Tag Archives: Boston & Albany

Beacon Park Final Farewell—August 2016.

My last view. (Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler and Google Plus viewers may need to click on Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light to see the big picture).

This former Boston & Albany freight yard was the site of some my earliest photographic efforts.

My last-ever view of Boston's Beacon Park yard. Exposed using a Lumix LX7 and processed with Lightroom to adjust framing and contrast.
My last-ever view of Boston’s Beacon Park yard. Exposed in late-August 2016 using a Lumix LX7 and processed with Lightroom to adjust framing and contrast.

Several years ago, in a deal with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CSX agreed to close its Boston yard to open the property for redevelopment. As a result, its intermodal yard at Worcester was expanded to accommodate the lost capacity.

The result is that Boston now has virtually no through rail-freight service. The trickle of remaining CSX rail-freight traffic is handled by a local from Framingham, Massachusetts. Container (and piggyback) traffic is accommodated by road.

Many years ago, Boston was a major freight hub, and Beacon Park was a very busy place—those days have long since passed.

For the last few years, the tracks at Beacon Park have sat disused and rusted.

Presently, track gangs are salvaging what remains of the old yard.

Someone, somewhere will declare ‘progress’.

Ironically, I exposed this view from a bus on the Mass-Turnpike Extension, the highway that more than 50 years ago assumed operation on considerable chunks of former Boston & Albany right of way.

Tracking the Light is Daily.

 

Palmer, Massachusetts—The Visual Quandary of the North Side of the Tracks.

In the longer months, there’s nice morning sun on the north side of the tracks at Palmer, Massachusetts and this seems to offer a potentially good vantage point.

There are several interesting structures here: including the former Union Station (now the Steaming Tender restaurant) and the old Flynt building (painted grey and lavender with fluorescent pink trim).

Yet I’ve found that placing a train in this setting rarely yields a satisfactory composition.

Here’s the on-going compromise; using a wide-angle perspective if I place the train far away, it tends to get lost in the scene. And, yet when it’s too close it obscures the old station building. The Flynt building either dominates on the right, or ends up cropped altogether. A telephoto view here presents its own share of complications.

The other day, I turned on to South Main Street in time to see the CSX local freight (symbol B740) west of the New England Central diamond (crossing). This gave me just enough time to park the car, walk briskly across the street, set my exposure and use my FujiFilm XT1 to make this sequence of photos.

CSX local freight B740 has a pair of vintage GP40-2 diesels. To the left of the train is the old Palmer Union Station.
CSX local freight B740 has a pair of vintage GP40-2 diesels. To the left of the train is the old Palmer Union Station.
This closer view obscures the station.
This closer view obscures the station.
The trailing view lack a sense of place. I know this CP83 in Palmer, but really it could be anywhere. It does offer a good view of the antique diesels and the signals, so that's something.
The trailing view lacks a satisfactory sense of place. It is  CP83 in Palmer, but it could be anywhere. Yet, it does offer a good view of the antique diesels and the signals, so that’s something.

Not bad for grab shots, but they still suffer from my visual quandary as described.

Puzzling through these sorts of vexations is part of my process for making better photos. Sometimes there’s no simple answer, but then again, occasionally I find a solution.

In the meantime I present my photos as work in progress.

Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light is a Daily Blog.

Ghost of the New England States; Budd-built Babbling Brook Blitzes Warren.

 

Yesterday’s (August 25, 2016) Boston section of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited carried an American classic: the streamlined Budd-built observation car Babbling Brook, a former New York Central car of the type that operated on the New England States (Boston-Chicago).

My dad and I made photos of Amtrak’s eastward Lake Shore Limited (train 448) by the recently restored Warren, Massachusetts railroad station.

New York Central Babbling Brook passes the old Warren, Massachusetts station on August 25, 2016. The New York Central System leased the Boston & Albany in 1900. Central’s Budd-built New England States Limited was B&A’s premier post-war passenger train and passed Warren daily. There were fewer line-side trees back then. This image was adjusted in post-processing using Light Room. I’ve tried to emulate the contrast and color palate of a late 1940s image.
New York Central Babbling Brook passes the old Warren, Massachusetts station on August 25, 2016. The New York Central System leased the Boston & Albany in 1900. Central’s Budd-built New England States was B&A’s premier post-war passenger train and passed Warren daily. There were fewer line-side trees back then. This image was adjusted in post-processing using Light Room. I’ve tried to emulate the contrast and color palate of a late 1940s image.
Telephoto view at Warren, Massachusetts.
Telephoto view at Warren, Massachusetts.

I made these views using my FujiFilm XT1. Pop exposed a Fujichrome color slide with his Leica M.

Brian Solomon’s

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Palmer, Massachusetts Then and Now; 1984-2016.

Conrail SEPW (Selkirk to Providence & Worcester at Worcester, Massachusetts) makes a drop at Palmer, Massachusetts on Ma7 6, 1984.
Conrail SEPW (Selkirk to Providence & Worcester at Worcester, Massachusetts) makes a drop at Palmer, Massachusetts on May 6, 1984.

I exposed these two views from almost the same angle on the South Main Street Bridge in Palmer, Massachusetts.

In 1984, Conrail operated the old Boston & Albany, and the main line was then a directional double track route under rule 251 (which allows trains to proceed in the current of traffic on signal indication).

SEPW has stopped on the mainline, while the headend has negotiated a set of crossovers to access the yard and interchange. That’s the head end off in the distance.

I made this 1984 view on Plus-X using a Leica fitted with a f2.8 90mm Elmarit lens.

The comparison view was exposed on July 25, 2016 using  a Lumix LX7 set at approximately the same focal length. Although similar, I wasn’t trying to precisely imitate the earlier view and was working from memory rather than having a print with me on site.

Exposed using my Lumix LX7. I used the ‘A’ mode and dialed in -1/3 to compensate for the bright sunlight and the dark side of the train. This image was extracted from the in-camera Jpeg and compressed for internet viewing, but I also made a RAW file of the same image. Both are to be archived on multiple hard drives.
Exposed using my Lumix LX7. I used the ‘A’ mode and dialed in -1/3 to compensate for the bright sunlight and the dark side of the train. This image was extracted from the in-camera Jpeg and compressed for internet viewing, but I also made a RAW file of the same image. Both are to be archived on multiple hard drives.

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Live from Amtrak 448; Snapshots of the Boston & Albany Westend.

I’ve spent years prowling the old Boston & Albany on foot and by road.

Here’s some view made today (July 16, 2016) and over the last hour or so from the windows of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited train 448.

Exposed with my Lumix LX7 uploaded via Amtrak WiFi.

Old B&A station at Chatham, New York.
Old B&A station at Chatham, New York.
State Line Tunnel.
State Line Tunnel.
State Line Tunnel.
State Line Tunnel.
North Adams Junction, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
North Adams Junction, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Washington Cut, Washington, Massachusetts.
Washington Cut, Washington, Massachusetts.
Looking east on Route 20 at Huntington, Massachusetts.
Looking east on Route 20 at Huntington, Massachusetts.

The Happy Twinkle of Glint; CSX catches the Morning Light—June 2016

[Click the link to Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light for the full effect!]

The long days of June offer distinct lighting. In the morning the sun rises earlier and further north than the other times of the year, and this makes for photographic opportunity if you know where to look.

These days much of the Boston & Albany route east of Palmer is a tree tunnel, but West Warren has a nice vista with characteristic 19th century New England mill buildings complete with a mill-dam on the Quaboag River.

As long as I’ve been making photos on the old Boston & Albany mainline, there’s been a westward intermodal train that passes through the Quaboag Valley early in the morning.

In Conrail times it was symbol TV9 (TV=Trailvan; Boston to Chicago). With the transition to CSX operations this became Q119. Now with revised intermodal terminals and changes to train symbols, I think this morning train carries the Q019 symbol (which runs from Worcester, Massachusetts since the closure of Boston’s Beacon Park yard a few years ago).

