Tag Archives: #North Conway

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Views from the Plow Extra

Thursday I traveled with Conway Scenic’s Plow Extra to Attitash, and then east from Mountain Junction down the Redstone Branch to Kearsarge in North Conway.

My primary objective of this trip was to make video footage of the plowing and plow crew for Conway Scenic, both to document the activity and to help promote the railroad.

I used my Nikon Z-series mirrorless camera to record both still photos and video. In general, I feel more confident in my ability to work with still images than video, but I still made a lot of video clips which I am now editing into a short film that will hopefully play on Conway Scenic’s Facebook page as well as other accessible media.

Below are a few of the still photos from Thrusday’s adventure on the rails.

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Eastwood Station on the 501

Friday, the musical duo Eastwood Station visited North Conway where they performed live for Conway Scenic Railroad’s guests, made live appearances on the radio, and recorded scenes for video featuring a song about Maine Central steam locomotive 505.

505 was famously destroyed in a boiler explosion 95 years ago.

I arranged for Eastwood Station to record on locomotive 501, a surviving sister to the ill-fated 505, which presently resides inside the North Conway Roundhouse.

A glint of sun illuminated the cab for a few minutes making this photo possible.

Exposed digitally using a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera fitted with a 24-70mm Z-series zoom.

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Rainbow and the Morning Sun

Sometimes it helps just to be there.

Yesterday morning I arrived at North Conway early to open the station and serve as ‘Manager on Duty’ (Station Master, Yard Master and Train Dispatcher).

When I pulled up to the station a rainbow was clinging to the sky above the building.

I grabbed by Nikon Z6 with 70-200mm lens, and made a sequence of images of the station building in morning light with prismatic colors above.

Minutes after I made this photo, the light had changed and the rainbow faded.

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Maroon and Gold Prelude

On Friday, May 20, 2022, the 470 Club in cooperation with Conway Scenic Railroad, assembled a three unit consist of former Maine Central GP7 573 bracketed by former Boston & Maine F7As 4266 and 4268. B&M 4268 was restored to service last month using the guts of former North Coast GP9 number 1757.


This is the first time all three vintage EMD diesels have worked together on Conway Scenic. All are painted in the 1940s-era EMD designed maroon and gold livery that mimics the hues of autumn foliage in New England.

The locomotives were operated in multiple as a test to see if all were performing satisfactorily and run up and down ‘The Hill’ within North Conway Yard Limits.

I traveled on one of the test runs, as well as making photographs for the railroad.

On Sunday, May 22, 2022, these three locomotives  will be the intended consist for the Railfan’s Mountaineer, a specialthat will run from North Conway over the Mountain Division to Crawford Notch and return for the benefit of photographers and locomotive enthusiasts.

On Friday, May 20, 2022, the 470 Club in cooperation with Conway Scenic Railroad, assembled a three unit consist of former Maine Central GP7 573 bracketed by former Boston & Maine F7As 4266 and 4268. B&M 4268 was restored to service last month using the guts of former North Coast GP9 number 1757.

These images were made with my Nikon Z6 and 24-70mm Nikkor Z-series zoom lens.

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Mount Washington from North Conway

It is rarely recognized, however on a clear winter day you can see Mount Washington from the platform of the North Conway Station.

Yesterday, I made these photos of the arriving Snow Train as I perched atop a snow mound adjacent to the platform.

I lined up the mountain, station and train using my Nikon Z6 with Z-series 70-200mm zoom.

To soften contrast, I lightened the shadows in post processing, while slighly boosting the color saturation.

I imagine that back in 1874, when the station opened, there was an unobstructed view of Mount Washington. Today, trees, buildings, and wires make for a cluttered scene.

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February Thaw.

This past Thursday the temperature at North Conway, New Hampshire was 51 F, the highest its been in many weeks. The mountains of snow began to melt. Then Thursday night the rain set in. It poured all night.

By Friday morning (February 18, 2022), puddles covered the yard.

I made these images with my Lumix LX7 of the yard and station facilities saturated with water.

By Friday evening the temperture had dropped in the mid teens. Snow is again on the horizon.

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Lakes Media Live Radio Broadcast!

Yesterday, I hosted a live radio broadcast at Conway Scenic Railroad’s North Conway Station to promote the railroad’s Snow Train excursions.

Dirk Nadon of Lakes Media arrived in the morning and set up a mini-broadcasting studio in the station lobby. We broadcast live and recorded sound bites and interviews on Lakes FM 101.5 and 104.9 The Hawk FM.

