Tag Archives: #Mass Bay RRE

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Covered Wagons—Crew and Photographers.

A week ago Saturday (January 7, 2023), Kris and I participated and observed in Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts’s Covered Wagons in the Snow, a trip I helped plan and organize.

Previously, I presented photos of the train. Here, I’m displaying photos of the train crew, Mass-Bay’s car hosts, and a few of the dozens of photographers that participated.

All photos were exposed using my Nikon Z6 and Z7-II digital cameras.

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Tracking the Light—On Screen

Ten days ago, I presented my Power Point presentation titled ‘Tracking the Light’—named after this blog—to the Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts in the Pearl Street Station restaurant in Malden, Massachusetts.

I was allowed to open the back door which faced the Orange Line and former Boston & Maine commuter rail tracks.

Inside the station were paintings depicting how the station used to be.

Dave Brown of the Mass Bay RRE helped me work the computer that projected my pre-recorded program that featured 196 photographs.

Mass Bay RRE’s Dave Brown works the projection computer.
Mass Bay RRE’s Dave Brown works the projection computer.

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Black and White in Color.

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In decades-old railroad tradition, Conway Scenic’s steam locomotive 7470 is largely painted black. While in winter, the environment around the railroad is largely snow covered (at least we hope it is) .

Why steam in the snow?

Drama!

The cold air contributes to spectacular effects from condensation tinted with smoke from the firebox.

Here are a few of my Lumix LX7 color digital photos from Saturday’s (January 4, 2020) Steam in the Snow excursion sponsored by the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts on Conway Scenic’s operation over the former Maine Central Mountain Division.

Dave Swirk at the throttle of 7470.

(And yes, maybe I made a few classic black & white images of this trip on film!)

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Steam in the Snow!

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Yesterday, January 4, 2020, Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts Inc., operated its famous Steam in the Snow event at the Conway Scenic Railroad from North Conway to Notchland, New Hampshire.

Locomotive 7470 was the star of the show.

Several photo run bys were organized to allow travelers on the train to make photos and enjoy watching the locomotive in action.

Conway Scenic’s President and General Manager Dave Swirk was at the throttle of the steam locomotive.

As a representative of Conway Scenic, I traveled on the train for part of its journey and documented people enjoying the event.

This view at Notchland, shows Mass Bay RRE’s photo line up during the first of three staged runbys at this location.

Exposed using a FujiFilm XT1 with 18-135mm lens mounted on a Bogen tripod.

More to come!

Tracking the Light Posts Daily! 

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I’ll be Writing for Trains Magazine.

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Beginning with the February 2017 issue (expected toward the end of December), I’ll be featured in a regular opinion column for Trains Magazine.

This is a new and exciting opportunity for me. With it I hope to explore a range of topics over the coming months

The idea for a regular Brian Solomon column came about as result of my conversations with Editor Jim Wrinn and Assistant Editor Brian Schmidt who were intrigued by my comparisons between European and North American railroading.

Unlike Tracking the Light, which is focused largely on photography, my Trains columns will be aimed at the railroad industry, its operations and practices.

I’ll be writing narratives that draw from my knowledge of history and technology. My hope to is to both entertain and inform, while also offering unusual perspectives on railroads.

I've been contributing to Trains Magazine since 1984. My first published photo in Trains featured this Mass Bay RRE excursion that had operated from Boston to Brattleboro, Vermont on February 25, 1984. The photo that appeared in the magazine was an angle of the Amtrak F40PHs on the south end of the train in the Brattleboro yard; by contrast these views were of the train shortly after it arrived at Brattleboro station. All were exposed using my old Leica 3A with 50mm Summitar.
I’ve been contributing to Trains Magazine since 1984. My first published photo in Trains had featured this Mass Bay RRE excursion (that had operated from Boston to Brattleboro, Vermont on February 25, 1984). The photo that appeared in the magazine was an angle of the Amtrak F40PHs on the south end of the train in the Brattleboro yard; by contrast these views were of the train shortly after it arrived at Brattleboro station. All were exposed using my old Leica 3A with 50mm Summitar.

Although it was sunny at New London, by the time we'd reached Brattleboro it was raining very hard. I got soaked making my photographs. At the time I was senior at Monson Jr.-Sr High School, and David P. Morgan was still Trains Editor-in-Chief.
Although it was sunny at New London, by the time we’d reached Brattleboro it was raining very hard. I got soaked making my photographs. At the time I was senior at Monson Jr.-Sr High School, and David P. Morgan was still Trains Editor-in-Chief. Ironically, the original negative that was published in Trains, remains among my missing photographs. Hopefully it may resurface one of these days. This pair of images were from my ‘out-takes’, and I only recently rediscovered them. 

Tracking the Light will continue to post everyday!