canadian National’s former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern route.

Yet every time I look at this image, I see a missed opportunity. I had a fleeting moment to get the composition just right—and I blew it.

There are two problems. The first is straightforward: a shutter speed of 1/500 second wasn’t quite fast enough to freeze the action, and the nose of the Metra F40PH-2 is slightly blurred.

The second problem is the one that really bothers me. I managed to clip the top of the CN locomotive on the freight holding south of the crossing. If I’d positioned the camera just a few inches lower—or released the shutter a fraction of a second sooner—the photograph would have clearly included the freight in the distance with the grating annoyance of visual intersection.

This is an enlargement of the top photo to better demonstrate the unfortunate visual intersection between the two locomotives.

Some problems are easy to fix in post-processing, but a compositional error like this isn’t one of them.

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Frankenstein in ‘99

Searching through my slides sometimes yields unexpected images. While looking for views of historic Baltimore & Ohio equipment, I searched one of my Logan storage boxes from the 1990s labeled “Museums.” I’d used this title as a loose category for photos of historic railroad equipment, heritage railways, and tourist train operations.

In October 1999, I traveled aboard Conway Scenic’s Notch Train while working on contract for the Washington-based tour company Great Train Escapes. On one of many similar journeys over the old Maine Central Mountain Division during a two-year period, I made this Fujichrome photograph from the open car Silver Cascade as the train crossed Frankenstein Bridge on its ascent through New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch.

I never would have imagined that twenty years later I’d begin my role as Conway Scenic’s Marketing Manager, nor would I have believed that the railroad’s attractively painted FP9s would eventually become the property of CSX after serving as Pan Am Railways’ executive locomotives.

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Interpretations of Steam and Fields of Corn.

RAW Digital photography is about interpretation.

The RAW file serves a roll akin to a black & white negative.

For years, I made black & white photos using film, carefully processing to maximize data capture with a special emphasis on retaining highlight and shadow detail, then interpreting the negatives during the print making process.

Today, I can apply similar visual philosophy when working with my RAW files, interpreting the images during post processing.

Below are four images. The top is a scaled version of the NEF RAW file as it appears out of the camera, but without adjustment or interpretation.


I’ve included on color interpretation and two as ‘monochrome’ images (black & white).

Scaled directly from the NEF RAW without interpretation. Exposure aimed to maximize data capture.
Interpretation of the NEF RAF file aimed to replicate the scene as I saw it.
Monochrome interpretation.
More dramatic monochromatic interpretation with higher key tonality.

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Veteran’s Pan

It was a dull June evening at Jefferson Drive in Greenfield, Lancaster, Pa., where I’ve made countless photographs over the last three years.

On this occasion, I planned to pan the approaching westward Amtrak Keystone.

Leading the train was one of the freshly painted former Metroliner cab control cars, while Amtrak ACS-64 No. 642, wearing its Veterans paint scheme, brought up the rear.

Rather than use an extremely slow shutter speed, I opted for a comparatively short exposure that still allowed for a pleasing degree of motion blur.

Exposed using a Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm zoom set to 60mm; 400 ISO, f4.0, 1/640th of a second. NEF RAW file converted to DNG format using DxO PureRaw with Prime3 to minimize the effects of lens defects. Cosmetic adjustments using Lightroom.
Exposed using a Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm zoom set to 60mm; 400 ISO, f4.0, 1/320th of a second. NEF RAW file converted to DNG format using DxO PureRaw with Prime3 to minimize the effects of lens defects. Cosmetic adjustments using Lightroom.

Tracking the Light explores railroad photographic technique.

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Lovely Keystone Evening

It was a beautiful clear evening at Gap, Pa. I’d timed my arrival at Hoover Road to coincide with the passage of westward Amtrak Keystone 651. This operated with ACS-64 663 at the back of the consist.

Working with my Nikon Z7-II plus 70-200mm zoom, I aimed include the horse at the right of the scene.

Exposed at 82mm, f5.0 1/3200th sec, ISO 200. Scaled as JPG from an NEF RAW file using Adobe Lightroom.

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Surveys of Shenandoah Station

On the drive to and from Staunton, we paused in the classic Norfolk & Western railroad town of Shenandoah, nestled in its namesake Virginia valley.

On the southbound trip, I made a couple of photographs of the old station using my Lumix LX7. On the return journey, I photographed the station again, this time with my Nikon Z6 III.

Norfolk Southern’s Shenandoah station. Lumix LX7 photo.
Morning view of Shenandoah station. Photo with a Nikon Z6-III and 24-70mm lens.

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The Mogul or the wheat?