I participated in the organization of the event, spoke on the radio to convey the excitement of Snow Train, and made these photographs using my Lumix LX7 digital camera.

We also took the 1130am Snow Train to Attitash and traveled in vintage Pullman diner Hattie Evans.

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Storm LIght

Last week I found the most dramatic light of the day on return to North Conway from Crawford.

I made this view at the Golf Course crossings timetable east of the Conway Scenic Station.

This is the unadjusted camera produced JPG, scaled for internet.

Rich low sun with dramatic clouds make for a stunning view of Conway Scenic’s Mountaineer.

Exposed using my Nikon Z6 digital camera.

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Smoky Light in the White Mountains.

Yesterday (26 July 2021), the White Mountains were obscured by hazy smoke that had settled upon the Mount Washington Valley as a result of raging forest fires in the West.

The sun was out, but an eerie gauzy brownish-fog was lingering in the low-lying areas filtering the light.

Working with my Nikon Z6, I made these photos in the smoky light of Conway Scenic Railroad’s Valley Train coming up the Hill from Conway. This was a stark contrast to the similar images I made last week of the Valley train arriving at North Conway.

North Conway, New Hampshire.

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Valley at the Golf Course

Yesterday afternoon was sunny and pleasant in North Conway, NH.

As part of my job as Manager Marketing & Events at Conway Scenic Railroad, I made a few photos of our afternoon Valley Train from Conway returning to the North Conway station.

On the final leg of its short journey down the Conway Branch this ascends a short 3 percent grade and crosses the Golf Course Crossings.

A former Maine Central Style B lower quadrant semaphore decorates the east-end of our yard. (The semaphore does not serve either a control or protective function).

I made these photos using my Nikon Z6 mirror-less digital camera and processed the camera’s NEF RAW files using Adobe Lightroom.

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Speeder Trip-Part 1

On Friday, May 21, 2021, I served as the pilot for a private speeder trip over the Conway Scenic Railroad.

The speeders were largely from a Pennsylvania-based group that consisted largely of various privately owned Fairmont cars.

I traveled in the lead car and made photographs of the trip as it progressed westward over Crawford Notch. This first batch features Conway Scenic’s Redstone Branch from the State Yard at Kearsarge to Mountain Junction in Intervale.

These photos are scaled JPGs from larger JPG files exposed with my FujiFilm XT1 using the Velvia color profile.

It was a beautiful, if unseasonably warm Spring day for a run over the former Maine Central Mountain Division.

Stay tuned over the coming days for more photos!

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Snow Plow February 3, 2021

Snow fell on North Conway starting the evening of February 1, 2021 and kept on falling for a full day. This was a heavy wet snow that settled like concrete. There was over a foot on the ground by the time it was all done, and over 18 inches in some places.

On Wednesday, February 3rd, Conway Scenic Railroad operated its first plow extra of the season.

I made this photograph at the North Conway station as the plow was being readied for its trip west to Attitash.

Exposed using my FujiFilm XT1 digital camera. RAW file convert to DNG format using Iridient X-Transformer and adjusted with Adobe Lightroom.

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Work Train Makes the Sun

Monday was dull and overcast.

Monday afternoon, Conway Scenic operated a work train out along the Redstone Branch in North Conway, NH.

After the train left the yard, I walked from my office in the North Conway station a few blocks east to the North-South Road that runs parallel to the Redstone line to make a few photos of the train on the branch.

The next day I sent them to the Conway Day Sun.

Yesterday, December 16, 2020, I was greeted by my photo on the front page of the paper! (Complete with credit and quote).

So I went back over to the newspaper’s offices to make a few photos of the newspaper boxes with the railroad in the distance, and then gave a copy to Dave Swirk, president & general manager of the railroad. I posed him in front of steam locomotive 7470, and then posted this to our facebook.

If all goes well, 7470 may be next up for its day in the Sun!

All photos were made using a FujiFilm XT1 with 16-55 Fujinon zoom lens.

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November Sun—Boston & Maine 4268.

Low, clear November sun presents great light for color railroad photographs.

Working with my FujiFilm XT1, I made these photos yesterday (November 29, 2020) of Boston & Maine F7A 4268 that is under restoration at North Conway by members of the 470 Club.

I exposed a few using my 12mm Zeiss Touit, and others with my Fujinon f2.0 90mm (prime telephoto.) All are in-camera JPGs with the Velvia color profile (scaled and watermarked for internet).

12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
12mm Zeiss Touit.
90mm telephoto
90mm telephoto

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E100-Final Frame of a Stormy Sunset

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I’ve been experimenting with Kodak Ektachrome E100 slide film.

