This coming Tuesday evening, 15 October 2019, I’ll be presenting a slide show and talk featuring my travels in Spain and Portugal to the Munster Branch of the Irish Railway Record Society at the Brú Columbanus Rooms at Cardinal Way, Wilton in Cork City.
The talk begins about 8pm.
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A little while ago, I found this old slide-scan of GP40-2 when searching for an image to advertise my slide program tomorrow night: General Motors Diesels in North America.
I thought: you might not believe what’s lurking right behind this freshly painted EMD!
As a reminder: my program will held on Thursday 28 February 2019 at 7:30 pm at the Irish Railway Record Society premises near Heuston Station in Dublin. Visitors are welcome!
Step back to Septmeber 2, 1991, when I exposed this view at Mott-Azalea, California on Southern Pacific’s Shasta Route. I was on assignment for Southern Pacific and traveling with photographer Brian Jennison who lent me his 300mm Nikkor telephoto.
I set up Brian’s 300mm with my F3T loaded with Kodachrome on my Bogen 3021 Tripod, positioning it nearly at rail level to make a long sequence of the approaching train.
What train was this?
It was an SP excursion with borrowed Lima 4-8-4 4449 and Daylightpassenger train. The GP40-2 was added for extra-power and braking on the grade from Dunsmuir to Black Butte.
I’ve completely hidden the vintage train behind the freshly painted GP40-2!
The flags are a nice touch.
There’s something about the West. I wish I was standing there, right now, taking it all in. It was a memorable weekend all around.
Tracking the Light Posts Daily!
On Thursday 28 February 2019 at 7:30 pm, I’ll be giving my slide presentation on General Motors Diesel-Electric Locomotives in North America at the Irish Railway Record Society premises near Heuston Station in Dublin.
This venue is about a two to five minute walk from the station platforms opposite the car park.
See: http://irishrailarchives.ie/index.php/meetings/upcoming/
This is a variation on the program I gave in Cork last October.
I’ll will present grand selection of REAL 35mm colour slides detailing General Motors Electro-Motive Division diesels at work and will cover numerous models on many different railroads, and feature some dramatic locomotive photography.
On Thursday 28 February 2019 at 7:30 pm, I’ll be giving a slide presentation to the Irish Railway Record Society in Dublin on General Motors Diesel-Electric Locomotives in North America.
The talk will be held at the IRRS Premises near Heuston Station in Dublin City. This is about a two to five minute walk from the station platforms opposite the car park.
See: http://irishrailarchives.ie/index.php/meetings/upcoming/
This is a variation on the program I gave in Cork last October.
I’ll will present grand selection of REAL 35mm colour slides detailing General Motors Electro-Motive Division diesels at work and will cover numerous models on many different railroads, and feature some dramatic locomotive photography.
There’s to be some surprises! (Different photos not previously presented)
Tracking the Light Posts Daily!
The October 2018 Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society features my obituary to American photographer and author Jim Shaughnessy who passed away in August this year.
I paid tribute to Jim and his work, both in America and Ireland, while also explaining how I helped Jim publish his photography in the Journal. Jim was always delighted to be represented in this Irish publication.
The Journal is published thrice annually and I’ve been contributing material for nearly 18 years.
To learn more about the Irish Railway Record Society see: http://irishrailarchives.ie
On Monday, 8 October 2018 at 8pm (20.00), I’ll be giving a slide presentation to the Irish Railway Record Society in Cork on General Motors Diesel-Electric Locomotives in North America.
The talk will be held at the Bru Columbanus Meeting Rooms in Wilton, Cork City.
I will show a wide variety of colour slides detailing General Motors Electro-Motive Division diesels at work.
This will cover numerous models on many different railroads, and feature some of my most dramatic locomotive photography.
Below are a selection of views I made from last weekend’s Irish Railway Record Society 071 Anniversary tour.
