Typically when I post photos under the ‘Classic Chrome’ heading, I use this to infer photos made from decades past.
Sometimes what was good then is good now.
I made these slides earlier this month (February 2016) using my Canon EOS-3 and Fujichrome Provia 100F. The slides arrived back from the lab and I promptly scanned them using a Nikon Super Coolscan5000.
The common qualities of all four images, in addition to the way they were made, is that they feature classic American diesel locomotives in the snow near Eaglebridge, New York.
This Battenkill Railroad RS-3 is among the last of its breed working in regular revenue service. Exposed on Fujichrome Provia 100 with a Canon EOS-3 with 100mm lens.Near Old State Road in Eaglebridge, New York. Exposed on Fujichrome Provia 100 with a Canon EOS-3 with 100mm lens.Pam Am Railways PAR-1 leads the company OCS train near Eaglebridge, New York. Exposed on Fujichrome Provia 100 with a Canon EOS-3 with 40mm lens.Among muy favorite photos from my day-long pursuit of the elusive Pan Am Railways office car train is this view at Eaglebridge that shows the classic old Boston & Maine station, the nose of a westward freight and tracks on two levels. Exposed on Fujichrome Provia 100 with a Canon EOS-3 with 40mm lens.
Back to the old, ‘f5.6 and be there’. (While paying close attention to the signals and scanner).
Lately CSX’s freight operations on the old Boston & Albany have been largely nocturnal.
Mondays on the other hand can prove busy in the morning.
February 8, 2016: I wasn’t out for the day, but rather running some errands. As always, I had my Lumix at the ready. Snow was forecast and it was beginning to flurry.
On my way through East Brookfield, I took the time to check the signals at CP64.
These were lit: “Limited Clear” westbound. I knew a train must be close.
Soon I could hear the clatter of cars descending Charlton Hill. Then affirmation on the radio, ‘Q427 clear signal main to main CP60’.
CSX Q427 is the connection from Pan Am Railways that runs from Portland, Maine to Selkirk, New York via the Ayer-Worcester gateway. On Pan Am it’s called POSE.
I made my photographs. But a few minutes later I heard that Q427 had stopped west of milepost 72 owing to difficulties with the locomotives.
That’s Warren, 72 miles west of South Station, Boston.
I caught up with the freight as the crew was discussing its difficulties with CSX’s dispatcher in Selkirk. Soon, Q427, with its mix of CSX and Pan Am Railways locomotives. was again on the move west.
Q427 had to meet two eastward trains at CP83 (Palmer).
I continued to follow west, while making photographs along the way. Like shooting fish in a barrel.
Pacing view along Route 67 in West Warren. Lumix LX7 photo.My favorite field west of CP79. The view from Route 67.The old Palmer freight house location.It’s been a while since I saw a blue SD45 roll through Palmer on the Boston & Albany.
I arrived at CP83 just in time to hear the first of two eastward trains call the signal; “Limited Clear”. Not a second to waste: I was out of the car and immediately into position—switching the Lumix ‘on’ as I ran.
I made a few photos of the first meet, then opted to head back up the Quaboag Valley rather than stay put.
Radiator comparison. Lumix LX7 view.
The snow was now getting heavy and it wasn’t getting any warmer.
At Electric Light Hill (near milepost 82) I photographed CSX Q264 (loaded autoracks for East Brookfield).
This was a heavy train. And despite the snow, it was easy enough to follow up the grade to Warren.
The snow adds depth, but to keep the image from become purely abstract I opted to include the bush at the left. The roar of the train filled the valley.
It was just 18 degrees at the Warren station.
That’s good enough for my morning errands!
All photos nominally adjusted for contrast and saturation in post processing.
CSX Q264 passes the old Boston & Albany station at Warren, Massachusetts.This is the site of the old Warren yard. What happened to the old coal sheds? For that matter what happened to Anthracite? Car wash anyone?
Tracking the Light is a Daily Blog on Railway Photography!
Artificial light illuminates the snow at New England Central’s Palmer, Massachusetts yard office on the evening of February 22, 2011. How much snow covers the yard tonight? And how much will be there by Saturday morning (February 9, 2013)? Exposed with Lumix LX-3 on a Bogen tripod. Set on aperture priority mode, f3.5 at ISO 80, with a plus 1 stop override to compensate for snow and artificial lights. If I’d allowed the camera to pick the exposure without compensation, an underexposed (dark) image would have resulted.
Tonight (February 8, 2013) a blizzard rages outside the window. The roads are closed, the railroad is quiet (so far as I know), and I’m not out, knee-deep in snow, trying to make night photos. (Ok, so I’m as mad as hatter, or worse—used to be lots of hatters here in Monson, back in the day.) However, I pulled up an image from my digital archive of Florida East Coast GP40-2 417 at New England Central’s Palmer Yard office on February 22, 2011. There’s something incongruous about a Florida East Coast locomotive in the snow. I’d met Bob Buck of Tucker’s Hobbies that evening for dinner, and later we’d stopped by Palmer yard to see what was about.
Since that night, nearly two years ago, New England Central has applied its own lettering to several former Florida East Coast locomotives; Bob has passed on; and New England Central has become part of the Genesee & Wyoming short line railway empire. Everything changes.