Kodak reintroduced Ektachrome in 2018/2019, several years after production this once popular film had been suspended.

I exposed one roll in Portugal in March 2019 and I was pleased with my results.

In the last couple of months, I bought more of this film and loaded it into my Canon EOS-3.

This photograph was exposed in July 2020 as a storm cleared over the North Conway station at sunset. It was my last frame in the camera, so there was no opportunity for bracketing.

Richard’s Lab in California processed the film, and a few minutes ago I scanned the slide using a Nikon Super Coolscan5000 digital scanner powered by VueScan software. Since the slide is relatively dark, I opted for a multipass scan to extract the maximum data possible.

I processed the scan in Lightroom and lightened one version while softening the contrast.

Below are my results.

Unadjusted multipass scan of original E100 color slide exposed in July 2020.
Scan adjusted using Lightroom to brighten overall exposure while controlling highlight and shadow areas.

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Monochrome on the Redstone Branch.

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On July 3, 2020, Conway Scenic sent engine 216 out on the Redstone Branch to collect a Boston & Maine boxcar I’d been using for advertising.

I documented the move with digital photos, as previously presented, and also on film.

For these images, I worked with a Nikon F3 with f2.5 Nikkor 105mm lens and Fomapan Classic 100 black & white film. I first sampled Fomapan on a trip to the Czech Republic in 2016.

Operating 216 was Adam, a Conway Scenic engineer trainee.

I processed the film using customized split-development that begins with a very dilute solution of HC110 with PhotoFlo as a presoak followed by primary development with Ilford ID11. After processing, I scanned the negatives using an Epson V600 flatbed scanner then imported the scans into Lightroom for final adjustment and scaling for presentation.

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Working on the Railroad: 216 with a work train.

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My Dad’s 1946 Lionel train set featured a Pennsylvania Railroad S2 Steam turbine and a collection of work cars including: a crane, work caboose, dump car, etc.

As I kid, I routinely operated work trains using this O-gauge equipment.

There’s a subtle charm to work trains. These are an integral part of the railroad, yet often go unnoticed and undocumented.

Last week Conway Scenic Railroad operated a work train to perform maintenance on the Conway Branch.

I made these photos of the train as it was prepared in our North Conway, New Hampshire yards. All were exposed using my Lumix LX7 digital camera.

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North Conway Station after March Snow

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Last March on my way to work I exposed a series of black & white photos of North Conway, New Hampshire. Fresh snow blanketed the ground, with a clear blue sky above.

Such a contrast with July . . .

I made this photo using Kodak Tri-X exposed with a Nikon F3 with 105mm Nikkor Lens.

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Extra on the Redstone Branch—Six Photos.

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Yesterday, July 3, 2020, Conway Scenic Railroad operated an Extra out the Redstone Branch as a training exercise.

This gave engineer trainee Adam some throttle-time working with freight cars, and two trainmen experience switching and flagging.

I used the opportunity to make photos of our crews at work.

This was the first time I’d seen GP35 216 out on the branch.

The Redstone Branch is the route of the former Maine Central Mountain Division east of Mountain Junction in North Conway, NH running toward the border with Maine. Portions of the line along the North-South Road in North Conway were relocated when this bypass highway was built a few years ago. It is some of the finest track on the railroad.

I adjusted camera RAW files exported from my FujiFIlm XT-1 into Lightroom for final adjustment for presentation here. This included minor changes to contrast, localized exposure, saturation and color balance.

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BAR Reefer on the Move at North Conway—three photos!

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Finding freight cars on the move on Conway Scenic is a relatively rare event.

Other than a tank car converted to the role of water tender for steam locomotive 7470, most of the other freight cars on the property are either reserved for maintenance work or to star in photo charters and special events that typically operate in the autumn.

Last week GP9 1751 switched out North Conway’s North Yard to collect Bangor & Aroostook refrigerated boxcar 7765 for movement to the shop in anticipation of its repainting by the 470 Club.

This made for photographic opportunity, both to make unobstructed views of the car and picture it on the move behind a locomotive. Road Foreman of Engines, Mike Lacey was in his element switching the freight car with the GP9!

I was working with the crew to expose these images, which were exposed using a FujiFilm XT-1 with 18-135mm Fujinon zoom lens.

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Conway Scenic 1751 Works the Yard—three photos.

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Yesterday, May 19, 2020, we started up Conway Scenic Railroad GP9 1751 to work the North Conway Yard. This was the first time this engine has turned a wheel since the conclusion of our Snow Trains at the end of February.

