Many years ago my dad advised me, ‘photograph everything, because everything changes’. In October 2002, I made this photograph of Green Mountain Railroad’s excursion train passing the wooden covered truss at Bartonsville, Vermont. At the time this was a seasonal daily occurrence. While I was fond of the vintage Alco diesel, there was nothing unusual about the scene, and there was no special urgency in capturing the moment. Today, this image is a prize, but not for the Alco, which remains in excellent condition—I photographed it again last summer at White River Junction where it was positioned to power a Vermont Rail System excursion. The old covered bridge is only a memory today. It stood here since the 1870s, but on August 28, 2011 it was swept away by flood waters caused by Hurricane Irene. Its temporary replacement wasn’t as interesting to photograph; thankfully a replica truss bridge is under construction.
Exposed this image on Fujichrome with a Contax G2 rangefinder fitted with a Zeiss 28mm Biogon lens.
New England Central GP38 3850 shoves on the back of southward freight number 608 crossing Route 32 in South Monson. Contax G2 with Zeiss 28mm Biogon lens, Agfa Scala black & white reversal film.
I often make interesting images when I’m just playing around. Between 2001 and 2007 I regularly worked with a Contax G2 rangefinder and I typically used it to expose either Fuji color slide film or black & white negatives. One day, in autumn 2001 I loaded the camera with Agfa Scala, a distinctive black & white reversal film that when processed offered high-contrast monochrome slides. Among my subjects was New England Central which runs right through Monson, Massachusetts. This day, the southward freight required a helper out of Palmer Yard to assist its ascent of State Line Hill. While not unheard of, New England Central doesn’t use helpers every day. I caught the train several times with my G2, then waited an eternity for the slides to come back. No fault of the lab: after I sent them in, I’d returned to Dublin, and so it was about three months from the time I exposed the photos to when I finally examined them. Interesting! That was eleven years ago now.
New England Central’s 608 climbing State Line Hill approaches Smith Bridge (Stafford Hollow Road). This was a favorite spot of my late friend, Robert A. Buck of Warren, Massachusetts, and on many occasions he photographed Central Vermont’s 2-8-0s here laboring up the grade. There were fewer trees back then. (And even more in 2012 than in 2001!) Contax G2 with 28mm Zeiss Biogon lens, Agfa Scala black & white reversal film.The old coal elevator at Squires Lumber & Hardware in Monson, Massachusetts. This classic structure was dismantled a few years after I made this photo. Contax G2 with 45mm Zeiss Planar lens, Agfa Scala black & white reversal film.
