Last week, I received my author’s copies of my latest book “Amtrak’s History Through its Equipment,” published by Firecrown Media Inc.
In this illustrated history, I discuss the details of Amtrak’s locomotives and rolling stock. I leafed through my copy last night. It’s refreshing to hold a copy of this work in my hands!
See: https://lnkd.in/eJicb_65
Tracking the Light explores railroad image-making.
Crossing Long Island we paused for a few minutes at the station at Ronkonkoma, New York, where I made a few photos.
A Grand Central-bound train pulled into the platforms.
I rarely visit Long Island and so the LIRR is a novelty. What is a completely ordinary LIRR third-rail electric commuter train made an unusual subject for me.
Images exposed using my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm Nikkor zoom.
Tracking the Light explores railroad photography.
I like to write in layers.
The surface is but the top of that parfait.
When I need to find ground, it helps to pick up a camera.
When I’m lost, I need to travel back to a special place.
On this September Day, I needed to be back long ago.
My links to it were memories of a trip in August 1981; a black EMD end-cab diesel, and a old Brooklyn Eastern District sidetank steam switcher.
I was seeing each of these things for something other than what they are.
My reality wasn’t very good that day, but at least I made some photos.
Too often the differential between how we want things to be and how they really are, results in our disconnection with reality. Sometimes that disconnect leads to delusion; other times it is necessary to get through the day.
In the end, the old little blue engine is unlikely to ever work the Brooklyn dockside again.
Tracking the Light Explores Railway Photography.
The Sunday Strasburg excursion departed Strasburg, Pa., under sunny skies. I could see the rain coming. It wasn’t too far.
Kris and I were showing around our friend Matty B, who was visiting from Massachusetts.
The corn had been cut, and a few Amish girls were walking along the road. They didn’t seem at all phased by the approaching steam locomotive.
Working with my pair of Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, I made this selection of photos.
Tracking the Light explores railroad photography.
Rain was predicted last Sunday.
I awoke early to find the sun shining.
So I drove the short distance to Safe Harbor with hopes of catching wheels turning on former PRR rails.
I hiked up to the large bridge on the old Low Grade. I walked the trail and inspected the views.
A bird spotter came along and told me stories about eagles and falcons.
I noted dark clouds rolling in from the West.
“Looks like rain.”
Before I reached the car drops were falling.
No trains passed during my visit. Not this time.
Tracking the Light Posts thoughts on railroad photography.
Over the last month, Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian (New York-Philadelphia-Pittsburgh) has regularly sported a GE P42 diesel in heritage paint.
I’ve been fond of catching locomotive 130, which wears the so-deemed “Phase 2” scheme—reminiscent of Amtrak’s F40PH diesels and E60 electrics in the 1970s.
Using a Nikon Z mirror-less camera, I made these photos of Train 43 as it worked westbound along the former Pennsylvania Railroad near Lancaster, Pa..
Tracking the Light explores railroad photography.
My next Railroad Photo-101 Class at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is scheduled for 9am Tuesday, November 18.
I’ve altered my syllabus for this session to include some guidance and philosophy on how to process digital RAW files.
For one of the lessons I’ve included the following 12-Step Correction Sequence using Adobe Lightroom to demonstrate how I interpret a difficult lighting situation and use the histogram to make corrections.
I realize that the Word Press file compression may make it difficult to delineate some of the more subtle changes, but I thought I’d present them here anyway. This sequence shows screen shots of the Lightroom work window including the relative position of the adjustment sliders. I’ve presented each of the steps in order, with only one change between each image. (Note the slider positions at the right of the image).
Watch how the changes alter the exposure histogram at top right. My goal is to make the most of the data caputured by the camera.
Tracking the Light Examines Railroad Photography!
More Fujichrome retrospective views of Breda-built streetcars in San Francisco.
San Francisco has been a colorful venue for photographing transit vehicles.
Looking back, I still think of these fading antiques as ‘the new cars’. Yet, what was once new is now historic!
Among the commonality of these images was my use of long telephoto lens; some Nikon, others Canon.
Tracking the Light examines railway photography!
