It’s hard for me to resist a clear evening!
On our way to the creamery, we paused trackside at Bird-in-Hand to roll by Amtrak Keystone 649 on its way west to Harrisburg.
I made this rapid-fire sequence using my Nikon Z7-II with Nikkor 24-70mm zoom lens.
I think these will age well.
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Previously on Tracking the Light, I used an image from this sequence of eastward Keystone 672 to articulate why I expose using the RAW format. For this article, my intent is to demonstrate how I tried to anticipate a rolling meet.
Saturday evening, a glance at the ASM.transitdocs app revealed that Gap, Pa., would be a good place to try for a Main Line rolling meet.
I often use this passenger train application to reduce waiting time and help plan my locations.
The curves at Gap have several advantages; they allow for dramatic angles, while slower train speeds make it a little easier to frame moving trains. Slower trains in curves allow for more options to make images of a rolling meet.
Nice thought. Except, I got it wrong by about 60 seconds!
While I made satisfactory photos of both trains, Amtrak 672 had complete cleared my location before the westward 667 came into view.
I’ll keep trying.
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It was fun gliding west on the old Main Line.
Kris and I had boarded Amtrak Keystone 665 at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. I wanted to sit on the northside of the train and check out some of our usual places as we zipped along at 100 plus.
As we approached Lancaster, a thunderstorm had darkened the horizon.
I made these views from the train using my Z7-II.
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For the next weeks the sun will be rising and setting on the north side of Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line where it runs parallel to Jefferson Drive in Lancaster.
I’ve been making a project of working the light at this familiar location.
Amtrak Keystone train 618 is a good choice because this is scheduled to depart Lancaster at 1945 (745pm) which can result in some dramatic backlit photos.
On this occasion, Amtrak ACS-64 number 615 was leading. This elusive electric was on my list of Amtrak locomotives to photograph on the move. I guess I can tick that box!
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The reverse curves on the old Main Line at Gap, Pennsylvania offer endless photo opportunities.
Amtrak Keystone train 649 is a regular subject for me in the afternoon.
A couple of weeks back, I suspected that train 649 would be worked by ACS-64 no. 642, which specially painted for American Veterans.
I surmised this correctly, however, the locomotive was working the back of the train rather than in the lead (as I would have preferred for photography).
That said, Amtrak doesn’t operate its trains for my amusement, so I made due with the configuration as I found it.
Images exposed using my Nikon Z7-II with 70-200mm zoom.
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A few days ago I posted an evening glint photograph made with a 35mm lens of an eastward Amtrak Keystone passing Jefferson Drive, near Greenfield in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
(see: http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/35mm-sunset-glint/_)
These images were made at sunrise few days later from almost the same vantage point, but using a telephoto zoom (Nikkor Z-series 70-200mm) of eastward Keystone service train 642 (led by Amtrak ACS-64 608).
I thought it would make for an interesting comparison to show how differently a location appears at different times of day and with different focal length lenses.
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Sunday afternoon, Kris & I went for a wee drive. This was neatly planned to coincide with the passing of a westward Amtrak Keystone at Jefferson Drive in Lancaster.
For a week, I’d been eyeing the Spring blossoms on decorative tress along Jefferson drive, but was discouraged by the ‘Irish’ weather we seem to have brought back with us.
Since Sunday was bright and clear, I recognized the time was ripe to make the most of the light and the trees.
Photos were exposed of Amtrak Keystone 665 on its approach to Lancaster, PA.
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Bird-in-Hand is a classic Pennsy Main Line location.
The 1920s-era grade separation with concrete stairwells over Pennsylvania Route 340 is largely intact.
The once four-main railroad snakes through a gentle curve, which can make for a dynamic setting. I caught eastward Amtrak Keystone 670 shortly after its Lancaster, Pa., station stop.
The zebra striped cab-car works well in the autumnal scene.
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Amtrak Keystone 650 was running a wee bit behind the advertised.
I was set up at Leaman Place, east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
There had been brilliant bright sun light— and there still was all around me—but in the interval between when the train was scheduled to pass my location and when it actually raced by, a puffy cloud had found its way between me and the sun.
There’s an (unmentionable) phrase for this.
Anyway, my going away (trailing) views made use of the softened directional light, which treated the metallic train nicely.
I made these photos with my Z7II and 24-70mm lens set at 40mm; ISO 200, f4 1/1600th sec.
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Light matters.
Here are two photos made of two very similar Amtrak Keystone consists eastbound at the same location near Gap, Pennsylvania.
One was made in the morning; the other at sunset.
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This is a variation on yesterday’s theme, but on a different day with a different Keystone, and another road.
I’d made a sunset silhouette of the on-coming train; then turned around to make this going away view of Amtrak Keystone 618.
Gap, PA: ACS-64 626 is powering the train from the back. Kris is filming the passing train from her silver Tiguan using her iPhone 13. While, the empty lanes of Strasburg Road on the left.
We got a friendly toot toot from the headend as the train passed.
Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens. RAW file cropped in post processing for lateral emphasis.
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This is not all about the train, nor the railroad.
I purposefully placed Jefferson Drive to de-emphasize Amtrak’s Keystone racing along to the right.
I’ve inserted a bit irony with the placement of the ‘speed limit 35’ sign. The train was gliding along at about 100 mph.
The green grass of summer contrasts nicely with the sky at dusk.
And don’t forget the two railroad boxes alongside the track. At least one of these house equipment for a lineside defect detector.