It was glorious sunny day, with a cool breeze and warm weather; ideal conditions for photography!

I made these views using my Lumix LX7.

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Boston & Maine Station—Morning and Evening

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This is my office.

On April 15, 2020, I made photos as I arrived and as I departed to show the light at the respective times of day.

In my recent article on the Conway Scenic Railroad in May 2020 TRAINS Magazine, I discussed the railroad’s North Conway station in detail, but didn’t picture the iconic structure.

This will be rectified in an upcoming issue, but I thought I’d present these recent photos on Tracking the Light.

I’ve always focused on my immediate surroundings, photographing the ordinary, the common as well as the unusual and the extraordinary.

Over time, the common scenes often have the best staying power.

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Lost Lumix Files Revealed!

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Yesterday, I described how my SD card disintegrated and how I was able to ultimately retrieve the photos stored on the card.

Below are some of the photos from the card that may have been lost forever.

These represent the more or less routine scenes around Conway Scenic Railroad during last week while we were filming videos for crew training purposes.

The railroad has had to postpone its April reopening because of restrictions imposed to help contain the on-going pandemic. So railroad’s core-staff are using down-time to prepare for re-opening when conditions allow for it.

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Frosty Dawn

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Last week the lights were lit on Gertrude Emma—Conway Scenic Railroad’s 1898-built Pullman open-end observation car—when I made this early morning view at the North Conway station.

Exposed using a Lumix LX7 mounted on a Bogen tripod.

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Two Steam Locomotives!

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One photo inspires another. A few days ago my friend Wally Hill posted a view from the back of Conway Scenic Railroad’s Gertrude Emma—1898-built Pullman open observation—featuring steam locomotive 7470 passing former Maine Central 501 on its march toward the North Conway, New Hampshire station from the coal dock.

His photo inspired me to make similar images, and so working with my FujiFilm XT1 with 90mm lens, I stood in Wally’s footprints and made these photographs.


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High Hood GP35 On a Cold Morning

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Pure GP35s are rare in 2019. Pure high hood GP35s are rarer still.

Conway Scenic’s high-hood GP35 216, originally a Norfolk & Western locomotive, basks in the cold morning sun at North Conway, New Hampshire on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

Exposed using my Lumix LX7.

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There has to be Rain for a Rainbow.

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One week ago, I was sitting in the North Tower of Conway Scenic’s North Conway Station. To the west the sun was shining. To the east it was pouring rain, and the rain was still falling all around. I said to Conway’s operations manager, Derek Palmieri, ‘There must be a rainbow.’

And there was!

Briefly it was a full, but faint, double.

Outside I went, where I made a variety of photos with my Lumix LX7 and FujiFilm XT1 cameras.

This one is from the Lumix.

Sometimes where there’s a rainbow is a sign of change. A fortuitous signal for the future. And this is how I see it.

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Rare Move During My Signing—GP9 works the yard.

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Sometimes when engaged with one task, something unexpected occurs that demands your attention.

Such was the situation last Friday while I was standing on the platform at North Conway, New Hampshire during my book signing event.

Conway Scenic’s GP9, 1751, still dressed in a New York Central inspired livery applied by former owner Finger Lakes Railway, was engaged to switch a few freight cars out of the North Yard.

In more than two months at Conway Scenic, the only freight car that I’d seen turn a wheel is a tank car that has been rigged up to supply water for steam locomotive 7470. So when I saw 1751 moving the two ancient flats in the yard, I excused myself from book signing tasks and made a few photos with my FujiFilm XT1.

There was gorgeous afternoon light bathing the North Conway station. The Valley excursion train was out on the line, so in one of the odd moments, the platform was almost empty and there few cameras in sight.

Later in the day, in a related incident I had a close encounter with an alarmingly large bear, but I’ll get to that in a future post.

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Brian’s Signing Event

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Yesterday, Friday August 9, 2019, I traveled by train and signed books at the North Conway Station (New Hampshire).

I discovered that’s its pretty challenging to sign books while traveling on early 20thcentury steel coaches rolling over jointed rail on track ballasted with cinders!

Conway Scenic’s Derek Palmieri assisted me with selling the books, as did Amy from Conway Scenic’s Brass Whistle Gift Shop. The railroad’s Susan Logan, Alta Crouse and Cathy Trecarten helped organize and promote the event.

Thanks to Dave and Rhonda Swirk for hosting me and to everyone who stopped by for a chat and to buy books!

Here I am hold my Railway Guide to Europe! Photo by Derek Palmieri.

We had a nice selection of my books on display.
Conway Scenic Railroad operations manager Derek Palmieri.