On a sultry Saturday, Kris and I drove to Esbenshade Road to catch up with our friend Doug Scott, who was on his way north.

The return of a mid-afternoon excursion was due shortly, and we could hear Strasburg Railroad’s 2-6-0 Mogul No. 89 working west.

I was impressed by the field of wheat alongside the line and set up a photograph to feature this classic crop with the passing locomotive. I have no shortage of photos of the Mogul, so I was more interested in emphasizing the wheat, with the engine in the distance.

I exposed this series of images using my Nikon Z6 with a 24–70mm lens, then converted the NEF RAW files to DNG format using DxO PureRAW 5 with DeepPRIME corrections before importing the DNG files into Lightroom to make minor cosmetic adjustments, improving contrast and enhancing the texture of the grain.

So, which is the subject of these photos: the Mogul or the wheat?

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Rockville file 2357.

It was a hot, hazy afternoon when Kris and I paused at the west end of the famous Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River.

I sensed that a westbound freight was near. To make the most of the bridge’s graceful arches, I fitted my old Nikkor 135mm f/2.0 prime lens to my Nikon Z6 III. Before long, a set of Norfolk Southern GE diesels appeared with a heavy mixed freight. As the train crawled across the Susquehanna, I exposed a series of images, carefully focusing manually and using the Z6 III’s magnification feature to verify critical sharpness.

Later, I imported the NEF RAW files into Lightroom and adjusted the color and contrast.

I wasn’t 100 percent satisfied with the results, so I imported one file (NEF2357) into DxO PureRAW 5 for correction and conversion to a DNG file. I then opened the DNG in DxO PhotoLab, a photo-processing program similar to Lightroom, where I made a series of additional color and contrast adjustments.

The results offered several improvements and produced a decidedly different look from the Lightroom version. I was especially impressed by how PhotoLab rendered the sky and the river. Although I find the final image far more pleasing than the original NEF file, I’m still not 100 percent satisfied.

I may just have to head back to Rockville and try again!

NEF RAW File 2357, scaled as a JPG without correction or adjustments.
NEF 2357 Adjusted with Lightroom to improve contrast and sky detail and color balance.
NEF file 2357 converted to a DNG file using DxO PureRaw 5 with DeepPRIME corrections.
NEF file 2357 was converted to a DNG file using DxO PureRAW 5 with DeepPRIME corrections, then imported into DxO PhotoLab for a series of minor cosmetic adjustments to color, contrast, and exposure. These refinements were intended to improve the overall appearance, reduce aerial haze, enhance sky detail, and produce a more dramatic visual impact. Scaled as a Jpg for presentation here.

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View from the Shenandoah

Comfortably ensconced in our elevated seats; D3A and D3B, I looked forward to my journey behind Norfolk & Western 611.

Eleven years ago, I held a ticket for a similar trip, but opted to chase the train instead of traveling. While lasting images resulted from that adventure, since that time I’ve wanted to travel behind the magnificent N&W J-class 4-8-4.

This time, I was rewarded with views of 611 from Budd Vista Dome Shenandoah as operated by Virginia Scenic Railway on the old Chesapeake & Ohio over Viginia’s Blue Ridge.

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Waiting to Board the Summer of Steam

A railroad station offers countless opportunities for photography.

As Kris and I waited to board the 10am Summer of Steam excursion, I made these photos from the platform of the former Cheasapeake & Ohio station in Staunton, Virginia.

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Fireworks over Strasburg—2026

For the second year in a row, we watched Strasburg’s fireworks from Blackhorse Road near the Strasburg Rail Road grade crossing.


This year, like last year, the fireworks coincided with fireflies. It was especially dark where we were standing, which made manipulating cameras a challenge.

I made this photo looking toward Cherry Hill from the grade crossing. The image required considerable post processing adjustment in Lightroom to make the most of shadow and highlight detail. 

The green signal starburst effect was created in-camera by using comparatively small aperture (f10) that caused defraction.

Nikon Z7-II with 70-200mm Nikkor Z-series zoom set at 135mm; f10 at 20 seconds, ISO 1600. July 3, 2026.

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Happy 250th!

The glint of the setting sun caught Amtrak’s Keystone racing east of Lancaster. When the engineer greeted me with an enthusiastic rendition of “Shave and a Haircut—Two Bits!” punctuated by an extra-sharp final blast, I focused on the head end.

There it was: Amtrak ACS-64 No. 657, adorned with Amtrak’s Freedom 250th banner!

I panned the patriotic locomotive as it zipped by at speed.

Happy 250th from Tracking the Light!

