Tag Archives: #Charger

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Cardinal Contrasts—Modern Visions on the old C&O

Amtrak’s Cardinal (New York City–Chicago) is one of the most unusual trains on the network.

It is among the few trains that operate with a non-standard consist, typically including the relatively rare Viewliner dorm/baggage cars. Its route is also one of the few that operates over a shortline carrier, and it is one of only a handful of long-distance trains that runs just three days a week.

A few days ago, Kris and I timed a visit to Staunton, Virginia, to coincide with the arrival of Amtrak No. 51, the westbound Cardinal, at the former Chesapeake & Ohio station.

This historic station is situated on a narrow alignment along a sharp curve near the base of a steep grade, making it an especially unusual location to photograph a modern intercity passenger train. The line is operated and maintained by the Virginia based Buckingham Branch and hosts trains of several carriers including Amtrak.

Rain was cascading when the train approached the station. I thought the sleek, streamlined contours of the state-of-the-art Siemens Charger diesel made for a delightful contrast with the historic setting of the old C&O station.

Photos exposed using my Nikon Z6-III with 24-70mm lens.

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Charger Night View

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Viewers on Facebook might see this photo in an ‘auto crop’ version. That’s a function of the social media platform. Click on Tracking the Light to get the whole photo!

This nocturnal photo dates from my adventure to Los Angeles last year to document the movement of vintage dome Silver Splendor. (Now Conway Scenic Railroad’s Rhonda Lee).

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief was being readied to depart from the Los Angeles Union Passenger Station when I made this view from the dutch-door of the dome using my old Lumix LX7.

The Siemens Charger was the focus of this image; but the ambient artificial light is what makes the photo interesting. Sort of a  Star Wars‘ evil empire glow’.

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Modern American Railroading in Soft Light.

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Here’s a thoroughly today scene: An Amtrak Midwest Siemens Charger at Milwaukee’s Intermodal Terminal.

Diffused afternoon sun works well with the geometry of the station’s architecture and the curves and lines of the Siemens Charger.

Using my FujiFilm X-T1 fitted with a 12mm Zeiss Touit, I opted for a skewed angle that accentuates this modern scene.
In post processing, I adjusted contrast and color balance.

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First Encounter: Amtrak Charger.

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I was curious to experience one of these new locomotives.

The Siemens-built Charger is powered by a Cummins diesel and has a European appearance.

Among their Amtrak assignments is the Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha corridor.

I waited on the platform at the new Sturtevant, Wisconsin station. The eerie blue glow of the locomotive’s LED headlights could be seen reflecting off the rails long before the train arrived at the station.

Working with my FujiFilm XT1 fitted with a Zeiss 12mm Touit, I set the ISO to 6400 and panned the train arriving at 1/30thof a second at f2.8.

To better balance the color and keep contrast under control, I modified the camera RAW file in Lightroom to produce this internet suitable JPG.

Here’s a screen shot of the camera-produced JPG with EXIF data for comparison.

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