Tag Archives: #Feather River Canyon

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Feather River Canyon

The other day I began scanning a batch of black & white negatives that I exposed on an extended visit to California in autumn 2003.

Among these was a 120-size roll of Kodak Tri-X from a trip to the Sierra with John Gruber. On the morning of November 11, 2003, we chased a westward BNSF freight operating via trackage rights on Union Pacific’s former Western Pacific line.

We had found this freight near Reno Junction in the morning and followed it on California Highway 70.

At the famed ‘Keddie Wye,’ I made a portrait of John with his famous Nikon F, as we waited for the train to roll west.

Today, the photo of John means a lot more to me than the pictures of the freight.

BNSF westward freight on the former Western Pacific at Spring Garden, California on November 11, 2003. Exposed on Kodak Tri-X using a Rolleiflex Model T with Zeiss Tessar.
John Gruber at the ‘Keddie Wye.’ Exposed on Kodak Tri-X using a Rolleiflex Model T with Zeiss Tessar.
Exposed on Kodak Tri-X using a Rolleiflex Model T with Zeiss Tessar.

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The Famous Keddie Wye

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BNSF in the Feather River Canyon Part 2

The old Western Pacific Junction at Keddie, California between WP’s east-west transcon line from Oakland to Salt Lake City and the Inside Gateway/High Line route north to Bieber was once one of the most photographed bridges in California.

What’s not evident from most photographs is that this impressive looking bridge can be viewed from California Highway 70—the main road through the Feather River Canyon.

The famous Keddie Wye.

On a dull October 2003 afternoon I made this view of the famed ‘Keddie Wye’ (as the junction is popularly known).

Contrast and texture make this photo work. My color slides from that day of the train crossing the bridge are less impressive.

Exposed on Kodak 120-size Tri-X using a Rolleiflex Model T with a Zeiss Tessar; processed in Ilfotec HC, and scanned using an Epson V750. Final contrast adjustments were made in Lightroom to emphasize highlights and lighten shadows.

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BNSF in the Feather River Canyon-1

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On October 30, 2003, I spent a day photographing BNSF and Union Pacific trains on the old Western Pacific route through California’s Feather River Canyon.

This exceptionally scenic route has long been a popular place to picture trains.

Although photogenic, one of the conceptual problems with the canyon making the balance between train and scenery work.

Too much train, and the canyon becomes a sideshow. Too much canyon and the train is lost in the scenery.

One way to make balanced is through the clever use of lighting.

That’s what I’ve done here.

Exposed on Kodak 120-size Tri-X using a Rolleiflex Model T with a Zeiss Tessar; processed in Ilfotec HC, and scanned using an Epson V750. Final contrast adjustments were made in Lightroom to emphasize highlights and lighten shadows.

I’ve pictured an eastward BNSF climbing through Rich Bar, and by back lighting the train, I’ve helped emphasize it’s form that might otherwise be lost in the darker reaches of the canyon.

 

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