Columbia, Pa., has a fascinating railroad history, but is difficult to portray.
I’ve been seeking an angle that makes the most of Cola Tower.
The other evening, Norfolk Southern’s 38V (Enola to Baltimore) was held at the west home signal for Cola interlocking. The old Cola Tower stands as a relic of an earlier era. As we waited for the train to get a clear signal through the interlocking, I examined a few locations.
This view looking railroad west seems cluttered and distracting during daylight. However, in the glow of evening, it conveys the spirit of the place.
Photos exposed using my Nikon Z6-III with an f/1.4 50mm lens mounted on a 3Pod tripod. NEF RAW files processed using DxO PureRaw 5 with DeepPRIME 3 corrections.
Top photo; ISO 32000, f1.4, 1/80th second, auto white balance.
Bottom photo: ; ISO 32000, f1.4, 1/160thth second, auto white balance. The shorter shutter speed was necessary to better freeze the action and minimize overexposure of the headlights.
Tracking the Light has explored railroad photography since 2012.