As we entered Scranton on I-81 the rain started and Kris suggested we get off the road for a few minutes. So, we headed for the Steamtown complex on the westside of the city center.
I made this view of the Electric City Trolley Museum with glossy rails and an autumnal sky.
The old 1930s-era SEPTA Brill Bullet car has been posed out in front of the museum for years.
Back in the late 1970s/early 1980s, I recall seeing cars like this one in service on the Norristown High Speed Line, but I never traveled on one, which is among my lasting regrets from that era.
Tracking the Light examines railroad photography.
Sunday, I exposed a follow up photo to the Ford Model A image at Blackhorse Road that I posted last week.
In this view, I framed up a passing Amtrak Viewliner baggage car with our Honda CRV Hybrid in the foreground.
For point of comparison, I’ve included the photo of the Model A.
Tracking the Light Discusses Railroad Photography!
Approaching Blackhorse Road, Strasburg Rail Road routinely pauses outbound excursions for a ‘ghost whistling’ routine whereby the echo of the locomotive whistle on the distant hills is made to sound like the whistle from another line (now long gone).
This presents an opportunrity to make photos.
The other day was bright, clear, and unseasonably warm, so I decided to feature the brilliant red tree in the nearby school yard with Strasburg’s excursion. I was working with both my Fuji XT-1 and Nikon Z6. These cameras have different sensors and handle color differently.
While-in both situations-I exposed in RAW and made nominal cosmetic adjustment to the files using Lightroom, this is not intended as a strict comparison between cameras, just an exercise in composition. Below are four similar images from a sequence of more than a dozen images exposed with the two cameras. I’m not sure if I have a favorite. Yet.
Tracking the Light explores railroad photography!
After a 30 year run, San Francisco Muni’s Breda-built light rail vehicles are nearing the end of the line.
My first encounter with one of these cars was in summer 1995, when I saw a brand new car being transported on a westward Southern Pacific freight near Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
In the mid-2000s, I became familiar with the Bredas during visits to San Francisco. While I’d been partial to the Boeing-Vertol cars, and I generally preferred the classic PCCs, I traveled upon and made hundreds of photos of Muni’s Bredas over the years.
It’s been quite some time since I last visited San Francisco, and with only days or hours left of their expected service it is improbable that I’ll ever see the Breda cars again in their home environment.
Maybe I’ll shave with one in a few months time.
Tracking the Light explores railroad photography!
I saw this antique Ford Motor Company automobile (Model A? Not sure, I’m not an authority on antique autos ) parked near Strasburg Rail Road’s crossing of Blackhorse Road.
When the midday train passed, I focused on the auto, allowing the train to serve as background.
Perhaps at some point I should recreate this image by making a photo of our Honda CRV with the Viewliner baggage car on Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian as background—Same concept, different equipment.
Tracking the Light explores railroad image making.
It was a full moon. The sun had just set. I heard a distant whistle at Willow Road on the New Holland Branch. This was Norfolk Southern’s New Holland local returning west. So, with little time to squander I made my way to the familiar grade crossing at Jefferson Drive in Lancaster, Pa.
As the 25-car freight approached the crossing, I made this series of images handheld, while gently panning the lead locomotive. My Nikon Z6 was set to ISO 6400. To minimize noise, I processed the NEF RAW files with DxO PureRaw, then implemented cosmetic refinement in Lightroom.
Tracking the Light Examines Railroad Photography!
A few moments of low evening sun yesterday made for a classic view of Strasburg Rail Road’s former Pennsylvania Railroad J-Tower.
In addition to this digital photo, I made a single color slide on Velvia 50 using my old F3 with 35mm lens. I’ll be sending that out for processing soon.
Tracking the Light Posts Details on Railroad Photography!
Amtrak Keystone 656 was due eastbound on its way from Harrisburg.
I set up at the old Pennsylvania Railroad freight house, now maintained by Lancaster Chapter NRHS that includes a trackside deck well-suited for watching trains.
I aimed to include this historic building in my composition.
As the train came into view, I exposed a burst of images, then turned to make a going away view and was pleasantly surprised to see the Phase VII painted former Metroliner cab control car at the back of the train.
The 1960s-era Metroliner cars are some of the last vestiges of the Pennsylvania Railroad still on the role in Pennsylvania.
