Tag Archives: GP50

photography

Southern Railway—Atlanta—May 1985.

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It was 30 years ago today, on May 23, 1985, that I exposed this photograph of a Norfolk Southern freight at Atlanta, Georgia. Although the NS merger had occurred a few years earlier, the old Southern image still prevailed.

Exposed on 35mm Kodak black & white film with a Leica 3A fitted with a 50mm Elmar. Notice CocaCola’s hi-rise office in the distance. It was this landmark I was trying to feature. I didn’t have a 90mm lens, which is really what I needed to make this image work.
Exposed on 35mm Kodak black & white film with a Leica 3A fitted with a 50mm Elmar. Notice CocaCola’s hi-rise office in the distance (peaking out over the warehouse, above and right of the locomotive). It was this landmark I was trying to feature. I didn’t have a 90mm lens, which is really what I needed to make this image work.
This is a cropped view of the same image to roughly approximate a telephoto view. Thankfully the old Leica lens had razor sharp optics.
This is a cropped view of the same image to roughly approximate a telephoto view. Thankfully the old Leica lens had razor sharp optics.

I was impressed by the hi-hood GP50s, such as those pictured running long-hood forward. In my book, Southern’s SD45s were even more impressive. The locomotives were clean, sharp looking and well maintained. By contrast, the Seaboard System with its collection of inherited locomotives seemed like a poor sister in tattered clothing.

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