Sunrise at West Warren, Massachusetts. CSX's Q-019 has just entered the scene. For me the mist on the river adds a delicious element. June 2016.
Sunrise at West Warren, Massachusetts. CSX’s Q-019 has just entered the scene. For me the mist on the river adds a delicious element. June 2016.

In the 1990s, I’d identified West Warren as a place to catch this train on the long days; where the sun rises on the north side of the tracks for about 10-20 minutes. This only occurs over a span of about three weeks, and provides the backlit glint effect that offers a distinct view at this classic location.

The other day, all the pieces came together. The weather was perfect; I was in place at my location with cameras at the ready at the moment the sun illuminated the north-side of the tracks; and CSX’s westward intermodal train passed at precisely the right moment.

Exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm lens and graduated neutral density filter to hold sky detail.
Exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm lens and graduated neutral density filter to hold sky detail.

Tracking the Light posts daily.

Conrail-Looking Back; Anticipating Change.

I was on my way to New London, Connecticut in late 1996 when I first learned of the news that CSX was to make a bid for Conrail.

It was a big surprise to most observers. Ultimately CSX and Norfolk Southern divided Conrail.

Armed with the knowledge of Conrail’s pending split, I made many images to document the final months of Conrail operations.

Step back a decade: In the mid-1980s, I’d photographed  the end of traditional double track operations on Conrail’s Boston & Albany line.

Long rumored, the B&A’s conversion from directional double-track (251-territory) to a single-main track with Centralized Traffic Control-style dispatcher controlled signaling and cab signals began in late 1985. It was largely complete three years later.

A year or so before the work began, I was sitting in an engine cab and a Conrail crewman pointed out to me that the railroad had re-laid one main track with continuous welded rail while the other line remained jointed.

“See that jointed track, that’s the line they’re going rip up. Better get your pictures kid.”

Sound advice. And I took it to heart. By anticipating the coming changes, I made many prized photographs of the old order—before the work began.

I continued to photograph while the work was in progress, but that’s not my point.

Conrail's C30-7A and C32-8 diesels roll east with tonnage at milepost 84 in Monson, Massachusetts. In this view, I'm looking toward the Palmer diamond, and in the distance we can see Central Vermont cars for interchange. At this stage Conrail was still operating the B&A as a traditional directional-double track railroad, much the way it had been operated for decades. Yet, it was only a matter of weeks before the old westward main (seen here with jointed rail) would be removed from service. This was mid-1986. By anticipating the changes to the railroad, I could emphasize the elements soon to change; the westward jointed track and the code lines. However, other more subtle changes also resulted. Without the old signals, the code lines came down, and the bushes and trees grew in their place.
Conrail’s C30-7A and C32-8 diesels roll east with tonnage at milepost 84 in Monson, Massachusetts. In this view, I’m looking toward the Palmer diamond, and in the distance we can see Central Vermont cars for interchange. This was mid-1986. At this stage Conrail was still operating the B&A as a traditional directional-double track railroad, much the way it had been operated for decades. Yet, it was only a matter of weeks before the old westward main (seen here with jointed rail) would be removed from service. . By anticipating the changes to the railroad, I could emphasize the elements soon to change; the westward jointed track and the code lines. However, other more subtle changes also resulted. Without the old signals, the code lines came down, and the bushes and trees grew in their place.

Having observed New England railroading for the better part of four decades, I again have a sense that change is in the works for railways in the region.

Will today’s operators remain as they are for long? Will traffic soon find new paths and may some lines—now active—dry up? Will those antique locomotives, more than four decades on the roll soon be sent for scrap? Those are the questions we should think about. Take nothing for granted and keep a sharp eye for images.

While,  my crystal ball remains clouded, I’ve learned not to wait for the big announcement. I hate standing in lines to get my photos or realizing I missed an opportunity when the time was ripe. Act now and stay tuned.

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Conrail versus CSX; West Warren on the Boston & Albany Then and Now.

Ok, how about then and when? (click on the link to Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light to see the modern view).

These photos were exposed 28 years apart from essentially the same place in West Warren, Massachusetts.

One view was made of an eastward Conrail freight in March of 1984; the other of an CSX freight at almost the same spot on November 15, 2012.

In both situations I opted to leave the train in the distance and take in the scene.

Conrail eastward freight grinds upgrade on a dull March 1984 morning. Exposed on black & white film using a Leica 3A with 50mm Summicron lens.
Conrail eastward freight grinds upgrade on a dull March 1984 morning. Exposed on black & white film using a Leica 3A with 50mm Summitar lens.
CSX Q264 (carrying auto racks for delivery in East Brookfield, Massachusetts). Exposed using a Lumix LX3 with Leica Vario-Summicron lens.
CSX Q264 (carrying auto racks for delivery in East Brookfield, Massachusetts). Exposed on the morning of November 15, 2012 using a Lumix LX3 with Leica Vario-Summicron lens.

Over the years I’ve worked this vantage point with a variety of lenses, but I’ve chosen to display these two images to show how the scene has changed over the years.

In the 1984 view notice the code lines (the ‘telegraph poles’) to the left of the train and the scruffy trees between the railroad and the road. Also in 1984, the line was 251-territory (directional double track).

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Conrail-Gauzy Visions from another era;—the Lost Photo File, Part 2.

 

Sometimes by getting it wrong, I got it right.

It was Spring 1984 when I made this black & white photo of Conrail’s SEBO-B climbing east through Warren, Massachusetts.

Until a couple of day’s ago, this negative was lost and unprinted, part of a group of Conrail negatives on the Boston & Albany.

When I first relocated these images after 32 years, I was puzzled.

What had happened and Why?

Then I remember the situation: I’d messed up the processing of the negatives at the time and I was disgusted with the results. And, so I’d put the negatives away in a general file, where they were mostly mixed in with similar outtakes from my High School yearbook collection (I was a sort of unofficial class photographer.)

In 1984, I’d typically use Kodak Microdol-X as my black & white developer, aiming to work with this solution at 68 degrees F.

To mix the solution from powdered form, I’d have to bring the temperature up to about 120 degrees F, then let it cool (often in glass bottles soaking in ice water).

I must have been in a hurry, and in this instance, I’d failed to allow the developer to cool properly. When I processed the negatives the solution was still over 80 degrees F. Worse, the rest of my chemistry was still at 68 degrees.

The result was that my photos were grossly over processed, but since the developer was highly active, it affected highlights and shadow areas differently. This provided much greater shadow detail to highlight detail than I’d normally expect.

Also, the shock to the emulsion when I dropped the hot film into relatively cool stop bath solution caused it to reticulate.

Reticulated emulsion results in grain clumping that lowers the sharpness, produces a ‘halo-effect’, and creates a speckled and uneven grain pattern that is most noticeable in even areas such as the sky.

Since the negatives received much greater development than usual, they are very dense, and back in my day printing photos in the family kitchen, were effectively unprintable.

This enlargement of the front of the engine shows the effects of reticulated grain structure. When processed as intended Kodak Tri-X can deliver a relatively fine and even grain structure. Here we have a mottled speckled structure caused by very hot developer and the shock of cool stop bath.
This enlargement of the front of the engine shows the effects of reticulated grain structure. When processed as intended Kodak Tri-X can deliver a relatively fine and even grain structure. Here we have a mottled speckled structure caused by shock from a  very hot developer followed by the cool stop bath.

With modern digital scanning and post processing techniques, I was able to overcome difficulties with the density and contrast.

In the Spring of 1984 (second week of May based on the freshly leafing trees) I made this early evening image of Conrail's SEBO-B working east through Warren, Massachusetts on the B&A route. (SEBO = Selkirk to Boston).
In the Spring of 1984 (second week of May based on the freshly leafing trees) I made this early evening image of Conrail’s SEBO-B working east through Warren, Massachusetts on the B&A route. (SEBO = Selkirk to Boston).

