It was a dismal rainy evening two days before Christmas 1988. I had two Leicas. With one I was running some tests on color filtration with a new flavor of Kodak Ektachrome (remember that?) for a class I was taking in color photography.
In the other Leica, my dad’s M3, I had a sole roll of Kodak Plus-X (ISO 125, that I rated at ISO 80).
My pal TSH and I were exploring New York City area transit on one of the busiest travel days of the season, and I was making photos trying to capture the spirit of motion.
Among the images I made, was this photograph of a PATH train crossing the massive lift bridge east of Newark Penn Station.
Exposed using a Leica M3 with 50mm Summicron on Kodak Plus X (rated at ISO80).
The other day I scanned this negative and processed the image electronically in Lightroom, where I minimized the dust that had accumulated over the last three decades.
I consulted my notes from that year, and found that I’d photographed extensively on that day! (Hooray for my old notebook!)
At the time I was about a week away from completing my course work at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where I earned a BFA in Photographic Illustration, and I was making good use of the fine Spring weather in Western New York State.
That day I began my photography on the Water Level Route at East Rochester, and worked my way eastward toward Lyons, New York.
Conrail SD50 leads symbol freight PXSE (Pacific Express to Selkirk, New York) eastward on the number 1 track at CP342 near Newark, New York.
I was particularly fascinated by the abandoned truss bridge over the old New York Central west of Newark, New York. This had carried the Newark & Marion, which had served as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. [See: AbandonedRails.com for more about this line. ]
Using my Leica M2 with a 35mm Summicron, I opted for a vertical format. Conrail’s CP342 near Newark, New York on 13 May1989.Another eastward freight with an SD50 in the lead. I wouldn’t complain today about seeing three freights with Conrail blue SD50s! Back then they were pretty common, but still nice to see.
On an earlier trip, I’d photographed this bridge on a dull day using a 4×5 camera.
On May 13th, I worked with my Leica M2 exposing Kodachrome 25 color slides, and featured Conrail trains passing below the bridge.At that time SD50s were standard locomotives on many of the railroad’s carload trains.
Later, I explored other vantage points along the busy Conrail east-west mainline.
Amtrak F40PH 362 leads train 68 along the former New York Central mainline east of Newark, New York. (Incidentally, Newark, New York should not be confused with the larger and better known Newark, New Jersey, that is on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor).
Thanks to Ciarán for encouraging this foray into my slide archive!
I was on my way from Gladstone to Cranford, New Jersey. During my change of modes at Newark Broad Street, I made this photo of an in-inbound NJ Transit light rail car.
It was hot, and the light was tinted by the prevailing smaze, a condition often prevalent in this part of New Jersey.
Question: would it be better to filter the light to counter the tint, or run with a ‘daylight’ setting that would show the brownish tinge the way it really is?
Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey. Exposed with a Lumix LX7.
Tracking the Light offers original material daily!
Five photos of an Architectural Gem on the old Lackawanna.
On January 15, 2015, Jack May and I visited this grand old railroad station on our exploration of NJ Transit lines in the area.
The station building was designed by DL&W’s Frank J. Niles and completed in 1903.
Newark Broad Street Station on January 15, 2015. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.The Italianate style clock tower is a classic element of Newark’s Broad Street Station on January 15, 2015. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.
Although the days when long distance trains paused here on their way to and from Buffalo have long since past, the triple track former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western mainline was alive with suburban traffic.
On going maintenance on track 1 improved our photographs of inbound trains, but confused passengers as to which platform to stand on.
An informative plaque at Broad Street makes for its own caption.An NJT ALP46 shoves at the back of an inbound train: next stop, Hoboken. Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.An outbound NJ Transit commuter train approaches Broad Street. On the left you can see the Empire State Building. Canon EOS 7D with 100mm lens.
I’ve just completed text for a book on railroad stations to be published by Voyageur Press. This among the many stations that I may choose to illustrate.
Among the least photographed urban railways in the New York City metro area is the old Newark City Subway.
On January 15, 2015, I met Jack May at Newark Penn Station and we began our tour of area railways.
A 1930s era mural depicts the old canal. Jack May explained to me that part of the City Subway was built in the old canal bed. Exposed with a Canon EOS 7D.
The last time I rode the Newark City Subway it still featured PCC cars. Since then it has been extended and is now part of NJ Transit’s Newark Light Rail.
Images of the subway from my Kodachrome days really weren’t so good. However, with my Canon EOS 7D I was able to make remarkably pleasing photos.
The cars are lettered for the Newark Light Rail.An inbound light rail car arrives at the Newark Penn Station terminus. Twin turn back loops are in operation here. Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.Newark City Subway at Penn Station. Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.An inbound car departs from Broad Street. The old DL&W station on the right has been restored. Canon EOS 7D with 20mm lens.The platforms on the DL&W station offered this view of the new light rail. An outbound light rail car crosses Lackawanna Avenue. Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.
We rode from Newark Penn Station (not to be confused for New York Penn Station) on the new Broad Street Extension to the finely restored old Lackawanna Station. Here we began the next leg of our tour.
It was a hot, humid and hazy morning. The sunlight was tinted by gauzy smog which softened the scene.
Bob Karambelas and I were exploring the junction at Hunter Tower in Newark, New Jersey, where the former Lehigh Valley crossed the old Pennsylvania Railroad electrified mainline.
A westward freight with a pair of SD40-2s was departing Oak Island yard and I exposed this view looking a down a grungy side street with a 200mm lens.
I’ve always been fascinated with urban images like this, where the railroad is prominent but not necessarily dominant, and passes through post industrial decay. Look at the grime on surface of the street and the great beat up old cars!
