Tag Archives: Evansville

photography

Sunset on the Chicago & North Western

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I made these views with my FujiFilm X-T1 digital camera of the former Chicago & North Western Chicago-Madison-Twin Cities mainline at Evansville, Wisconsin.

CNW_line_at_Evansville_DSCF9736

Looking west toward Madison, Wisconsin. Agricultural dust and other pollutants contribute to a rosy sunset. I've exposed manually for the sky. With Kodachrome film I could have retained better detail in the sky.
Looking west toward Madison, Wisconsin. Agricultural dust and other pollutants contribute to a rosy sunset. I’ve exposed manually for the sky. With Kodachrome film I could have retained better detail in the sky. f22 1/250th second.

John Gruber was giving me a tour of the line. He explained that in its heyday this route had been a double track mainline with a top speed of 75 mph.

Today it is a truncated vestige of that earlier era. The tracks are now operated by Union Pacific to serve local freight customers. No fast Pacifics with varnish in tow any more.

To ensure new material daily, Tracking the Light is coasting on autopilot while Brian is traveling.