I find the end result pictorial. Perhaps, it’s not an accurate rendition of the scene, but pleasing to the eye none-the-less.

I’m just happy I didn’t throw these negatives away. After all, Conrail SD40-2s were common, and I had plenty of opportunities to photograph freights on the B&A.

Stay tuned for more!

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Sunrise on the old Western Rail Road; Middlefield, Massachusetts.

Since 1841, the rails of the old Western Rail Road (later Boston & Albany, and for the time-being CSXT’s Boston Line) have served as a conduit of commerce through the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts.

I made this photograph at sunrise using my FujiFilm X-T1 fitted with a Zeiss 12mm Touit lens and a graduated neutral density filter to control contrast.

My friend Mel Patrick has often posed the question: ‘must all railroad photos show trains?’

Exposed in May 2016 using FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with 12mm Zeiss lens.
Exposed in May 2016 using FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with 12mm Zeiss lens.

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This Budd Could Be For You!

—For ten NEW photos, click on Tracking the Light—

Brian Solomon’s Tracking the Light Posts Daily.

Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum’s Hoosac Valley Service is operating with a vintage Budd-built Rail Diesel Car.

Berkshire_Scenic_RDC_DSCF8093

Lumix LX7 photo.
Lumix LX7 photo.

Budd Company’s RDC made its debut in 1949 and was first used in regular revenue service on New York Central’s Boston & Albany in 1950.

I made these views of Berkshire Scenic’s RDC on the former Boston & Albany North Adams Branch yesterday, May 28, 2016.

Berkshire Scenic plans to operate this car on weekends and select public holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For details see: http://www.hoosacvalleytrainride.com/schedule.php

Also see Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/hoosacvalleyservice

Berkshire Scenic's new North Adams station area. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
Berkshire Scenic’s new North Adams station area. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Want to learn more about Budd’s RDC and other classic streamlined trains? Check out my new book: Streamliners—Locomotives and Trains in the Age of Speed and Style published by Voyageur Press.

A Budd with a view! FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
A Budd with a view! FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

 

Looking southward on the old B&A branch. At one time Boston & Albany's North Adams Branch connected its namesake with Pittsfield. As late as the 1940s, through trains operated fro Grand Central Terminal to North Adams using the Harlem line to Chatham and B&A mainline to Pittsfield.
Looking southward on the old B&A branch. At one time Boston & Albany’s North Adams Branch connected its namesake with Pittsfield. As late as the 1940s, through trains operated fro Grand Central Terminal to North Adams using the Harlem line to Chatham and B&A mainline to Pittsfield.
Berkshire Scenic's RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
Berkshire Scenic’s RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
Berkshire Scenic's RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
Berkshire Scenic’s RDC departs North Adams for Renfrew on May 28, 2016. FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
Where else does the old Boston & Albany cross below the old Boston & Maine? Here we have trains top and bottom.
Where else does the old Boston & Albany cross below a route of the old Boston & Maine? Here we have trains top and bottom.
Tickets!
Tickets!

Berkshire_Scenic_RDC-1_at_North_Adams_DSCF8105

Berkshire Scenic Railway’s RDC-1 is on the roll Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday May 28, 2016, I rode and photographed Berkshire Scenic Railway’s RDC-1 on the former Boston & Albany North Adams Branch. (More RDC photos see: This Budd Could Be For You!)

On Saturday May 28, 2016, Berkshire Scenic Railway's classic RDC-1 worked between North Adams and Renfrew, Massachusetts on the old Boston & Albany branch. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.
On Saturday May 28, 2016, Berkshire Scenic Railway’s classic RDC-1 worked between North Adams and Renfrew, Massachusetts on the old Boston & Albany branch. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1; contrast adjusted in post processing.

Last autumn my dad and I rode this classic railway vehicle, but at that time it was being hauled/propelled by a vintage SW8 diesel. Saturday, I found the RDC-1 running as intended as a self-propelled diesel rail car.

I recalled riding RDCs on the Springfield-New Haven shuttle back in the 1970s and 1980s, and on Metro-North branch line trains, as well as Boston area service.

For details on Berkshire Scenic’s Hoosac Valley service which is now running out of North Adams, Massachusetts see: http://www.hoosacvalleytrainride.com

Also see Berkshire Scenic Railway on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/berkshirescenicrailway

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Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train on Washington Hill—May 16, 2016.

It was very windy, and I spent the whole morning standing around along the old Boston & Albany mainline reading about 19th century industrial practice while waiting for trains to pass.

I posted the photos I made of an eastward Norfolk Southern detour train near Middlefield, Massachusetts yesterday evening.

My goal was to catch the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train, that was rumored to be on the move.

But, after 8 hours standing in the cold, I decided to head downgrade.

Nearing Westfield, the scanner came to life, ‘clear signal CP109’.

Time for a U-turn.

I’d scoped a location near Huntington.

Unfortunately this neatly coincided with a fast moving cloud. Bad luck.

A dark dirty cloud covered the sun at precisely the wrong moment. (It lifted in time for me to grab a wide-angle view on Fujichrome.)
A dark dirty cloud covered the sun at precisely the wrong moment. (It lifted in time for me to grab a wide-angle view on Fujichrome.)

CSXT_Circus_Train_DSCF7561

A bit of hard driving got me to Washington Summit ahead of the train. The clouds stayed at bay.

All of these images were exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 mirror-less digital camera.

Slides from the event remain latent.

Near Washington Summit at the location known as 'Muddy Pond'.
Near Washington Summit at the location known as ‘Muddy Pond’.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train is a long consist.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train is a long consist.
Containers and trailers were at the back.
Containers and trailers were at the back.

Tracking the Light is Daily!

Tracking the Light NEWS EXTRA! NS/Pan Am Southern Detour on CSX Boston Line.

This morning (May 16, 2016), I was out on the Boston & Albany (CSX Boston Line) for the Ringling Bros circus extra. While waiting word came over the wire that a Norfolk Southern intermodal train for Ayer, Massachusetts was detouring on CSX.

A derailment near Charlemont, Massachusetts (on NS/Pan Am Southern’s Boston & Maine route) on Saturday resulted in a traffic disruption and thus this very unusual move.

A CSXT SD40-2 led the Norfolk Southern consist, presumably because of the cab signaling requirements on the Boston Line .

All photos exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 near milepost 129 east of Middlefield, Massachusetts.

CSX_X800_Middlefield_NS_detour_DSCF7527CSX_X800_Middlefield_NS_detour_DSCF7529CSX_X800_Middlefield_NS_detour_DSCF7530Tracking the Light posts Daily!

Circus Train photos tomorrow!

Boston & Albany at Rt 148 in Brookfield, Massachusetts, January 2001.

I made this study of CSX’s former Boston & Albany mainline at Brookfield, Massachusetts in January 2001.

Step back a century and there were two main tracks and an array of sidings here; back when the railroad focused on local business in addition to long distance traffic.

Brookfield, Massachusetts. Exposed on black & white negative film using a Rolleiflex Model T with Zeiss 75mm Tessar lens.
Brookfield, Massachusetts. Exposed on black & white negative film using a Rolleiflex Model T with Zeiss 75mm Tessar lens.

CSX 611 at East Brookfield on the old Boston & Albany.

CSX 611 is a AC6000CW—a big GE diesel by any measure.

In January 2001, My pal T.S.H. and I were making an inspection of the old Boston & Albany between Palmer and Worcester, Massachusetts ( reliving a trip we’d made in the summer of 1984).

Brian Solomon_581952
CSX 611 leads a westward freight on the Boston & Albany route at East Brookfield in January 2001. Black & white 120 size negative scanned using an Epson V750 flatbed scanner and adjusted for contrast using Lightroom.

I exposed this view using a Rollei Model T that I’d bought from Mike Gardner.

My intent was to recreate a view I’d made of westward Conrail freight at the same location 16 years earlier.

Sadly, the old Boston & Albany station at East Brookfield was destroyed by arson in Autumn 2010.

