The famous J is lit with artificial light during the Streamliners at Spencer event on May 31, 2014.
Photo from Lumix LX7 archives.
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Tag Archives: Spencer
Lumix Up Close—Macro Views of American classics.
Details at Spencer Shops.
One of the strengths of the Lumix LX-series is the ability to make close-up and detail photos.
The camera’s optical system allows for great depth of field, while the ability to focus manually has allowed me unusual flexibility to make detailed photographs.
While experimenting with the LX7 at the Streamliners at Spencer event held by the North Carolina Transportation Museum, I made many detailed views. This was an idea time to get close, since there was a great variety of equipment on display with great pedestrian access.
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Nickel Plate Road Alco PA.
An Impostor, but still nice to see.
Ok, so this Alco PA was delivered new to the Santa Fe, and in later years worked for Delaware & Hudson, and then for Mexican railways. But now it wears a fresh coat of Nickel Plate Road paint.
Until Streamliners at Spencer, I’d never had the opportunity to photograph an Alco PA, a locomotive often cited as one of the most loved and most attractive (if not the most reliable) of the steam to diesel transition era.
The Nickel Plate Road merged into Norfolk & Western two years before I was born, so while I’ve photographed trains on the old Nickel Plate route, I never knew the railway either.
So there you go. It’s like meeting a ghost. Or, perhaps, seeing a James Joyce impersonator. Or, going to listen to a Led Zeppelin tribute-band.
When it comes to a Nickel Plate Road PA, I never experienced the real thing, and I never will. I never saw an Erie Triplex either.
For more Streamliners photos, click here to reach Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
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Tracking the Light Corners Pan Am Railways Number 1
No Escape this Time!
To compensate for bad luck, and a series of bad timings, I made it a point to photograph Pan Am Railways executive F-unit at Spencer.
What?
Just about every time Pan Am Railway’s has run their glossy metallic blue F-units, I’ve either been in the air, out of the country, and/or at least a thousand miles away and traveling in the wrong direction.
Not this time. Not at Spencer. No, I knew I’d get a photo! Two or three, maybe, and in color!
I realize that PAR-1 may not have been the chief attraction of the Streamliners at Spencer event, but I was very happy to finally see this New England resident up close and in person!
For more Streamliners photos, click here to reach Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
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Streamliners at Spencer: Looking Beyond the Main Event—Part2
Exhibits and Antiques in Addition to the Streamliners.
Ladies and Gentlemen! Step right up! Lots to see! Something for everyone!
Psst, hey buddy, wanna see an Edsel?
Hey! If Amtrak number 42 was working train 448, I’d be all over that! And yet, here’s 42 basking in bright sun for all to see.
And more!
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Streamliners at Spencer: Looking Beyond the Main Event—Part1
Great Railway Exhibits and Antiques in Addition to the Streamlined Superstars.
In an environment characterized by streamlined sensory overload, it takes a trained eye (pardon pun) to see past Norfolk & Western’s 611, Burlington’s stainless steel E5A, Union Pacific’s radiant executive E-unit and the rest of the colorful Es and Fs paraded on display around the Spencer roundhouse.
Yet, in addition to the vintage streamliners, there were other noteworthy exhibits and interesting equipment. Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary Display Train with locomotive 42 (painted to commemorate America’s Veterans) was featured prominently, as was one of North Carolina’s train sets used for Piedmont services.
Various heritage locomotives attached to the Spencer shops added period interest. Back in the day (1980s), I was quite pleased to find a Southern high-hood GP30 working at Alexandria, Virginia. And lo and behold, here at Spencer was preserved locomotive just like the one I saw those many years ago!
For those interested in automobiles, Spencer has quite a collection of vintage cars on display. Lots to see and do! I’m glad I invested almost four days in the event.
Stay tuned for more photos soon!
Also: click here to see my Streamliners at Spencer page.
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Tracking the Light Looks at the N&W J
611 at Spencer, May 2014.
Among the stars of the Streamliner’s at Spencer event was Norfolk & Western 611, one of only a handful of preserved American streamlined steam locomotives. Here’s a sampling of the many images I made, and an excerpt of the text from my book Super Steam published by MBI (out of print), where I detailed the J class. Today the locomotive catches attention for its streamlined shrouds, but there’s a lot more to the N&W J than just good looks:
“Among the most impressive products of N&W’s Roanoke Shops were its 14 Class J 4-8-4s. These spectacular machines defied convention while settting record for performance and reliability. The first five J’s were built during 1941 and 1942, with N&W’s distinctive streamlined shrouds, and featured 27×32 inch cylinders, 70-inch drivers, 107.7 square foot firebox grate, and a huge boiler set for 275 lb. psi operation. As built these locomotives delivered 73,300 lbs. tractive effort. (N&W later increased the boiler pressure to 300 psi, and as result tractive effort was increased to 80,000 lbs.) The J class exhibited all of the trappings of modern locomotive, featuring roller bearings on all axles and reciprocating parts, one-piece cast steel frame, mechanical lubrication and light weight alloy-steel rods . . .”