I was delighted when my old friend Bob Bentley came by to talk about railroads. He reminded me that GP9 1757, formerly of the New Hampshire Northcoast, was briefly a Mass-Central locomotive.

It was a fine day for a book signing!

Bob Bentley and Derek Palmieri on the platform of the North Conway station.

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Yesterday I Witnessed History at North Conway.

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Sunday, August 4, 2019 was the 45thanniversary of Conway Scenic Railroad’s first revenue run.

To celebrate this event and to honor Conway Scenic’s founder, Dwight Smith, Conway Scenic’s president and general manager David Swirk presided over a short ceremony at the North Conway station to name locomotive 7470 after him.

In 1968, Dwight purchased former Canadian National 7470. Several years later he helped found the Conway Scenic, and in its early years this heavy 0-6-0 switcher was the heart and soul of the railroad.

Over the decades, Conway Scenic has carried hundreds of thousands of passengers, and locomotive 7470 has entertained countless visitors and is dearly loved by many people. Now it carries the name of the man who saved it and founded a railroad on which it could run.

North Conway, the State of New Hampshire, and the railroad’s many friends, guests and visitors are richer for Dwight’s foresight to preserve and present this precious bit of living history.

Today engine 7470 is the  Dwight Smith. 

Dave Swirk, Dwight Smith and George Small pose in front of 7470 during the locomotive’s naming ceremony on August 4, 2019.
Dwight Smith enjoys a trip on Pullman observation parlor car Gertrude Emma.

Conway Scenic road foreman of engines Mike Lacey sits in the engineer’s seat of 7470, now named for Dwight Smith.

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Book Signing Next Week!

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One week from today, I’ll be signing books at the Conway Scenic Railroad!

Book Signing: Meet the Author!

On Friday August 9, 2019, I’ll be conducting an ‘on-train and at-the-station’ book signing on the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire.

I’ll be traveling on the 130pm train to Conway with a pen in hand, and then visiting the Brass Whistle Gift Shop in the North Conway station from about 230pm until 5pm

Notice the author’s shadow? Friday, next week I’ll be at this station signing books from 2:30pm to 5pm. Where is this? North Conway, New Hampshire! That’s Friday August 9, 2019.
Platform view at Conway Scenic’s North Conway station exposed last night, August 1, 2019. Next Friday, August 9, 2019, I’ll be at this station signing books!

The Conway Scenic’s Brass Whistle Gift shop has a host of my titles for sale and ready to be signed by me.

Gift Shop

My titles for sale will include:

Vintage Diesel Power

Electromotive E units & F units

Streamliners

Railway Guide to Europe

Railway Depots, Stations & Terminals

GE & EMD Locomotives

Classic Railroad Signals

I only do a couple of book signings a year, so this is a great opportunity to travel on Conway Scenic’s Valley Train and buy a signed book!

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Book Signing: Meet the Author!

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Conway Scenic’s Valley Train approaches the North Conway station on a Friday afternoon.

On Friday August 9, 2019, I’ll be conducting an ‘on-train and at-the-station’ book signing on the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire.

The Conway Scenic’s Brass Whistle Gift shop will have a host of my titles for sale and ready to be signed by me.

See:

Gift Shop

My titles for sale will include:

Vintage Diesel Power

Electromotive E units & F units

Streamliners

Brian Solomon’s Railway Guide to Europe

Railway Depots, Stations & Terminals

GE & EMD Locomotives

Classic Railroad Signals

I only do a couple of book signings a year, so this is a great opportunity to travel on Conway Scenic’s Valley Trainand buy a signed book! (If you don’t want me to sign my name, I can sign another name instead!)

I’ll be on the 130pm departure to Conway with a pen in hand, and then at the Brass Whistle Gift Shop in the North Conway station from about 230pm until 5pm.

Sunset at North Conway, New Hampshire

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Listen for the Click—Conway Scenic Railroad’s 45th Anniversary promotional video.

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Next weekend, August 3rd and 4th, will represent Conway Scenic Railroad’s 45thanniversary of steam operations and revenue services.

To mark the occasion of the railroad’s first 45 years carrying revenue passengers and as an invitation to visit the railroad on Sunday August 4th, 2019, I put together a very short promotional video. This includes some rarely seen archive materials.

This was posted to Conway Scenic’s new YouTube channel and to its Facebook page yesterday.

Click the link to watch my 1 minute 10 second video promotion filmed on location in North Conway, New Hampshire.

If you listen very carefully, you can hear me making the still photograph that appears here.

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