Tracking the Light is on Autopilot today.

Conrail SD40 at Bullards Road, Washington Summit.

Conrail eastward freight at Bullards Road, Hinsdale, Massachusetts on August 3, 1984. Take notice the former Erie Lackawanna SD45-2, Conrail 6659, second out. Some of those old EMD’s are still on the move too. This day it’s 20-cylinder 645-diesel was adding to atmosphere. (Fear not, I have plenty of photos of the SD45-2s on the B&A and elsewhere on Conrail).
Conrail eastward freight at Bullards Road, Hinsdale, Massachusetts on August 3, 1984. Take notice the former Erie Lackawanna SD45-2, Conrail 6659, second out. Some of those old EMD’s are still on the move. This day it’s 20-cylinder 645-diesel was adding to atmosphere. (Fear not, I have plenty of photos of the SD45-2s on the B&A and elsewhere on Conrail).

Looking back more than three decades; it was a warm August 1984 afternoon when my pal T.S.H. and I sat up on the grassy hill near the popular Bullards Road Bridge to photograph this Conrail eastward freight as it approached Boston & Albany’s summit of the Berkshire grade.

I made this image on 35mm Kodak Tri-X using my Leica 3A with a Canon 50mm lens.

Conrail was divided in Spring 1999, nearly 15 years after this photo was exposed.

In 2003, CSX removed the old Bullards Road bridge (and stone abutments).

I can’t say for certain what happened to the SD40, but a similar former Conrail engine still works for New England Central.

Personally, I’d trade my digital cameras for a fully functioning time machine.

Tracking the Light acknowledges

Conrail’s 40th Anniversary!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Conrail!

Today, April 1, 2016, is the 40th birthday American eastern giant, Conrail. Commencement of operations on the Consolidated Rail Corporation began on this day 40 years ago.

Conrail was created by Congress to assume operations of a variety of financially troubled eastern railroads including Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, Reading Company, Central Railroad of New Jersey and Lehigh Valley.

When I was growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Conrail was the big show. By the time Conrail’s operations were divided by CSX and Norfolk Southern in 1999, I’d exposed tens of thousands of images of its locomotives, trains and people.

Conrail TV10B emerges from the mist enshrouded Quaboag River Valley near CP79 east of Palmer, Massachusetts. It was scenes like this one, exposed on April 30, 1997, that made Conrail a favorite railroad. Nikon N90S with 80-200mm Nikkor AF zoom, Ektachrome film.
Conrail TV10B emerges from the mist-enshrouded Quaboag River Valley near CP79 east of Palmer, Massachusetts. It was scenes like this one, exposed on April 30, 1997, that made Conrail a favorite railroad. Nikon N90S with 80-200mm Nikkor AF zoom, Ektachrome film.

I miss Conrail. It’s blue locomotives photographed well; it ran lots of freight over my favorite Boston & Albany; its employees were friendly to me, and it embodied most of favorite historic railroads. Turn back the clock, let it be Conrail-days all over again!

In 2004, Tim Doherty and I co-authored a book on Conrail, published by MBI. If you have this prized tome, it’s now a collectible item! By the way, if you know a publisher interested in a follow-up title, I have access to virtually limitless material and keen knowledge of the railroad. Just sayin’

Happy Birthday Big Blue!

 

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Amtrak Montrealer Detours! 30 Years Ago Today—March 15, 1986.

It was a day of big excitement. Up north, Guilford was in a knot as result of a strike action. Bob Buck phoned me early in the morning to say that ‘The Boot’ (the colloquial name for Amtrak’s Montrealer) was detouring to Palmer on the Central Vermont, then west on the Boston & Albany (Conrail).

Using my dad’s Rollei model T loaded with Kodak Tri-X, I made the most of the unusual move.

This was nearly a decade before Amtrak’s Vermonter began to regularly make the jog in Palmer from the CV/New England Central route to the B&A mainline.

And, it was only four months before Conrail ended traditional directional double-track operations between Palmer and Springfield.

Amtrak 61 followed CV’s southward road freight to Palmer arriving at 11 am. Here I pictured it near the old Boston & Albany freight house in Palmer, Massachusetts. Note the all heritage consist (except of course for the F40).
Amtrak 61 followed CV’s southward road freight to Palmer arriving at 11 am with  Canadian National M-420 2557 in the lead.. Here I pictured it near the old Boston & Albany freight house in Palmer, Massachusetts. Note the all heritage consist (except of course for the F40).
An Amtrak CF7 had come out from Springfield to assist with the reverse move necessary to bring the Montrealer westward over the B&A.
An Amtrak CF7 had come out from Springfield to assist with the reverse move necessary to bring the Montrealer westward over the B&A.

I’d met some photographers at the Palmer diamond and encouraged them to take advantage of my favorite vantage point at the rock cutting at milepost 84, just over the Quaboag River from the Palmer Station.

As detouring Amtrak number 61 approached with a former Santa Fe CF7 leading the train to Springfield, we could hear an eastward Conrail freight chugging along with new GE C30-7As.

Moments after I exposed the classic view of this Montrealer working the old number 1 track, TV6 blasted east with intermodal piggybacks for Worcester and Springfield. I was using the Rollei with a 645 'Superslide' insert that allowed me 16 frames per roll.
Moments after I exposed the classic view of this Montrealer working the old number 1 track, TV6 blasted east with intermodal piggybacks for Worcester and Boston. I was using the Rollei with a 645 ‘Superslide’ insert that allowed me 16 frames per roll.
Conrail TV6 passes Amtrak's Montrealer on the double track west of the Palmer diamond. In July 1986, Conrail cut-in CP83 which ended double track operations between Palmer and the new CP92 in Springfield.
Conrail TV6 passes Amtrak’s Montrealer on the double track west of the Palmer diamond. Four months later, in July 1986, Conrail cut-in CP83 which ended double track operations between Palmer and the new CP92 in Springfield.
Sometimes when the action is unfolding its best to just keep exposing pictures. Here I was cranking the Rollie as quickly as I could.
Sometimes when the action is unfolding its best to just keep exposing pictures. Here I was cranking the Rollie as quickly as I could.

This is among my favorite sequences that show the old double track in action.

Some of these photos later appeared in Passenger Train Journal. Long before I was the Associate Editor of that magazine.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

The Book Shelf.

Today, 6 March 2016, is Mother’s Day in Ireland.

Some weeks ago when I was in Massachusetts, I was helping my mother organize books in our library. Some shelves hold books that have resided there since 1973.

My mother surprised me by saying, “I put these books here thinking that you and your brother would read them. But you never did. I found that very disappointing. They just sat here all these years.”

I looked carefully at the shelf.

‘These books?’

Here was a diverse collection of subjects: philosophy, history, art criticism, architecture, economics, psychology, social affairs, literature, photography and biographies among other topics.

I took one from the shelf and opened it. Inside my name was written in blue ball point.

“I’ve read almost all of these books. See here’s my name.”

I picked up another. “I read this one twice, and I wrote a college paper on this one over here.”

“Really? When did you read them?”

Starting about 1983, whenever I’d go out making photographs, I bring a book with me. If I went to the Berkshires to photograph the Boston & Albany, I always have a book to read while waiting for trains to pass. Up there in the rocks and trees along the West End, I read countless books, including many of the books on that shelf. If I took a long train ride I’d always have a book with me.

The railroad is my reading room. How many books have I read waiting trackside? In the 1980s I’d often read within sight of this old bridge on Boston & Albany’s West End. Image exposed on Kodak Verichrome Pan using a Rolleiflex Model T, October 20, 1985. What was I reading that day? Nietzsche or a book about the Roman Empire?
The railroad is my reading room. How many books have I read waiting trackside? In the 1980s I’d often read within sight of this old bridge on Boston & Albany’s West End. Image exposed on Kodak Verichrome Pan using a Rolleiflex Model T, October 20, 1985. What was I reading that day? Nietzsche or a book about the Roman Empire?