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
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Streamliners at Spencer; Fans, Photographers and the People Behind the Scenes—TRACKING THE LIGHT Special Post.
It’s not just about the equipment.
The locomotives were largely static and thus relatively easy to photograph. However, people move about constantly, and getting your friends to hold still long enough for a portrait in an environment characterized by sensory-overload, can be tough.
On the plus side, most everyone was smiling.
I used both a Canon EOS 7D and Lumix LX-7 to make digital portraits, while a few photos were captured on slide film using my EOS 3.
Below is a selection of my results.
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
Streamliners at Spencer; Friends and Faces—TRACKING THE LIGHT Special Post.
Finding Familiar Faces Among the Masses.
For me, the Streamliners at Spencer event was a great opportunity to meet friends, old and new. In addition photographing the equipment, I photographed the photographers.
Below is a small selection. I’ll post more tomorrow!
For more Streamliners photos, click on Tracking the Light’s Streamliners at Spencer page.
Check out more of my Streamliners photos, click on my Streamliners at Spencer page.
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Carolinian Morning Glint—TRACKING THE LIGHT SPECIAL POST
Transmitted from the Train June 1, 2014.
Following three and half successful days of photography at Spencer, North Carolina, Pat Yough and I boarded Amtrak 80, Carolinian at Charlotte this morning before 7am.
We departed on time at 7am. In the lead is Amtrak P42 number 168. It was a strange sensation pausing a Salisbury and passing the Spencer Shops having just spent so much time there. The view from the train always offers a different perspective than being on the ground, or seeing a place from the road.
As I write this we are heading toward Raleigh. I’m destined for Philadelphia. Presently, I’m reviewing, analyzing, and scaling hundreds of images I made at the event, plus side trips. I’ll be posting more images and commentary over the next few days.
Check my Streamliners at Spencer page for photos of the event.
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General Motors FT 103, The Diesel that Changed Railroading—Tracking the Light Special Post
Streamliners at Spencer: The Real Star of the Show?
Although streamlined steam locomotive 611 was getting most of the attention, historically the most important exhibit was General Motors FT demonstrator 103.
Last night FT 103 was lit up for all to see.
I’ve written about this locomotive in many of my books. It is the most influential American locomotive of the twentieth century because it demonstrated to the railroad industry that diesels offered a cost effective replacement for steam.
In my book Electro-Motive E and F Units (published by Voyageur Press) I offered this context for the FT:
Revolutionary FT
Electro-Motive’s most significant innovation was its development of the first commercially viable road freight diesel. From a technical perspective this was an advancement of the E-unit — the application of this long anticipated new road diesel proved revolutionary for American railroads. Once on a roll, it not only turned locomotive building on its ear, but forever changed the way railroads bought locomotives and operated trains EMD’s F-unit was the most important player in the rapid dieselization American lines.
NS CEO, Wick Moorman pointed out in yesterday’s address at Spencer, that FT 103 was ‘even older than 611,’ while sincerely thanking the St. Louis Museum of Transportation for sending the locomotive for display.
Read more about General Motors streamlined diesels, check out my book Electro-Motive E and F Unit.
Click here for more photos of the Steamliners at Spencer event.
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Around the Table at Spencer—Diesels Dressed in Colors.
Afternoon at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, May 29, 2014.
I was keeping the Lumix busy this afternoon. The sun was elusive at times. But the selection of locomotives proved colorful.
Tracking the Light posts new material everyday!
More on Spencer over the next few days!
Interested in learning more about American diesels? Check out my books at Voyageur Press (Click here for link).
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Streamliners at Spencer—Sneak Preview—TRACKING THE LIGHT SPECIAL
In the Evening Glow—May 28, 2014.
We arrived on Amtrak 79 at Salisbury, North Carolina only 63 minutes behind the advertised.
Within a few minutes of our arrival we were afforded a glimpse of the streamliners event. I had my first ever view of an Alco PA. I’m happy.
More to come tomorrow!
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