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On these long summer evenings, the sun sets to the north of Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line along Jefferson Drive at Greenfield near Lancaster, PA.
Kris and I pulled over to watchAmtrak Keystone 618 glide east as it caught the evening glint. Running cab car first, this trainhad a pleasant surprise for us at the back: Amtrak ACS-64 642 specially painted to honor American Veterans.
My Nikon Z6 has a rapid burst exposure setting that exposes a sequence of images in quick succession which allowed me to catch this ununally painted locomotive on the move.
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A few days ago, a storm had cleared away the hazy dust and for once there was some sweet evening light at Gap, Pennsylvania along the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line.
We’d stopped at a nearby Rita’s Ice to get a treat for Kris and pulled up to a park-like setting in view of the famous clock tower. I was tracking Amtrak Keystone train 669 and knew it was close.
When Amtrak Siemen’s ACS-64 663 rounded the bend with train 669, I exposed a sequence of photos with my Nikon Z6 and 70-200mm lens then raised my Lumix LX-7 for coming and going wide angle views, followed by another sequence with the Nikon. Kris made a phone video of me taking photos.
I’d just sat back in the car, when Kris said, ‘Look! Another train,’ as an eastward Amtrak train squealed into view. My Lumix was still in my hand and ready to go, so I made a couple of grab shots. I assume this was a deadhead move, as it hadn’t appeared on the tracker. The engineer gave us a friendly toot! as the train passed.
I love bonus trains that I wasn’t expecting!
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We arrived at Gap, PA about ten minutes ahead of Amtrak Keystone service 618 on its way east from Harrisburg.
I made my first photos in this curve at Gap on a visit 16 years ago—June 2007.
Thick smoky-haze filled the air and filtered the evening sun.
I made this telephoto series of images as Amtrak 618 (led by ACS-64 606) glided through the curve at Gap.
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On this day eight years ago, I visited Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I’d taken Amtrak’s Keystone from Philadelphia and upon arrival spent some time in the State Archives visiting with Kurt Bell while researching for a book on steam locomotives.
I made these photos around the old Pennsylvania Railroad station in the afternoon using my FujiFilm XT1.
Later that month, I bought a new Apple MacBook Pro laptop and with it, Adobe Lightroom. I’ve been using Lightroom ever since to adjust my RAW files (these included).
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I often wonder if titles make a difference in viewership. If I called this ‘Energised ACS-64s ‘ would you have read it?
A couple of days ago, I set up at Leaman Place where the Strasburg Rail Road meets the old Main Line and waited for a pair of Amtrak Keystone services to pass by at speed.
Amtrak 605 was westbound, Amtrak 600 was eastbound. Confusingly, Amtrak’s 600-series Keystone trains are typically let by its ACS-64 electric locomotives that are also numbered in the 600-series.
Inevitably someone will ask me what the difference is between a train and locomotive. The Keystone services are train and carry train numbers. Amtrak’s ACS-64 are locomotives and carry locomotive numbers. One identifies a service (software) the other identies a specific piece of railroad rolling stock (hardware).
Amtrak 605 passed first; while Amtrak 600 passed only two minutes later. Had 605 been running just a little late, I may have scored a running meet.
All four photos were exposed using my Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm Z-series Nikkor zoom lens.
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This morning, the combination of agricultural haze, moisture in the air, and dust high in the atmosphere from fires in western Canada made for soft rosy morning light.
I don’t make a habit of posting photos to Tracking the Light the day of exposure, so today is an exception.
A little while ago, I set up at Gap, Pennsylvania along the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, now Amtrak’s Harrisburg Line, in anticipation of Keystone train 642 racing east toward Philadelphia.
As the train took the curve west of Gap, I exposed this sequence of digital photos using my Nikon Z6 with Z-series 70-200mm zoom. ISO set to 400, white balance to ‘daylight auto’. All photos adjusted using Lightroom.
Although a non-conventional view, I like the last in the sequence that features the train in the distance with the focus on the wild flowers. Isn’t this how we often see trains, just a glimpse in the distance?
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A mid-afternoon Amtrak Keystone train from Harrisburg, works the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line at Gap, Pennsylvania.
Today’s ACS64 ‘Cities Sprinter’ electrics are to Amtrak what the 1930s-1940s era GG1s were to the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Note my framing of the locomotive between the two catenary poles, leaving room for the farm in the distance and the tree at the far right.
More experiments with Foma (Czech film producer) so-called Retropan ISO 320 black & white film. See previous posts:
Retropan 320—First Experiment.
Retropan on the Rails; Experiments with My second Roll of Foma’s 320 ISO Black & White film.
Unexpected Results: My Third Experiment with Retropan.
Working with my Nikon F3 fitted with a vintage Nikkor f1.4 50mm lens, I made these views at Strafford, Pennsylvania along the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line west of Philadelphia.
It was a dull Sunday afternoon in January and my hope was to make iconic views using traditional materials that might work more effectively than modern digital color photographs (although I exposed some digital images as well.)
For this batch of Foma Retropan, I returned to hand processing in Paterson tanks. I used Retro Special Developer stock solution (diluted 1:1 with water) with a 4 minutes development time. Prior to introducing the primary developer, I pre-soaked in a water bath with a drop of Retro Special Developer stock for 1 minute.
My aim was to retain the broad tonality achieved with earlier experiments while keeping the grain size relatively fine.
Honestly, I’m not sure that these photographs work for me. But the lighting was pretty tough. (Flat, dull, and lacking in character and direction).
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