“Even now, there’s one of these books on the back seat of the car.” (Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class).

“I have a photo of Sean reading the book on propaganda at the Twin Ledges twenty years ago. And I remember reading all about the Borgia’s one summer’s day in the late 1980s waiting for Conrail.”

“I never knew that!” She said delighted.

Some of the books I’d read so long ago that their words had blended with my own thoughts.

The more I thought about it, the more the discussion about bookshelf astounded me.

Here, I read all these books that had shaped my view of the world and with it my photography and it never occurred to me that my mother had specifically put them there for me to read, nor did she know that I’d read them!

Happy Mother’s Day from Dublin!

 

Conrail Classic: Beacon Park Yard, November 1987.

Exposed on Kodachrome 25 using a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron.
Exposed on Kodachrome 25 using a Leica M2 with 50mm Summicron.

This Kodachrome slide represents a memory of how things were:

Back when Conrail operated the old Boston & Albany.

Back when Boston’s Beacon Park was an active yard.

I passed this location on the Logan Express bus from Framingham the other day. It is much changed

The tracks at CP4 were being re-aligned.

A few years back CSX had come to an arrangement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and agreed to close the yard.

Now at Beacon Park the remaining yard tracks are weed grown and vacant.

Intermodal trains now only run as far east as Worcester where a new, expanded yard was constructed during 2011-2012 to take the place of Beacon Park.

What little carload freight CSX has in Boston is handled by a local freight.

I’d be willing to bet that today more freight moves through the interchange at Palmer than is generated in Boston.

Tracking the Light is Daily!

Boston & Albany’s Washington Summit—Retrospective.

Once upon a time, long ago Boston & Albany’s main line over Washington Summit represented an engineering achievement and a lifeline of commerce that connected Massachusetts to the West.

Today, it is CSX’s Boston Line; but effectively a branch railway off the old Water Level Route.

Amtrak’s daily Lake Shore Limited traverses the line, as do periodic CSX freights, but its relative importance is but a pale shadow of it former greatness.

CSX_Muddy_Pond_Washington_Summit_DSCF2018
Washington, Massachusetts; looking railroad-east on the old Boston & Albany on February 27th, 2016.

I made this stark image at Muddy Pond using my 12mm Zeiss Touit lens; I controlled contrast using a Lee graduated filter, which I adjusted to even the exposure between sky and foreground.

Key to my composition is the jet contrail overhead, which for me represents both historical symbolism and my next step.

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Tracking the Light Photo Tip: Don’t Do What I Did!

Yesterday (March 1, 2016) I posted a view of a CSX intermodal train working upgrade at Warren, Massachusetts in the nice morning sun. This was a nice start to a very productive day.

What I didn’t explain was the back-story.

Although I’ve been at railway photography for more than four decades and I spend a lot of time at making my photographs. Occasionally I make mistakes.

Some are minor ones. Others can have more serious implications.

On Saturday February 26th, I was traveling with Mike Gardner. We’d met Tim Doherty and Pat Yough at CP83 (near the Steaming Tender restaurant) in Palmer, Massachusetts.

Shortly after we arrived, CSX’s talking equipment detector in Wilbraham sounded, alerting us to the eastward train. We decided to drive to West Warren to make our photographs. We had ample time to do this, but not enough time to waste.

Upon arriving in West Warren, I noticed that both my Lumix LX7 and FujiFilm X-T1 cameras had only a few photos left on their respective cards. I should have checked this the night before and put fresh cards in the cameras.

However, since I had a minute, I hastily put new cards in the cameras and wiped them clean.

This was the photo presented with yesterday's post, but I thought I'd put up again for context (it doesn't cost anything extra to show it twice, so why not?). Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
This was the photo presented with yesterday’s post, but I thought I’d put up again for context (it doesn’t cost anything extra to show it twice, so why not?).
Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

The day was extraordinarily productive. Mike and I photographed trains on CSX, New England Central, Berkshire Scenic and Pan Am Railways, making it Millers Falls, the Hoosac Tunnel, and Washington Summit among other notable locations.

My Fuji camera was acting strange.

New England Central local freight crosses CSX's Boston & Albany line at Palmer.
New England Central local freight crosses CSX’s Boston & Albany line at Palmer.

Among other problems, it was taking forever to store the images from the camera buffer to the card. I’d expose a burst of images, and two minutes later it would still storing them.

Meanwhile the Lumix was giving me so much bother, I put it down and instead opted to work with my Canon EOS 3 loaded with slide film.

Pan Am Railway's EDRJ (East Deerfield to Rotterdam Junction) roars west at Wisdom Way in Greenfield. I was snapping away, but something wasn't right. My camera was acting weird!
Pan Am Railway’s EDRJ (East Deerfield to Rotterdam Junction) roars west at Wisdom Way in Greenfield. I was snapping away, but something wasn’t right. My camera was acting weird!

By the end of the day, I notice that the 32GB card in the Fuji was nearly out of space, but I’d only exposed about 150 frames. (Normally I get about 840 images saved as RAW and JPG on a 32GB card). Something was wrong.

I was getting a bit worried, because the next day I was booked on a transatlantic flight, and there’s nothing worse than having serious camera trouble when traveling.

A little later in the day, here's the same EDRJ climbing toward the Hoosac Tunnel at Zoar, Massachusetts. I recalled a day about 30 years ago at this precise location when the last thing I was worried about was the card in my digital camera!
A little later in the day, here’s the same EDRJ climbing toward the Hoosac Tunnel at Zoar, Massachusetts. I recalled a day about 30 years ago at this precise location when the last thing I was worried about was the card in my digital camera!

Digital cameras don’t start acting strange because they are in a bad mood.

However, when I went to down load my photographs, I quickly discovered the source of my problems.

Between a stop for lunch and our next destination, Mike and I paused at Renfrew on the old B&A North Adams branch to photograph the Berkshire Scenic train. This was our second trip along the branch in less than two weeks.
Between a stop for lunch and our next destination, Mike and I paused at Renfrew on the old B&A North Adams branch to photograph the Berkshire Scenic train. This was our second trip along the branch in less than two weeks.

In my rush to put cards in the cameras, I inadvertently put the card formatted for the Fuji in the Lumix and vice versa. Also, rather than re-format the cards, I simply wiped them. Each type of digital camera uses different protocols for storing data, which is why the cameras were acting slow.

I put new cards in each camera and re-formatted them (which effectively erases all data on the card). Problem solved.

Tip for the day: Don’t mix your cards up, take the time before embarking on a fast-paced day to make sure you have clean, formatted cards in your digital camera(s).

Or, if you use film, to make sure your camera is loaded and that your ISO setting is correct.

Amtrak 449, the Lake Shore Limited passes Muddy Pond in Washington, Massachusetts.
Amtrak 449, the Lake Shore Limited passes Muddy Pond in Washington, Massachusetts.
Amtrak 448 meets a CSX freight at CP83 in Palmer just after sundown. Exposed with my FujiFilm XT-1 with Zeiss 12mm Touit and Lee graduated neutral density filter. ISO 3200. At this stage the camera was barely functioning and taking forever to store images. I'm amazed I got anything at all!
Amtrak 448 meets a CSX freight at CP83 in Palmer just after sundown. Exposed with my FujiFilm XT-1 with Zeiss 12mm Touit and Lee graduated neutral density filter. ISO 3200. At this stage the camera was barely functioning and taking forever to store images. I’m amazed I got anything at all!

Tracking the Light posts EVERY DAY!

CSX on the Boston & Albany at West Warren . . .

. . . with the moon.

I can’t say that this composition works for me, but I’ve made a lot of photos from this location over the years and I wanted to try something a bit different.

Instead of a more typical horizontal view, I opted to include the moon that was high above the tracks.

Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed on Saturday February 27, 2016 with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

 

Pan Am Railways on the Boston & Albany—February 2016.