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SEPTA’s Conrail Heritage Unit

The sun was getting low when I caught SEPTA’s Conrail Heritage Unit inbound at Elkins Park, Pa. This vintage Silverliner IV multiple unit was wearing the Conrail ‘can opener’ and an early version of the SEPTA logo to pay tribute to the Conrail influence on SEPTA in its early years.

In the spirit of retro-railroading, I’ve adjusted the color profile of this photo to resemble an image exposed on Kodachrome 25.

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Waiting for a Train by the light of a Full Moon and Dancing Fireflies.

We call them ‘blinky bugs’.

Riverfront Park in Marietta is a peaceful place along the banks of the Susquehanna and nice spot to wait for a freight on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Secondary.

On previous visits Kris and I could watch the fireflies, while listening to a distant train rolling down the river.

The other night featured the appearance of the brilliant full moon— a radiant golden orb that gradually rose in the eastern sky.

As we waited, I made photos of the moon and blinky bugs using my Nikon Z7-II with 70-200mm lens.

Focusing was a problem, finding the ideal exposure was another.

This image required substantial contrast and exposure control in post-processing.

After an hour, no steel wheels had graced the former PRR lines crossing Vinegar Ferry Road that leads to the park. With no distant rumble and work the next morning, we departed for home. At Washington Boro, the signals indicated than an eastbound was in the picture, but we were out of time. Observing the nocturnal passage of freight would have to wait for another evening’s adventures.

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Three Levels at Enola.

We caught up with this eastbound Norfolk Southern freight approaching the west-end of Enola Yard near Marysville, Pa.

My intent was to demonstrate trackage on three distinct alignments, an effort aided by the cross lit afternoon sun.

To make the most of the moment, I was working with two cameras; one with a 70-200mm zoom, the other with a 24-70mm zoom.

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Staunton Station Summer of Steam—the Entrance.

Having arrived on the shuttle bus more than an hour ahead of departure, we were in position on the Staunton station platform in time for Virginia Scenic Railway’s Summer of Steam deadhead move.

Buckingham Branch diesels led the excursion consist on its westward positioning trip. The train rolled through the station before returning eastward for a grand entrance.

Here’s a hint: the deadhead was the digi-photo op.

These photos were exposed using my Nikon Z6-III. [I reserved the proper entrance for film.]

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Cotton Candy Sky at C&O Flats.

With ticket reservations in hand, we arrived early at Virginia Scenic Railway’s C&O Flats Station to catch the shuttle bus across town to the historic C&O station in downtown Staunton.

This was a big day for me, a long time coming. Finally, I’d get my trip in a Budd Vista dome behind Norfolk & Western J No. 611.

Virginia Scenic’s demonstration train made for a stunning silhouette as we waited to board the bus. Exposed using a Nikon Z6-III.

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JB Hunt Stacks on the Roll

Modern Class I freight railroading is often a story told through double-stacked containers riding in articulated well cars.

Thirty-five years ago, JB Hunt was a newcomer to the railroads. I still remember the novelty of seeing JB Hunt trailers aboard Santa Fe piggyback trains in the California Tehachapis.

Today, Norfolk Southern moves mile-long trains of JB Hunt containers, stacked two high, along the Susquehanna River.

What these containers are carrying remains a mystery—perhaps everything from powdered laundry detergent to Chinese-made electronics.

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Our J.

I grew up with my dad’s photographs of the Norfolk & Western’s streamlined steam, both J’s and K’s.

Although No. 611 was first restored to service while I was in high school, it wasn’t until the summer of 1994 that I finally saw it in action. John Gruber and I drove to northern Indiana, where we intercepted the locomotive charging along the former Nickel Plate Road at speed.

In 2002, I visited 611 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. Having seen the locomotive under steam, it was strange to encounter it as a cold museum exhibit.

A dozen years later, I caught up with the engine again at North Carolina Transportation Museum during the Streamliners at Spencer event. Then, in 2015, Pat Yough and I made the trek to Manassas to photograph 611 on mainline excursions.

When Kris and I moved to Pennsylvania in 2023, 611 was on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Later, it operated excursion trains on the Strasburg Rail Road, where we made action photographs—albeit at relatively slow speeds.

Last week, we had tickets to travel on a Virginia Scenic Railway’s Summer of Steam excursion from Staunton. We drove to Virginia the day before and enjoyed a quiet interlude along Goose Creek Road as 611 worked an eastbound excursion over the former Chesapeake and Ohio.

It was a pleasure to have the locomotive all to ourselves.

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Fisherville: Cardinal under Blue Skies Along Old Goose Creek Road

In March, Kris and I had scoped out Old Goose Creek Road. Last week we returned in time to catch Amtrak’s westward Cardinal and then wait for Virginia Scenic Railway’s afternoon Summer of Steam Excursion.

