It was a bright and sunny Sunday morning in Staunton, Virginia.
Kris and I paused briefly near the shops of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
This short line has on its property, an unlikely collection of antique locomotives. When I was a teenager, I would have been keen to find such an eclectic array of locomotives in one place.
I suppose I still am! Today, however, what fascinates me are the relative gradients of the trackage in this compact yard.
I made a few photos from the side of the road before heading off again.
Tracking the Light posts daily about railroad photography!
Having enjoyed our journey aboard Virginia Scenic Railway’s Appalachian Special from Staunton to Goshen, we decided to book another adventure—this time traveling east over the Blue Ridge on the Blue Ridge Flyer. (Same train set, different run).
Under clear blue skies, we boarded the Budd Vista Dome Shenandoah, with our seats upstairs in the dome this time.
Before departing Staunton, Kris and I watched Amtrak No. 51, the westbound Cardinal, work up the old Chesapeake & Ohio grade. It had been nearly ten years since I last traveled on Amtrak’s train over the C&O route.
One of the great pleasures of riding in a Vista Dome is the expansive view both forward and aft—especially when meeting opposing traffic.
Approaching the siding at Afton, we got a “white eye”—a lunar white signal aspect. This is a restricting signal.
“We’re in luck! Our train is taking the siding. I’ll bet there’s an empty coming against us.”
Where else on a short line tourist excursion train do you get a signaled meet with a 197-car freight?
At Crozet—named for the 19th-century civil engineer who laid out the route—we paused for the runaround, where our locomotive changed ends. On the return leg, we watched a Blue Ridge sunset from one of Budd’s finest cars.
Joining the main at Staunton.View of C&O’s Staunton station from the dome. It seems quite different than from street level.Meeting coal empties near Afton, Virginia.For me this was the highlight of the trip!Run around at Crozet. Returning to Staunton; the old C&O main climbing west on the right.
Tracking the Light Explores rail photography every day!
The former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad station in Staunton, Virginia, is a classic structure set in a tight location.
The old C&O main line—now operated by short line Buckingham Branch, which hosts Amtrak, CSX, and the Virginia Scenic Railway—is situated on a sharp curve, pressed against the rocky base of a hill that rises south of town. The street side of the station is bordered by cobblestones and faces a collection of historic buildings characteristic of Staunton’s downtown.
The station was designed by T. J. Collins and built in 1902 to replace an earlier structure.
Using my Nikon Z6-III with a 24–70mm lens, I made this selection of photographs in the late afternoon during the first of several visits to the station in late March. The high-contrast, directional light emphasizes the textures of the brickwork and cobblestones.
I’ve arranged the images below in the order in which they were exposed.
We arrived in Staunton, Virginia, under sunny skies.
On our list of things to do was a trip on the Virginia Scenic Railway, the passenger excursion affiliate of the Buckingham Branch Railroad, which operates this portion of the former Chesapeake & Ohio main line.
Shortly after arriving, we visited the VSR’s new station facilities, located a short distance west of the old Chesapeake & Ohio station. Here, we found VSR’s “pocket streamliner,” as well as a freshly painted Buckingham Branch display train that serves as the gift shop and public restrooms for passengers.
I took the opportunity to make a variety of images of the Buckingham Branch GP16 diesel on display, along with photographs of the other equipment.
The next morning, we returned for our VSR excursion over the former C&O. We were not disappointed…stay tuned!
Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.Exposed using my Nikon Z6-III.
Tracking the Light explores the old Chesapeake & Ohio!
