Tag Archives: #F7A

Announcements, photography, Rail transit marathon, Tips and Technique

F7s on the Move!

Years ago I photographed Norfolk Southern’s executive F-units leading the company office car train on various occasions.

Last Saturday, Kris and I intercepted these famous streamliners working Reading & Northern’s Fall Foliage Excursion on its return run from Jim Thorpe to North Reading.

It was a gorgeous clear afternoon and the autumn leaves were beginning to pop. We investigated a variety of places to make photos and ultimately settled on Tippets Road near Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania.

I wanted to make the most of the autumn color, while featuring the F’s classic ‘bull-dog’ nose and car body style construction.

I made these photos while working with both of my Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameras. Kris made photos with her FujiFilm X-T4 mirrorless camera. Seamus-the-Dog took it all in from the back seat of the car.

Once the train passed we zipped off after it to make more images in the late afternoon light!

I found it interesting that on the previous weekend we found fellow photographers at every bend to make photos of steam locomotive 2102, but on this day when photographing the F’s on exactly the same route, we only saw only other person making photos between Tippets Road and North Reading. This was especially remarkable considering the beautiful autumnal conditions!

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photography, Tips and Technique

Boston & Maine F7s at Hussey’s Field

The first official photo stop on 470 Club’s Autumn 2022 trip (operated by Conway Scenic Railroad on Saturday October 22, 2022) was a photo runby on the Conway Branch at Hussey’s Field in Conway, NH. [I was responsible for the train schedule and assisting with organizing the photo stops.]

I chose this location for the first photo stop because it offered ample space for all the train’s passengers to spread out; provided good lighting for an eastward (northward) morning train; and was largely free from shadows, and distracting background elements.

This was the only photo stop on the former Boston & Maine Conway Branch. The other arranged photo locations were all on the former Maine Central Mountain Division

I made these photos using my Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm lens.

More photos from the 470 Club trip to follow in the coming days.

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photography

November Sun—Boston & Maine 4268.

Low, clear November sun presents great light for color railroad photographs.

Working with my FujiFilm XT1, I made these photos yesterday (November 29, 2020) of Boston & Maine F7A 4268 that is under restoration at North Conway by members of the 470 Club.

I exposed a few using my 12mm Zeiss Touit, and others with my Fujinon f2.0 90mm (prime telephoto.) All are in-camera JPGs with the Velvia color profile (scaled and watermarked for internet).

12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
90mm telephoto
90mm telephoto

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photography

Conway Scenic Conway Way Freight—11 images.

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Last Saturday, September 5, 2020, the second of our Railfan photo freights operated from North Conway to Conway on the former Boston & Maine Conway Branch.

We stopped the freight at several locations during the journey, and made a pick up at Conway.

I exposed these photos using my FujiFilm XT1 with my 18-135mm Fujinon Zoom lens. Unfortunately, upon arriving back at the North Conway yard, my lens suffered a failure with the linkage inside the lens that controls the range of view, leaving me to work with my Canon EOS 3 film camera for the remainder of the evening.

I’m presently assessing lens/camera replacement alternatives.

Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

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Good News from Conway Scenic Railroad.

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Mark June 20, 2020 on your calendar. On that day, Conway Scenic Railroad will commence its 2020 operating season!

Yesterday, I was down in the yard making photos of 470 Club’s F7A 4268 that Louis and Jordan were transferring from stall four in the roundhouse to its new location behind stall 1, where it now sits back to back with sister B&M F7A 4266 (for continued restoration work), when I heard this news:

The State of New Hampshire is planning to lift the conditions that have restricted Conway Scenic Railroad from operating public excursions.

These were posted to: covidguidance.nh.gov.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been assisting with planning for our delayed reopening, including mapping the seating arrangements for our passenger cars, helping to draft training materials, working on schedules, and learning some nuts and bolts of real railroading, along with marketing activities.

Among the complications of our reopening are the conditions that still remain in place to minimize the spread of Covid-19 that require us to limit passenger car capacity, enforce social distancing, maintain sanitary conditions etc.

These have resulted in much longer boarding processes, and at least initially we will need to begin boarding guests 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure times.

We have to limit the numbers of guests in our station, and set up new procedures for our crews.

I’ll be a busy guy over the coming days. Since we only received the particulars of the new ruling yesterday many of the details still need to be worked out.

Tracking the Light is Brian Solomon’s Photography Blog.