In the last few months I’ve been lucky to catch a variety of the more obscure operations on the Pan Am Railways system.

Last week, Mike Gardner and I spent the afternoon around North Adams, Massachusetts.

EDRJ arrived with two locomotives to drop for local freight AD-1.

Pan Am AD-1 is seen on the Boston & Maine mainline at North Adams. Exposed on HP5 using a Canon EOS-3 with 20mm lens.
Pan Am AD-1 is seen on the Boston & Maine mainline at North Adams. Exposed on HP5 using a Canon EOS-3 with 20mm lens.
Boston & Albany on the left, Boston & Maine on the right. Exposed on HP5 using a Canon EOS-3 with 70-000mm lens.
Boston & Albany on the left, Boston & Maine on the right. Exposed on HP5 using a Canon EOS-3 with 70-200mm lens.

Although, we had high hopes of following EDRJ west toward the Hudson River Valley (uttering the now-famous battle cry, ‘To the River!’), Pan Am had other ideas.

History will forgive them.

So instead we followed AD1 down the old Boston & Albany North Adams branch to Zylonite.

Zylonite on the old Boston & Albany, now Pan Am's Adams branch. Exposed with a Lumix LX-7.
Zylonite on the old Boston & Albany, now Pan Am’s Adams branch. Exposed with a Lumix LX7.
Who would have thought a high-hood GP40 would be working the old North Adams Branch! This was once the territory of Alco road switchers. Exposed with a Lumix LX-7.
Who would have thought a high-hood GP40 would be working the old North Adams Branch! This was once the territory of Alco road switchers. Exposed with a Lumix LX7
Pan Am local freight AD-1 on the Adams Branch at Zylonite.
Pan Am local freight AD-1 on the Adams Branch at Zylonite. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1.
Looking north toward North Adams.
Looking north toward North Adams.
Former Canadian National Railways GP40-2L wears a nice shade of blue. Exposed with a Lumix LX-7.
Former Canadian National Railways GP40-2L wears a nice shade of blue. Exposed with a Lumix LX7.

I was familiar with the run, since my father and I traveled over it back in October on the Berkshire Scenic RDC (see: Berkshire Scenic’s Hoosac Valley—A Dozen Photos!)

After a taste of this surviving segment of B&A’s extension to North Adams, we followed the abandoned vestige of the line that runs southward to Pittsfield, then made the most of the late afternoon on the former B&A mainline!

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

A Visit with Jim Shaughnessy and West Warren Then and Now.

My Visit with Jim Shaughnessy—February 2016.

The other day Jim Shaughnessy invited me over to look at some photographs.

Over the years Jim has contributed many excellent images for my books. I’ve lost track of the many different books of mine that feature his work, but at least 20 titles.

Presently, I’m gathering material for a detailed look at the Boston & Albany and Jim has hundreds of images of the B&A route in the New York Central and Penn Central eras.

Personally I find these photographs fascinating. Decades before I found the B&A and made photographs, Jim had been there to explore many of the same locations.

Jim holds up a photograph that he made of the westbound New England States at West Warren in 1970. The PC E-unit is long gone but the waterfall and old mill buildings survive.
Jim holds up a photograph that he made of the westbound New England States at West Warren in 1970. The PC E-unit is long gone but the waterfall and old mill buildings survive.

Compare the above view with a photo I made on December 28, 2015 of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited at the same location.

Amtrak 449 The Lake Shore Limited passes West Warren on December 28, 2015. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1.
Amtrak 449 The Lake Shore Limited passes West Warren on December 28, 2015. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1.

In the 45-year interval between images, the railroad was reduced from directional double track to a single main track and the old road bridge over was replaced with a modern span that is slightly higher.

In recent years, CSX has undercut the line and cut back much of the brush along the right of way.

Jim’s Penn Central photo is just one of the many I’ve borrowed for consideration in the B&A book.

While I was visiting Jim, my friend Dennis LeBeau phoned from East Brookfield and set up the next day’s adventure which has ties to the B&A project among other things. Stay tuned for more!

Tracking the Light Posts Every Day!

CSX Monday Traffic: Snow, Cold and Being There—a Dozen New Photos.

 

Back to the old,  ‘f5.6 and be there’. (While paying close attention to the signals and scanner).

Lately CSX’s freight operations on the old Boston & Albany have been largely nocturnal.

Mondays on the other hand can prove busy in the morning.

February 8, 2016: I wasn’t out for the day, but rather running some errands. As always, I had my Lumix at the ready. Snow was forecast and it was beginning to flurry.

On my way through East Brookfield, I took the time to check the signals at CP64.

These were lit: “Limited Clear” westbound. I knew a train must be close.

Soon I could hear the clatter of cars descending Charlton Hill. Then affirmation on the radio, ‘Q427 clear signal main to main CP60’.

CSX Q427 is the connection from Pan Am Railways that runs from Portland, Maine to Selkirk, New York via the Ayer-Worcester gateway. On Pan Am it’s called POSE.
CSX Q427 is the connection from Pan Am Railways that runs from Portland, Maine to Selkirk, New York via the Ayer-Worcester gateway. On Pan Am it’s called POSE.

I made my photographs. But a few minutes later I heard that Q427 had stopped west of milepost 72 owing to difficulties with the locomotives.

That’s Warren, 72 miles west of South Station, Boston.

I caught up with the freight as the crew was discussing its difficulties with CSX’s dispatcher in Selkirk. Soon, Q427, with its mix of CSX and Pan Am Railways locomotives. was again on the move west.
I caught up with the freight as the crew was discussing its difficulties with CSX’s dispatcher in Selkirk. Soon, Q427, with its mix of CSX and Pan Am Railways locomotives. was again on the move west.

 

Q427 had to meet two eastward trains at CP83 (Palmer).

I continued to follow west, while making photographs along the way. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Pacing view along Route 67 in West Warren. Lumix LX7 photo.
Pacing view along Route 67 in West Warren. Lumix LX7 photo.
My favorite field west of CP79. The view from Route 67.
My favorite field west of CP79. The view from Route 67.
The old Palmer freight house location.
The old Palmer freight house location.
It's been a while since I saw a blue SD45 roll through Palmer on the Boston & Albany.
It’s been a while since I saw a blue SD45 roll through Palmer on the Boston & Albany.

 

I arrived at CP83 just in time to hear the first of two eastward trains call the signal; “Limited Clear”. Not a second to waste: I was out of the car and immediately into position—switching the Lumix ‘on’ as I ran.
I arrived at CP83 just in time to hear the first of two eastward trains call the signal; “Limited Clear”. Not a second to waste: I was out of the car and immediately into position—switching the Lumix ‘on’ as I ran.

I made a few photos of the first meet, then opted to head back up the Quaboag Valley rather than stay put.

CSX_Q427_meet_w_eb_CSX_stacks_Palmer_Ma_tight_P1370806

Radiator comparison. Lumix LX7 view.
Radiator comparison. Lumix LX7 view.

The snow was now getting heavy and it wasn’t getting any warmer.

At Electric Light Hill (near milepost 82) I photographed CSX Q264 (loaded autoracks for East Brookfield).
At Electric Light Hill (near milepost 82) I photographed CSX Q264 (loaded autoracks for East Brookfield).

This was a heavy train. And despite the snow, it was easy enough to follow up the grade to Warren.

The snow adds depth, but to keep the image from become purely abstract I opted to include the bush at the left. The roar of the train filled the valley.
The snow adds depth, but to keep the image from become purely abstract I opted to include the bush at the left. The roar of the train filled the valley.

It was just 18 degrees at the Warren station.

That’s good enough for my morning errands!

All photos nominally adjusted for contrast and saturation in post processing.

CSX Q264 passes the old Boston & Albany station at Warren, Massachusetts.
CSX Q264 passes the old Boston & Albany station at Warren, Massachusetts.
This is the site of the old Warren yard. What happened to the old coal sheds? For that matter what happened to Anthracite? Car wash anyone?
This is the site of the old Warren yard. What happened to the old coal sheds? For that matter what happened to Anthracite? Car wash anyone?