Tracking the Light Examines Railroad Photography!
During midday, Amtrak 42 and 43—the eastward and westward Pennsylvanians—pass Lancaster within a few minutes of each other. Unlike the electric Keystone services these trains are diesel-hauled.
Shelley Lane abuts the railroad and makes for classic location to rollby trains.
I made these views with a 24-70mm lens set to its 24mm wide angle wtih a 1/2000th of second shutter speed as train 43 worked west in early afternoon with a classic P42 Genesis diesel leading.
I think, it would have been neat to stand here 60 years earlier to catch a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 passing at speed with tuscan red passenger cars in tow.
One of these day’s I hope to time a rolling meet here. So far, I’ve come very close.
Tracking the Light Posts explores railroad photography.
Some photos preserve an instant. Such is the case with this photo that I made of Strasburg 89 at Esbenshade Road. By selecting the smallest aperture (f22), I captured the sunburst effect of the setting sun. Careful attention to the drivers enable me to catch them ‘rods down’ as the engine passed my position. The wafting engine exhaust leads the eye from the locomotive to the setting sun. The juxtoposition of components contributed to this successful composition.
If you time it just right, Lititz Springs Park in Lititz, Pa., can be a nice place to catch a train. At other times it’s a nice place to watch the ducks.
We arrived around noon, just as Norfolk Southern’s H23 local was pulling down from a switching move. The track ends less than a quarter mile east of here on the former Reading Company’s Reading & Columbia line.
Tracking the Light is Brian Solomon’s blog on railroad photography.
This is my first Tracking the Light post since September 11, 2025.
On that day, I learned that my father had passed.
Although, I’ve continued to make photographs, I didn’t have within me the words to post here. I couldn’t write knowing that my dad wouldn’t be reading my words. Since the beginning, he had always read my posts.
I’m hoping more posts will follow.
Tracking the Light is Brian Solomon’s blog on photography.
When I find a winning combination of time and place there’s a certain satisfaction in repeating the exercise and watching my results improve with each new variation.
I’ve made dozens of trips to Columbia, Pa., which is an historically fascinating place with several railroad lines converging upon it.
In daylight, it is visually challenged, and from my experience too often devoid of railroad activity.
In the evening it comes alive.
Finally over the last few weeks, Kris and I have caught trains moving through the Columbia after dark.
A few days ago, I display some successful images of Norfolk Southern on the move.
On Sunday, a full moon made for opportunity. Kris had suggested that we take another turn at Columbia, and we arrived in time to catch H19 running light engine from Lancaster, followed by a 632 loaded coal train.
My view of H19 passing the station was from essentially the same place as where I’d caught the same train a few nights previously. However, I composed my photo to included not just the train and old PRR station, but mural on the wall to the left, plus our car with Kris making a nocturnal video. For me what really adds drama is the moon rising with a cotton candy sky.
Exposed using my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm Z-series zoom.
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Upon on our arrival a wisp of smoke lingered; we’d just missed Strasburg’s evening train departing Leaman Place.
I drove to Cherry Hill Road. The angle of the setting sun perfectly illuminated the track between rows of corn.
Number 90 began to accelerate as it approached the grade crossing, and the train passed me as if it were moving in slow motion. I aimed to catch the power of the engine.
I exposed this series of photos using my Nikon Z7-II.
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Sun, fluffy clouds and a blue sky made for nice conditions to roll by Strasburg’s No.90 with the afternoon excursion.
Some scenes are too good to pass up!
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More than 30 years ago, I photographed a trolley bus in San Francisco completely wrapped with advertising for ‘Crystal Pepsi,’ a then-new dye free soda.
It was the first time I recall seeing a wrapped transit vehicle, and thus the novelty of capturing it on film.
Other than a vague allusion to the title, my above story has almost nothing to do with the photos in this post.
As a follow up from Sunday’s TTL: The second train Kris and I saw at Columbia, Pa., on Friday evening was Norfolk Southern’s H19 turn heading west off the branch from Lancaster. Kris recommened the parking lot by the old Pennsylvania Railroad station on Front Street. The station is now an ice cream stand.
