As a follow-up to yesterday’s post; while waiting for Pan Am Southern 14R with Union Pacific SD70Ms, Mike Gardner and I photographed an empty ballast train with an old GP40 departing on the East Deerfield Loop, where it will travel a short distance to crusher for loading.
I thought it made an interesting juxtaposition to show the old EMD with its battered ballast hoppers departing the switches at the west-end with the Union Pacific locomotives waiting in the distance.
Which train was the main event? In the future, which may be of greater interest? The lowly ballast train or the symbol through freight with ‘foreign power’? What do you think?
I exposed these photos using my FujiFilm X-T1 mirror-less digital camera.
Tracking the Light posts Daily!
I vote for the ballast train. The smoke above the locomotive and the position of the last cars–fouling the main with another train waiting–tell us the ballast train is in motion. I always find movement more interesting. The train out there on the main is probably not moving (to allow the ballast train to clear, at least). Maybe it’s been there for hours.
I know that in the real world most trains and train cars spend an awful lot of time not moving. That’s while I like model railroading. Let’s see some movement!