Tracking the Light is a Daily Blog on Railway Photography!

Boston & Albany West End-Conrail in the Berkshires.

Sunday, September 22, 1985.

This photo was product of one of dozens of trips I made to the old Boston & Albany west end in the mid-1980s.

The west end is the railroad west of Springfield over the Berkshires of Massachusetts toward Albany, New York.

Exposed on 120 black & white film using a Rollei Model T. Exposure calculated using a GE hand held light meter. Film processed in D76 1:1, and scanned with an Epson V750.
Exposed on 120 black & white film using a Rollei Model T. Exposure calculated using a GE hand held light meter. Film processed in D76 1:1, and scanned with an Epson V750.

On this morning I waswest of Chester, Massachusetts perched on the top of an rock cutting  that dated to the time of the line’s construction circa 1839-1840.

This Conrail eastward train was slowly making its way east. It was serenely quite in these hills and I’d hear the freight making its descent of Washington Hill miles before it finally appeared.

Imagine this setting one hundred and forty years earlier when it was the old Western Rail Road (precursor to the Boston & Albany). A time when one of  Winan’s peculiar vertical boiler 0-8-0s would have led a train of primitive four wheel freight cars over this same line.

Fewer trees then. And no cameras!

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

This is an adjusted version of the same image. I've slight altered contrast and exposure to make it appear better on a computer screen.
This is an adjusted version of the same image. I’ve slight altered contrast and exposure to make it appear better on some computer screens. On my screen this looks closer the way I would have printed the negative back in 1985 by using a cold head (diffusion) enlarger.

Conrail in 1984 or Fixing the Dark Side—Thin Negatives Improved!

Back in March 1984, I wandered down to Palmer with my dad’s Rolleiflex Model T loaded with Tri-X.

It was a miserable day; typical early of early Spring wet, clammy and dark.

Yet, Conrail was running trains. A westward midday freight (remember those?) was blocked at the diamond for a Central Vermont train.

Using the Rollei’s square format, I composed some interesting images. Conrail’s Boston and Albany was still a directional double-track railroad back then. This was before the modern signals and single tracking that began in 1986.

I took the negatives home and processed the negatives in the sink, as I often did in those days. I was using Microdol-X for developer. I was cheap, and my developer was rather depleted by the time I souped this roll.

The result; unacceptably thin negatives that wouldn’t print well, even when subjected to a number 4 polycontrast filter.

Poor show! These negatives were thin and very hard to print. At the time it wasn't worth my time to mess about with them. Thankfully I saved them for more than 30 years. Despite under processing, most of the essential information necessary for an acceptible image was retained in the original negatives. This is the unmodified file.
Poor show! These negatives were thin and very hard to print. At the time it wasn’t worth my time to mess about with them. Thankfully I saved them for more than 30 years. Despite under processing, most of the essential information necessary for an acceptible image was retained in the original negatives. This is the unmodified file.

It was a just a dark day in Palmer. Conrail in 1984 was common for me, so I sleeved the negatives, filed them away in an envelope and that was that.

Until a little while ago, when through the improved tools available to me through Lightroom, I was able to finally get the results I desired from these old photos.

A few easy adjustments in Lightroom and I was able to extract most of the detail I saw back on that March 1984 day. Now I have some suitable dramatic images from a favorite period on the railroad.
A few easy adjustments in Lightroom and I was able to extract most of the detail I saw back on that March 1984 day. Now I have some suitable dramatic images from a favorite period on the railroad.

After nearly 32 years, they are looking pretty good now!

Conrail_Palmer_March1984_Brian Solomon_581495-2Conrail_Palmer_March1984_Brian Solomon_581496

Tracking the Light Fixes Old Negatives!

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Ten Alternative Views: Mass Central—Going South, South Barre to Palmer

Sometimes small operational anomalies on a railroad will combine to benefit the photographer by opening up different angles or opportunities.

Last Wednesday, delays on Mass-Central’s northward run (owing in part to congestion at Palmer Yard that resulted in a later than usual departure) combined with operation of engine 1750 with a southward facing cab opened some different winter angles on the old Ware River Branch.

I was traveling with Bob Arnold and Paul Goewey and we made the most of the variations in winter lighting along the route.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, over the last three decades, I’ve made many photos along this line. So, I’m always keen to find new viewpoints of this operation.

Low clear sun in January makes for rich colors and wonderful contrast, but also posed problems caused by long shadows.

It is true that carefully placed shadows can augment a scene, but random hard shadows too often do little more than add distractions and disrupt a composition.

Below are a few of the more successful angles I exposed on this southward trip.

Three-quarter lighting at South Barre, allowed for nice illumination of the railroad's logo on the side of GP38-2 1750, while showing the old Mill that is now home to the Wildwood Reload. Exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm lens.
Three-quarter lighting at South Barre, allowed for nice illumination of the railroad’s logo on the side of GP38-2 1750, while showing the old Mill that is now home to the Wildwood Reload. Exposed with my FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm lens.
Beautiful afternoon light near Barre Plains makes for great contrast that brings out the texture in the foreground grasses. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
Beautiful afternoon light near Barre Plains makes for great contrast that brings out the texture in the foreground grasses. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera.
I could make this view of the old Mills at Hardwick any day of the week, and I've been meaning to drive up one of these days to make the most of the light. So as I was walking into position to make my set on the far side of the Ware River at Gilbertville (featured below, I exposed this view with my 12mm Zeiss Touit. The old Boston & Maine line that ran parallel to the B&A Ware River Branch had run behind these mills. The tracks were lifted in the 1930s, although the Hardwick station survives. Mass-Central's present line is behind me.
I could make this view of the old Mills at Hardwick any day of the week, and I’ve been meaning to drive up one of these days to make the most of the light. So as I was walking into position to make my set on the far side of the Ware River at Gilbertville (featured below, I exposed this view with my 12mm Zeiss Touit. The old Boston & Maine line that ran parallel to the B&A Ware River Branch had run behind these mills. The tracks were lifted in the 1930s, although the Hardwick station survives. Mass-Central’s present line is behind me.
The sun had swung around at Gilbertville, so we tried this angle to feature the buildings alongside the tracks. I've cropped this 12mm view to eliminate the horse shadows in the foreground.
The sun had swung around at Gilbertville, so we tried this angle to feature the buildings alongside the tracks. I’ve cropped this 12mm view to eliminate the harsh shadows in the foreground.
Must all railroad photos be serious? Mass-Central's crew are friendly, so we gave them a passing wave. I was multitasking, by waving and photographing at the same time. Photo exposed with my Zeiss 12mm Touit.
Must all railroad photos be serious? Mass-Central’s crew are friendly, so we gave them a passing wave. I was multitasking, by waving and photographing at the same time. Photo exposed with my Zeiss 12mm Touit.
A telephoto view south of the Church Street crossing Ware off State Route 32. Exposed with my 18-135mm lens set at 135mm.
A telephoto view south of the Church Street crossing Ware off State Route 32. Exposed with my 18-135mm lens set at 135mm.
Same location as above but with a wide-angle setting on my zoom lens to take in the Ware River Valley. At one time B&M's line was located on the opposite side of this narrow valley.
Same location as above but with a wide-angle setting on my zoom lens to take in the Ware River Valley. At one time B&M’s line was located on the opposite side of this narrow valley.
Afternoon lighting at Ware made for some nice texture on the old coal sheds along the Boston & Albany. In summer these tend to be obscured by foliage.
Afternoon lighting at Ware made for some nice texture on the old coal sheds along the Boston & Albany. In summer these tend to be obscured by foliage.
South Street in Ware was lit nicely. This is the same location (albeit from a different angle) featured on Tracking the Light on Thursday January 7, 2016, but in those images viewed from St. Mary's Cemetery.
South Street in Ware was lit nicely. This is the same location (albeit from a different angle) featured on Tracking the Light on Thursday January 7, 2016. In  those earlier  images I was standing in St. Mary’s Cemetery. See: Mass-Central on Ware Hill; Boston & Albany’s Ware River Branch in a Modern Context. (link below).