At the COLA interlocking, NS H19 had a red-over-red-over-green aspect, ‘Slow Clear’ to pass through the interlocking and enter the Port Road Branch.
In the lead was NS SD40E 6322.
Unlike the Kodachrome slides of the Muni bus, I made these photos digitally at ISO 25,600 which allowed me a 1/60 of second shutter speed. I processed the NEF RAW files using PureRaw to eliminate the granular effects of pixelization and correct for lens defects.
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Friday night Kris suggested we go out exploring to find more freights on the move.
So with my 3Pod tripod and N7-II at the ready, we drove to the Susquehanna River at Columbia, Pa. On the way we heard the Enola-Lancaster turn key up Norfolk Southern’s River Line desk dispatcher. This train was looking for permission to return west to Enola, but needed to hold east of Columbia for a 596 unit coal train to clear the interlocking at Cola.
We had a few minutes to look for suitable locations, and at the last minute I settled on the westward home-signals at COLA on the Port Road (located off River Road in Columbia, Pa.)
The moon was nearly full.
I quickly set up my tripod and made this sequence of images as the loaded 596 coal train glided eastbound. In the lead was NS GE 4870, and similar to the train we saw last week, this had a two unit mid-train DPU and well over 200 cars.
All files exposed in NEF RAW format and converted to DNG format using PureRaw for import into Lightroom for cosmetic adjustment.
As soon as 596 had cleared COLA we repositioned to catch NS H19 coming off the branch from Lancaster. All of this was very exciting! Stay tuned for more photos . . .
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Six years ago, I traveled with the RPSI to Killarney, Co. Kerry behind Great Northern 4-4-0 No. 85.
In the evening the train was stabled in the sidings at Killarney station where I made some photos using my old Lumix LX7.
A beautiful sunset made for a cosmic silhouette. Exposure in these situations is always a challenge. In this case, I exposed for the sky, allowing the train to go dark. Since I used the RAW format, the camera captured plenty of data in the shadow areas that was easily recovered in post processing.
Last night, I re-processed the camera’s RW2 (RAW) file using DxO PureRaw to correct for lens defects and demosiac the file among other improvements. This outputs as a DNG file that I imported into Lightroom for cosmetic adjustment.
Below are two scaled versions of the same image. The top is the output directly from the RW2 without PureRaw or Lightroom changes. The bottom is following conversion and cosmetic adjustment.
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September 5, 2015.
We were driving around Germany’s Mosel Valley looking for vistas with the railroad.
In a vineyard above the village of Hatzenport, we paused to take in this view. About every two hours a pair of Class 151 electrics would come along leading a loaded coal train.
Our timing was good and I made this view of the heavy train snaking through the village using my FujiFilm XT1.
Below are three variations of the same file.
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On occasion I’ll make some heavy adjustments to photo to create a vision, an interpretation, and perhaps something more than just a straight unfettered image of reality.
Working from an RAF RAW file I exposed of the railway bridge and famous Dom in Köln in September 2016, I made series of alterations to compose a fantasy image.
First step was to convert the image to a DNG file using PureRaw. Next I imported the DNG into Adobe Lightroom and made a series of modifications, including some heavy exposure, color, and contrast adjustment to the sky. I then lowered overall contrast, made broad use of the ‘clarity’ slider, and boosted saturation.
Notice all the pad locks, thousands of the them, attached to the bridge in the final result.
While I made some major changes to color, contrast and exposure, I didn’t add any elements to the photo. This is just one image exposed using a FujiFilm XT1.
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Three views from the Köln tram subway exposed on my visit ten years ago.
An uneventful passage during a journey through Germany.
Yet, sometimes this U-bahn finds its way into a dream.
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September 2, 2015—ten years ago—my friends and I crossed the Rhein on foot at Köln, Germany by using the walkway on the massive six-track railway bridge over the river .
From the big bridge, I made this sequence of photos looking up-river featuring an approaching container ship and trams crossing a distance bridge.
Interestingly, 45 years earlier, my father made Kodachrome slides of trams on that distant bridge. At that time both the bridge and the trams were new.
For these photos, I worked with my FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a 18-135mm Fujinon Zoom. I’ve always liked the geometric repetition of shapes in these images.
