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photography, Tips and Technique

Railroad Photography Tip: Signal Warning, Old Heads Fading Fast—ten original photos.

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Searchlights at Ayer.
Searchlights at Ayer.

At one time the Boston & Maine was a poster child for the General Railway Signal Company.

These days some of the old GRS searchlight signals remain but they are rapidly disappearing.

Here’s a railroad photography tip: catch the old signals while you can, they are fading fast, and soon they will be gone.

I’ve issued this signal warning before, and I’ll do it again.

Over the last month, I exposed these photos along the old B&M in the vicinity of Ayer, Massachusetts. These railroad photos are intended as more of a record, than as active illustrations of the old signals.

Looking east at Ayer, Massachusetts.
Looking east at Ayer, Massachusetts.
In many places B&M searchlights are approach lit, in others they are continuously lit, such as here in Ayer.
In many places B&M searchlights are approach lit, in others they are continuously lit, such as here in Ayer.

Searchlights_in_Ayer_DSCF7481

B&M was among railroads that used staggered heads for intermediate signals. Notice the use of both the traditional 'G' plate and the more recent 'D' plate.
B&M was among railroads that used staggered heads for intermediate signals. Notice the use of both the traditional ‘G’ plate and the more recent ‘D’ plate.

Check out my book; Classic Railroad Signals published this year by Voyageur Press. Also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other outlets.

The searchlight style of signal was developed more than 90 years ago. It has been out of favor for new installations for more than two decades.
The searchlight style of signal was developed more than 90 years ago. It has been out of favor for new installations for more than two decades.
High green! (There's a train coming).
High green! (There’s a train coming).
Fallen soldiers.
Fallen soldiers.

Old_searchlight_heads_P1340924

Tracking the Light posts original content.

Check out my book; Classic Railroad Signals published this year by Voyageur Press. Also available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other outlets.

 

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Bellows Falls at Noon.

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May 24, 2015, fellow photographer Tim Doherty and I aimed to intercept Amtrak 57, the southward Vermonter at Bellows Falls. Vermont. (Is there another?).

Exposed with a Fuji X-T1.
Exposed with a Fuji X-T1.

It’d been a few years since I last visited this classic railroad junction. My first visits were back in the late 1960s early 1970s, when my family would come up to experience the old Steamtown.

I was impressed to find the old three-head searchlight signal still in operation by the station. These relics are disappearing fast. I feature the searchlight among other vintage signal hardware in my new book Classic Railroad Signals now available from Voyageur Press.

Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Amtrak station where? Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Amtrak station, where?
Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Searchlight signals were once common but are rapidly being replaced.
Searchlight signals were once common but are rapidly being replaced.
Amtrak 57 makes its station stop at Bellows Falls. Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.
Amtrak 57 makes its station stop at Bellows Falls. Exposed with a Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera.

http://www.qbookshop.com/products/215886/9780760346921/Classic-Railroad-Signals.html

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Searchlights at Ginger Blue, Missouri.

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In August 2011, Chris Guss and I were exploring Kansas City Southern’s mainline south of Neosho, Missouri.

We made a series of night photos around Ginger Blue. This place gets points for its evocative name. The classic search light signals were another bonus.

As Chris set up and tested his synchronized strobes, I made a series of photos of the signals and surrounding farm yard.

Exposed using a Canon EOS 7D mounted on a tripod. Synchronized strobe lighting was blended with a long time exposure to allow for effects of existing light, including the focused beam of the searchlight signal.
Exposed using a Canon EOS 7D mounted on a tripod. Synchronized strobe lighting was blended with a long time exposure to allow for effects of existing light, including the focused beam of the searchlight signal.
Five minutes at Ginger Blue Missouri IMG_9364 1
My ‘behind the scenes’ image. The white streaks are traces of Chris Guss’s flash light. This was a five minute exposure made digitally and  largely with available light. If you look closely, you can see some of the lighting stands and at left, one of the signals. Note the star trails in the sky.

 

My new book Classic Railroad Signals from Voyageur Press covers the search lights, semaphores and other types of historic signal hardware. I’m looking forward to perusing my author’s copy!

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Searchlight Sunset—Chana, Illinois.

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It was the evening of June 15, 2004, and I was out along the old Burlington C&I line at Chana, west of Rochelle, Illinois. The sunset was this amazing tapestry of color, like a Turner oil painting. I had a few minutes to make the most it.

I had several Nikons loaded with different types of Fujichrome and my old Rolleiflex. I made this view with a Nikon F3 and my Nikkor 180mm telephoto.
I had several Nikons loaded with different types of Fujichrome and my old Rolleiflex. I made this view with a Nikon F3 and my Nikkor 180mm telephoto.

The old General Railway Signal searchlight signal with its classic finial and the code lines beyond made for good silhouette subjects. I blasted through about a half a roll of film before the color faded. I’ve found you have to make the most of these cosmic moments when they happen.

Often there’ll be a great sunset, but I won’t be in a position to use the light for anything constructive, and so I’ll just have to gaze at it with regrets. Seeing a missed opportunity in a sunset; that’s one of the downsides of being a photographer.

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Searchlight Signal; Brookfield, Wisconsin

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Searchlight signal at Brookfield, Wisconsin exposed with a Nikon F3T with f1.8 105mm lens on Fuji Provia 100 film.
Searchlight signal displays ‘Approach’ at Brookfield, Wisconsin; exposed with a Nikon F3T with f1.8 105mm lens on Fuji Provia 100 film.

In 1996, I was living in Waukesha, Wisconsin and working for Pentrex Publishing as the Editor of Pacific RailNews. One evening shortly before sunset, a heavy fog settled in. Twilight is my preferred time to make signaling images because lower light in the sky allows for greater emphasis of signaling aspects. Fog is an added attraction, especially for searchlight signals. This style of signal head was developed by the Hall Switch & Signal Company in the 1920s. The searchlight uses a miniature semaphore in front of a focused beam of light that allows for a very low powered lamp to be sighted at a great distance. This effect is most evident when the focused light beam illuminates water droplets comprising heavy fog.

I made a series of images of this General Railway Signal Company searchlight along CP Rail’s Soo Line former Milwaukee Road main line at Brookfield, Wisconsin. A variation of this image was selected for the cover of my book Railroad Signaling, published by MBI/ Voyageur Press.

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