Mass-Central on Ware Hill; Boston & Albany’s Ware River Branch in a Modern Context.

Sometimes the shadows conspire against making the desired view of the train. By the time Mass-Central arrived at Thorndike, the shadows had covered the tracks. Oh well, a challenge for another day.
Sometimes the shadows conspire against making the desired view of the train. By the time Mass-Central arrived at Thorndike, the shadows had covered the tracks. Oh well, a challenge for another day.

 

Not happy with these? I’ll try again on another day when the freight runs a bit earlier, or in a softer day, when there are no harsh shadows.

Tracking the Light explores new angles; New Posts Daily!

Capturing the Spirit of Ware River Valley; Nine More Mass-Central Contextual Views.

While on the roll with Mass-Central, I thought I’d present some more of my latest views. Made over the last week or so, these portray the railroad and its environs in the Ware River Valley.

In my photography and writing, I believe that providing context is an important component of telling a story.

Not all these photos depict trains, but together they are intended to paint a picture of modern railroading in this historic New England valley.

Since Mass-Central’s history is closely tied to the geography and industries that once-populated the Ware River Valley, to relay this story, it is important to capture more than just pretty pictures of the locomotive engine.

The old textile mills, villages, mill-ponds, and local highways all play an important part of the greater story.

Forest Lake.
Forest Lake.
Gilbertville.
Gilbertville.

Tomorrow, I’ll take a slightly more focused approach and highlight Mass-Central’s southbound run to Palmer. This will feature a variety of classically inspired views in low winter sun.

South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
South Barre, Massachusetts.
Gilbertville.
Gilbertville.
Along Route 181 in Palmer, Mass.
Along Route 181 in Palmer, Mass.
Along Route 181 in Palmer, Mass.
Along Route 181 in Palmer, Mass.

Tracking the Light  posts daily!

Thursday Extra Post: Follow up view!

In relation to this morning’s post; Mass-Central on Ware Hill; Boston & Albany’s Ware River Branch in a Modern Context, I’ve received several comments (and email) suggesting that a view in between the two I originally presented might be a superior alternative.

I don’t concur, but I am willing to offer this photo as a potential third alternative.

The third option.
The third option.

I had had my FujiFilm X-T1 set  to  ‘turbo flutter’ (continuous fast) and so exposed a great many images  in rapid successionat this location.

Sometimes Tracking the Light posts more often than once per day!

Mass-Central on Ware Hill; Boston & Albany’s Ware River Branch in a Modern Context.

Winter is an excellent time to photograph Mass-Central former Boston & Albany Ware River Branch.

The lack of foliage and a dearth of heavy underbrush opens up angles for photography obscured during the warmer months.

My challenge is to find new views on this railroad that I’ve often documented over the last 35 years.

On Monday, January 4, 2016, I made these views of the southward Mass-Central freight descending Ware Hill on its return run to Palmer.

Here I present two of the sequence of images. Compositionally, I feel the first image works better as it allows the eye to wander from the locomotive at right to the other subjects. The second image places too much emphasis on the left side.

Mass-Central 1750 leads the railroad’s southward freight near South Street in Ware, Massachusetts on January 4, 2016. Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.)
Mass-Central 1750 leads the railroad’s southward freight near South Street in Ware, Massachusetts on January 4, 2016. Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.)
Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.) Both images exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with Zeiss 12mm Touit lens.
Color temperature and contrast adjusted in post-processing, notably with the addition of a ‘graduated filter’ setting over the sky area to improve detail. (Note, this is not a true external graduated filter, as will be detailed in later posts.) Both images exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera with Zeiss 12mm Touit lens.

Which do you prefer?

 

Tracking the Light Explores Photographic Technique Daily!

Boston & Albany in the Quaboag Valley; the wide view—Zeiss 12mm Touit.

 

The backyard is always a good place to experiment with a new lens:

See familiar territory in a new way; if something goes wrong, nothing is lost. If you succeed, you’ll know your new equipment’s strengths, but if something isn’t right, you’ll learn how to work around the problem before setting out to photograph less familiar places.

Wright's Mills, West Warren, Massachusetts. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Wright’s Mills, West Warren, Massachusetts. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.

On St. Stephen’s Day, I took a drive up the Quaboag Valley along the old Boston & Albany route and made some photos with my FujiFilm X-T1 fitted with a new Carl Zeiss 12mm Touit super wideangle lens.

These are some of the digital images I exposed with my new camera-lens combination. I adjusted image contrast in post processing to maximize shadow and highlight detail for internet presentation.

Looking west at Warren, Massachusetts. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Looking west at Warren, Massachusetts. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
In the shadow of Warren station. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
In the shadow of Warren station. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Warren common. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Warren common. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Boston & Albany's West Brookfield Station. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
Boston & Albany’s West Brookfield Station. Exposed digitally with a 12mm Zeiss Touit.
West Brookfield Station.
West Brookfield Station.
Old Western Rail Road freight house at West Brookfield.
Old Western Rail Road freight house at West Brookfield.

Tracking the Light Explores New Equipment!

Glory of Sunrise—November 18, 2015.

Timing is everything; good information helps.

As I approached the Tenneyville bridge in Palmer (that’s the Route 32 bridge in modern parlance), I heard two CSX trains talking to each other. It was obvious a meet was in progress between CP79 and CP83 (east and west ends of the signaled dispatcher controlled siding).

When I crossed the bridge, CSX Q293 (westward empty autoracks) was easing along below me. The signals at CP83 had just cleared and the sun had just peaked above the horizon.

In a matter of moments, the engineer on Q293 would begin to accelerate. I needed to act quickly.

With my VW, I can accelerate faster than a long freight train, and I was lucky that the roads were clear of traffic.

I drove to a known photo location near the location of the old Boston & Albany freight house (demolished in 1989). This has the advantage of being open, while providing a long view on the tangent track through Palmer yard toward the rising sun.

I arrived with just enough time to set my FujiFilm X-T1 and expose a series of photos of the train rolling west out of sunrise. Soft morning clouds dampened the harshness of the direct light.

CSX Q293 rolls west against a backdrop of the rising sun at Palmer, Massachusetts on November 18, 2015. The Tenneyville Bridge is visible in the distance. My set up time: about 15 seconds.
CSX Q293 rolls west against a backdrop of the rising sun at Palmer, Massachusetts on November 18, 2015. The Tenneyville Bridge is visible in the distance. My set up time: about 15 seconds.

Here I’ve included both a long telephoto view, and a wide angle to give you a sense for both the lighting and the location. The wide view required a bit of contrast control and exposure adjustment to make for a satisfactory final image.

The range of contrast of this wide angle view required a bit of post processing. I prefer the telephoto view, but this one gives a good lay of the land. Both were exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera. If I had had time, I'd have exposed some color slides.
The range of contrast of this wide angle view required a bit of post processing. I prefer the telephoto view, but this one gives a good lay of the land. Both were exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera. If I had had time, I’d have exposed some color slides.

Tracking the Light Posts Every Day!

Amtrak 449 with Autumn Foliage

I exposed this view of Amtrak 449, the Lake Shore Limited, from a favorite field off Route 67 near Palmer, Massachusetts.

Since 1980, I’ve made hundreds of views from this field. If I put up one new image every day, we’d still be looking at them come summer!

Yet, I still like to make photos from this field, and a few weeks ago it offered a classic vantage point to catch the Lake Shore Limited with autumn color. Sometimes its best to go with what you know!

Amtrak_449_with_engine107_at_CP79_DSCF5606

Exposed using a FujiFilm X-T1 mirrorless digital camera set for ‘Velvia’ color profile.

Tracking the Light posts something different everyday!