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Nice light at Amos Herr Park in Landisville.
I wasn’t expecting anything unusual.
I aimed to frame up the eastward Keystone in the gap between the trees.
The train rolled through at speed.
At the back was the elusive 9635 wearing new Phase VII paint!
I made a hastily series of photos as this newly painted relic rolled by!
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As the days get shorter, the window of light is closing on Bird-in-Hand as a choice afternoon/evening location.
Kris and I had gone for ice cream in Leola, and on our way home we diverted to Bird-in-Hand to roll by Amtrak Keystone 656, where I’d envisioned a trailing view of the train.
After a remarkably short wait, the rails began to sing. I gazed west in anticipation and spotted . . . a blue locomotive in the lead!
It was Amtrak ACS-64 621 advertising Crayola Crayons! (Again).
I wasn’t expecting that! You never know what surprise will come around the bend.
I’d set my Nikon Z7-II for a 1/2500th of second, and I needed the shutter speed to stop the action.
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I know its been lurking out there for a few weeks. And I thought a bit of patience might reward me with a prize.
Send to me Amtrak 9635!
Here’s the back story: Amtrak had painted former Pennsylvania Railroad Metroliner cab control car 9635 in the latest Phase VII paint, and I find it fascinating that one of the oldest active cars in the fleet received the newest paint. It reminds me of when Conrail painted GG1 4800, built in 1934, in Conrail blue (after briefly dressing it in bi-centennial paint). I believe it was the only GG1 to receive Conrail blue paint. In 1981, I saw it at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (and photographed it on black & white film). As a result, I was eager to see 9635 in its fresh dress. (Just in case something happens.)
A few weeks ago my friend Dan Cupper caught it near Harrisburg, and I’ve been hoping to see it ever since.
Tuesday evening, I had about an hour and half free, and I intercepted four Keystones: two west and two east. I made the most of each but no 9635.
Not a problem, I still made the most of each passing train. But the quest continues!
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Kris suggested we make a foray to look for a freight train. So, we were driving around in the darkness near Columbia. During our last few visits to the Port Road Branch we’ve found Norfolk Southern trains on the move between 9:30 and 10:30pm.
I investigated a few places to make night photos near Marietta. Not one to my liking. And then I thought I heard a distant whistle.
Sometimes its best to go with what you know. So we drove back to the intermediate signals at Washington Boro, Pa. These offer a sense of place, provide added railroad interest, and give us a clear signal (literally and metaphorically) that a train is coming.
“Yellow-over-Green”—Approach Medium. Our train was lined.
I set up my 3Pod tripod and made a few test photos. Off in the distance I could hear the roar of heavy freight cars rolling along the Susquehanna.
For almost 20 minutes we listened to the train gradually getting closer. Sometimes there was a whistle for a crossing, but mostly just the clattering of heavy freight cars. I knew this was going to be a huge train.
Finally, the headlights came into view. The headend roared by the signals at about 20mph. It was a symbol 594 (of the 25th), a Natural Resources (former Consol Energy) Bailey Mine to Baltimore unit coal train. I counted more than 100 cars, and then a two unit DPU, which included the Virginian heritage unit in the tradtional navy and yellow paint. By the time the last coal car cleared, I’d counted a total of 212 cars!
These photos were made with my Nikon Z7-II with 24-70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom. Iso set to 25000. NEF RAW files were processed using PureRaw to demosiac and correct for lens defect and finally create a DNG file. I then processed this file using Lightroom to lighten shadows, correct color balance, and a variety of other small adjustments.
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On this day in 2017, I photographed Irish Rail 074, wearing the black & silver freight livery, leading a down IWT Liner from Dublin’s North Wall.
This view is on the short stretch Irish Rail quad track near Stacumni Bridge on the the Cork Line. The accepted spelling of this classic location varies an it is often spelled as ‘Stacumny’ in modern media.
I was working with my FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a Fujinon 90mm prime telephoto.
Recently, I converted the original RAF RAW file into DNG format using PureRaw and made a series of small adjustements in Lightroom to improve the appearance of the photo. [Scaled and compressed for internet presentation.]
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