Tag Archives: #Peachbottom

photography

Under the Light at Peachbottom-second post attempt

Based on past timings (where you gauge the progress of a train by the relative times between locations), I was confident we could beat the loaded coal train that we’d rolled by on the Port Road Secondary at Washington Boro to the boat launch at Peach Bottom.

In the old days, I’d have been trying to navigate the back roads using a DeLorme atlas. These days, we cheat and let Google Maps do the work for us.

We arrived at the grade crossing for the boat launch with plenty of time to spare.

Previously, I’d identified the light near the grade crossing as an aid to existing-light night photography.

Before the chug of GE diesels announced the heavy train’s approach, I positioned the car, set up my tripod, and made a few test shots with my Nikon Z6-III and 50mm f/1.4 lens.

The head-end views were exposed at f/1.4, 1/100th of a second, at ISO 32,000. The laser-beam effect of the headlights gained me about a half stop. In comparison, I used 1/60th of a second for the views of the mid-train DPU (distributed power units), as these photos didn’t benefit from the bright headlights.

Tracking the Light Explores the Darkness!

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Peach Bottom by the Light of the Moon

Kris suggested we take an evening drive to see if we could find a freight on the move.

In recent months, we’ve explored Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch, and based on the times we’ve caught eastward trains on the move, I thought Peach Bottom, Pa., might offer a good place to roll a train by.

The moon was nearly full and relatively high in the sky when we arrived. I parked near the public boat launch near the Susquehanna River, shut the car off, and listened . . .

“Do you hear that? We have a freight coming!”

What luck!

I set up my 3Pod tripod and attached my Nikon Z6-III with 1.4 50mm and made a few test photos as the distant roar became louder and more pronounced.

Test photo: Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch as seen by moonlight along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River at Peachbottom. Nikon Z6-III with 50mm f1.4 lens, ISO 100.

After a few minutes, we saw the headlight of the approaching train.

My camera was set at f1.4, at 1/60th of second with ISO64000, and I made some trailing views. This appeared to be one of the Consol Energy unit coal trains and featured a mid-train DPU.

I focused on the grade crossing to make a photo of a former Conrail coal hopper. I think that it’s pretty neat that after all these years, Conrail-painted hoppers survive in service.

When I got home, I processed the NEF RAW files with DxO PureRaw to remove noise and correct lens defects.

Norfolk Southern unit coal train on Port Road Branch by the light of the moon; Nikon Z6-III with 50mm f1.4 lens, 1/60th of a second, ISO 64,000, NEF Raw file processed using PureRaw.
Norfolk Southern unit coal train on Port Road Branch by the light of the moon; Nikon Z6-III with 50mm f1.4 lens, 4 seconds, ISO 400, NEF Raw file processed using PureRaw.
Norfolk Southern unit coal train passing Peachbottom on the Port Road Branch; Nikon Z6-III with 50mm f1.4 lens, 1/80th of a second, ISO 64,000, NEF Raw file processed using PureRaw.

Tracking the Light explores railroad night photography!