In earlier posts, I’ve covered other elements of this excellent railway trip across Ireland on 9-10 April 2016.
All photos were exposed digitally from the train’s windows.
Enjoy!
Tracking the Light posts new photos daily.
Irish Railway Record Society’s ‘071 class two-day 40th anniversary railtour‘ covered a lot of ground in just two days.
The trip represented a mastery of coordination; special to thanks to everyone at Irish Railway Record Society, Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, and Irish Rail!
This a selection of 20 new images I made with my Lumix LX7. (I’m still down-loading the photos made with my FujiFilm X-T1).
We started and finished at Dublin’s Connolly Station, running to Ballybrophy (with train continuing ‘empty carriages’ to Lisduff sidings to change direction, then via the Nenagh Branch to Limerick.
Limerick to Cork, Cork back to Mallow, then to Killarney for an overnight stay. In the morning to Tralee (my visit there since I bought a digital camera!) then back to Kilarney.
Back via Mallow to Limerick Junction, then down my favorite line to Waterford via Carrick-on-Suir. From Waterford to Killkenny and via Cherryville Junction back up to Dublin.
There were lots of intermediate photographic stops along the way.
I’ll be posting more photos from the popular trip soon!
Tracking the Light is a Daily Photographic Blog.
Tonight, 10 March 2016, I will present an illustrated program “One Year on Irish Railways; Looking back Ten Years” to the Irish Railway Record Society in Dublin.
What will I show?
I sifted through thousands of my Irish Rail slides looking for images that fit my arbitrary qualification; exposed in Ireland during 2006.
After locating more than 500 slides that fit the bill, I then honed the selection to something manageable.
Ultimately, this meant I needed to reject more photos than I included.
Here are five views that I exposed in 2006, that will not be appearing tonight.
I hope no one will be disappointed.
Tracking the Light posts daily!
In just two weeks time; on 10 March 2016, I Will Present to the Dublin branch of the Irish Railway Record Society a feature length illustrated talk on Irish railways as they were ten years ago; the year 2006.
This will feature some of my best photography from 2006 and will include a variety of images from around Ireland
My talk will begin at 7:30 pm at the IRRS Dublin premises near Heuston Station.
Tracking the Light posts every day!More views of Irish Railway Record Society Trip to County Cork, 20 July 2013.
There’s a long history of special trains with unusual locomotives, rare events, or otherwise noteworthy occurrences of railway operations that have encouraged railway photography.
Saturday’s trip to Cork and Midleton was no exception. (see yesterday’s post).
Among the photographic events was the rare locomotive hauled consist on Cobh and Midleton Branches. The Cobh branch has been exclusively a railcar operation since the mid-2000s, while the Midleton line has only seen railcar operation since its reopening a few years ago.
In time-honoured tradition, at every photo stop, photographers rushed to snap images of the train. Occasionally, an individual entranced by the fresh paint on locomotive 071 or fascinated by some other peculiarity of operation or equipment, would wander haplessly in front of a line of eager photographers. Shouts of ‘Hey!’ ‘Oy!’, ‘Down in front!’ and the like would ensue.
Especially amusing was when a particularly oblivious passenger or passerby would drift with their backs to the anxious photo line (time is precious on these outings as only a few minutes are allowed at each stop), and proceed to linger staring in wonder at the train. In such cases a diplomat would be elected to negotiate a solution.
A Cobh, I was queried by a German woman as to why so many people were photographing the train. It didn’t appear in the slightest bit unusual to her. Significance is in the eye of the observer. I explained that, ‘locomotives were never operated on this line, and the locomotive that brought the train down was in fresh paint, and that the train had carried the photographers for this purpose.’ She seemed satisfied with that.
While I made plenty of images of the train, 071 and 073 and etc, I also focused on the people. From my experience, images of people surrounding the train tend to be more interesting than the train, and tend to have greater value in the end.
For more photos see yesterday’s post.
More to come tomorrow!
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