While it had been windy and raining on our first visit here, this trip found clear blue skies.

I made these photos of Amtrak using my Z6-III with 24-70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom. Only a few minutes elapsed between trains, but in the Spirit of anticipation, I’ll post the views of the Summer of Steam led by Norfolk & Western 611 in my next post!

Amtrak train 51, the westward Cardinal rolls along Old Goose Creek Road in Fisherville, Virginia.
Amtrak P42 No22 leads train 51, the westward Cardinal rolls along Old Goose Creek Road in Fisherville, Virginia.

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Listening at Duncannon

As we drove east, I thought I heard a train calling signals on the radio.

We pulled in at Duncannon at the old Pennsylvania Railroad station. This location is on a sweeping curve and offers a good view of the Susquehanna River.

I waited for a minute, listening for a train. Sure enough, there was the telltale ‘chug’ of GE diesels and the dull roar of freight cars on the roll.

Looking to the west, I headlight illuminated the rails shortly before this eastward freight rolled into view.

I made these images of the passing train using my Z6 with 24-70mm lens.

In the old days, I described this type of railroad image as a “three-quarter” view—a straightforward, formulaic action photograph that has long been prized by railroad photographers. Blue skies, puffy clouds, and over-the-shoulder lighting: sometimes the simplest approach is the best one.

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Seven Photos of SEPTA’s Elkins Park Station

On our June 2026 visit to SEPTA’s Elkins Park station, I made these seven digital images in an effort to capture the historical and contemporary contrasts of this classic suburban station on the former Philadelphia & Reading.

In an era when many stations are little more than a platform and a parking lot, it is refreshing to find one that remains true to its roots.

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Phases of My Railroad Photography

During my travels, I’ve found that several loosely-defined phases influence how I approach railroad photography.

These may be described as:

  1. Research
  2. Discovery (or Survey)
  3. Intensive Investigation
  4. Initial Execution
  5. Refinement
  6. Revisitations

These phases may span days, weeks, years, or even a lifetime. Sometimes I skip a step, and often the phases overlap. However, they frequently alter the way I see a railroad or interpret a place.

In late 1989, I made my survey trips to California’s Donner Pass. The photographs I made during that initial exploration were very different from the images I created during later phases of my work there. Yet those early photographs laid the groundwork for the more refined images that followed.

In a scene that would soon change beyond description; Southern Pacific at Norden, California at the summit of Donner Pass in November 1989. Kodachrome 25, exposed using a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron.

Complicating this process is when the Discovery phase coincides with the onset of significant change to the subject. This can be frustrating, since a railroad may be at its most interesting to me before my understanding of it—and my photography—have had an opportunity to mature and reach a stage of refinement.

My phases are easiest to describe when discussing my BIG projects—the detailed, intesive visual studies. The phases are more complicated to understand when I rush into a situation where it is necessary to skip, combine, or reverse the order of phases.

There have also been countless occasions during my travels when all of the phases were necessarily-compressed into a single brief experience, such as a one-time chase of freight through unfamiliar territory.

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NS-Stack Train—One Train; Two Cameras; Two Focal Lengths

Why settle for one view, if you can make two?

Under a bright midday June sky, Kris and I were exploring Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Line west of Enola. I made this pair of photos from rural grade crossing of an eastward double stack freight on the roll.

In the lead was NS ES44DC 7501. While a common looking locomotive, this is no spring chicken. It was among the early GE-Evolution Series diesels, and built at Erie back in early 2004.

The top photo was exposed using my Nikon Z7-II with a 70-200mm lens set at 200mm; the bottom image was made a few seconds later with my Z6 with a 24-70mm set at 32mm.

I’m undecided as to which image I prefer.

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Elkins Park—Revisited

Elkins Park—Revisited

On June 18, 2026, I presented my program on Conway Scenic Railroad to the Philadelphia Chapter of the NRHS at the former Reading Company station at Elkins Park.

A year ago, I presented my program on Philadelphia Trains and Trolleys to the same group at the same venue. 

However, whereas last year we were met by sudden violent storm with high winds, rain, and lightning that broke trees and wreaked havoc on SEPTA’s evening commute, this year we were greeted by clear skies, and warm-but-pleasant evening weather. While waiting for the group to gather, I made a variety of images of SEPTA’s trains at the Elkins Park Station.

Elkins Park, Pa., has a classic station with wooden platforms and a distinctive station structure. Exposed using a Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm lens. NEF RAW file adjusted using Lightroom to control contrast.

I made this view of an inbound Silverliner IV working an Airport service paused for a brief station stop.

More Elkins Park photos coming soon!