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.
Regular viewers will have noticed that I’ve been focusing heavily on Norfolk Southern’s former Pennsylvania Railroad Port Road Secondary lately. That’s true, and there are several reasons why.
More than 35 years ago, I identified Conrail’s Port Road as a railroad I wanted to photograph in depth. At the time, my brother was studying geology and geography at the University of Delaware in Newark, and I used his apartment as a base for photography throughout the Mid-Atlantic.
My primary objectives then were the Northeast Corridor and CSX’s former Baltimore & Ohio routes in western Maryland and West Virginia. Then, as now, the Port Road was largely a nocturnal railroad, however, and in those days I lacked the ability needed to make consistently successful night action photographs.
Since moving to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I’ve finally had the opportunity to explore, study, and photograph the Port Road more thoroughly. As my familiarity with the line has grown, so has my understanding of its operations. That combination of familiarity, persistence, and patience has finally begun to yield the results that I expect from my efforts.
The photograph below shows the rear of the same unit coal train featured in yesterday’s post, “Coal Train Against an Evening Sky.” The truck racing north on Water Street (PA Route 441) was pure happenstance, but it creates a dramatic comparison between highway and rail freight transportation.
More Port Road photographs are on the way.
I wish that I’d at least made an effor to explore the line in Conrail days, which I could have easily accomplished.
A few weeks back on Tracking the Light, I featured a pair of abstract images of a Norfolk Southern freight crossing the arched bridge over Vinegar Ferry Road in Marietta, Pennsylvania.
Nocturnal time exposure in early May, 2026.
Kris and I had a fortunate opportunity to return in daylight, arriving just in time to catch a freight rolling by in the early evening.
The long days and sun in the western sky made for some beautiful lighting at this location.
I made this photograph using my Nikon Z6 III fitted with an f/1.4 50mm lens.
This was a heavy train and moving at a relatively slow pace, so, seizing the opportunity, we soon found ourselves in rapid pursuit. I had a few locations in mind where I hoped to photograph a daylight freight on the Port Road Secondary.
Stay tuned . . .
Tracking the Light Explores Railroad Photograph Night and Day!
Friday night Kris suggested we go out exploring to find more freights on the move.
So with my 3Pod tripod and N7-II at the ready, we drove to the Susquehanna River at Columbia, Pa. On the way we heard the Enola-Lancaster turn key up Norfolk Southern’s River Line desk dispatcher. This train was looking for permission to return west to Enola, but needed to hold east of Columbia for a 596 unit coal train to clear the interlocking at Cola.
We had a few minutes to look for suitable locations, and at the last minute I settled on the westward home-signals at COLA on the Port Road (located off River Road in Columbia, Pa.)
The moon was nearly full.
I quickly set up my tripod and made this sequence of images as the loaded 596 coal train glided eastbound. In the lead was NS GE 4870, and similar to the train we saw last week, this had a two unit mid-train DPU and well over 200 cars.
All files exposed in NEF RAW format and converted to DNG format using PureRaw for import into Lightroom for cosmetic adjustment.
As soon as 596 had cleared COLA we repositioned to catch NS H19 coming off the branch from Lancaster. All of this was very exciting! Stay tuned for more photos . . .
Kris asked, ‘Is there some train that you’d like check out tonight?’
Yes, yes there is. I’ve been hoping to catch another move on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Branch near Columbia, Pa. This line is the former Columbia & Port Deposit line, which in its heyday was a key route for Pennsylvania Railroad and an electrified line.
Conrail discontinued electric operations in the early 1980s, but the catenary supports largely remain in place. Owing to a curfew on the Northeast Corridor, Norfolk Southern’s operations are largely nocturnal. However, since we are moving into the longer days there are opportunities to catch trains at dawn and dusk.
We tried to find a train on the move few weeks ago without results. So we repeated the exercise by driving to Washingtonboro along the Susquehanna River. First, I checked the intermediate signals for a westward move (toward Harrisburg) and concluded that nothing was lined in that direction. However, when I observed the signals for an eastward train, I was delighted to see that the No. 1 track had been cleared for a movement; the signal was displaying ‘yellow over green’, which indicates Approach Medium. This was the clue I’d been seeking.
I said, ‘We are in luck!’
And we were.
Working with my Nikon Z7-II, I made these photos of an eastward carload freight, probably symbol freight 36A that runs from Conway Yard to Edgemoor, Delaware. Kris filmed the train with her phone.
Cola Tower is located in Columbia, Pennsylvania along the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s Port Road Branch near the junction with the Columbia Branch that ran from its namesake to Lancaster. The solid brick building has been closed for many years and retains its Conrail-era blue sign. Evidence of PRR’s electrification abounds, although electric operations were discontinued by Conrail more than 40 years ago. However, I can’t claim to be an authority on Cola or this section of the PRR, and I’ll welcome details about its operation and demise.
I’ve visited Columbia on a number of occasions, but until recently, I hadn’t photographed a train at this historically important railroad junction.
Part of the challenge is that Columbia is a difficult place to portray. There is a lot of trackage, but not many vantage points. The second problem is that most of the action occurs in the evening owing to an Amtrak aytime curfew on the North East Corridor, which effectively limits movements over connecting lines.
Now that we are into the long days its is easier to find trains on the move.
My friend Dan Cupper encouraged me to investigate opportunities on this route. Last year, I caught an empty coal train in the morning at Washingtonboro, a few miles to the south.
Now that we are back into the bright evenings I aimed to try again. So, a couple of weeks ago I drove to Cola Tower with Seamus-the-Dog, reaching there about 7:30pm. After a cursory inspection to check sun angles and signals, we set up near the old tower.
I noticed a group of teenagers with phone congregating near a grade crossing, then a young enthusiast showed up wearing a Nofolk Southern T-shirt. He let me know that I was in luck, and a coal train was enroute via the Royalton Branch.
Camera’s in hand I positioned myself in the shadow of the tower. Before long, we could hear the whistle of an approaching train.
I made a series of photos of the passing train as Seamus watched with interest from the safety of the car. Afterwards, my friend and fellow photographer Pat Yough supplied details about the train which was NS’s unit train number 590, running from Shire Oaks, Pa., to Baltimore.
With this success, I’m anticipating more adventures in the area and hope to learn more about photographing this portion of the former PRR.
Tracking the Light by Brian Solomon publishes Daily Explorations into Railroad Photography!
