In the mid-1980s, my friends and I would convene at Washington Summit on Conrail’s former Boston & Albany mainline.
Located in the Berkshires, several miles timetable east of the old station at Hinsdale, the summit offered a good view in both directions and a pleasant, quiet place to wait for trains.
On this May 1985 afternoon, the chugging of an eastward freight could be heard for several miles before it came into view. I opted to frame the train with the Top of the B&A sign.
This sign was replaced in the 1990s; Conrail was divided by CSX and Norfolk Southern in 1999; the old Bullards Road over bridge (seen in the distance) was removed in 2003; and the trees have grown much taller. So there’s not much left of this scene today, although the tracks are still there.
Exposed on black & white film using a Leica 3A with Canon f1.8 50mm lens.
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Hi Mike,
Yes, I remember that. Somewhere I still have that color slide in the file—Many many miles from where I am today.
I hope you are well.
Brian S.
Man, I miss the bridge at Bullards. That was a great place just to hang out and gaze off into the distance. You took a picture of me shooting a train up there one time – I was wearing a T-shirt from the movie Trainspotting.