{"id":5000,"date":"2014-01-11T07:42:21","date_gmt":"2014-01-11T12:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=5000"},"modified":"2014-01-13T08:37:28","modified_gmt":"2014-01-13T13:37:28","slug":"daily-post-lviv-railway-paradise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/daily-post-lviv-railway-paradise\/","title":{"rendered":"DAILY POST: L\u2019viv\u2014Railway Paradise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ukrainian Adventure, 2007.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An eastward Ukrainian Railways passenger train catches the evening glint in L’viv. The Soviet-built passenger cars took their cues from Milwaukee Road’s lightweight Hiawatha cars from the 1930s. Exposed on Fujichrome slide film with a Contax G2 with 45mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For me, a casual visit Ukraine in July 2007 was a great opportunity to ride and photograph former Soviet Railways.<\/p>\n

Although the weather was scorching, the sun remained out for days and the quality of light was fantastic.<\/p>\n

My favorite place was L\u2019viv, a former Hapsburg provincial capital (previously known as Lemberg), and one of the great un-sung European cities. I found the railways here accessible and very easy to photograph. The city itself was completely fascinating: dusty cobble stone streets with trams everywhere. The beer was cheap and the vodka cheaper.<\/p>\n

L\u2019viv\u2019s railways were some of the busiest I\u2019ve ever seen. Here heavily built double track electric lines were saturated with a mix of local electric multiple units, very long intercity passenger trains, and an unceasing parade of heavy freights. In addition to electrics, occasionally a matched pair of 2M62 diesels would chortle by.<\/p>\n

Still photographs cannot convey the traffic density; no sooner than one train was out of sight, and the next could be heard grinding along.<\/p>\n

Among the wonderful things about Ukrainian railways; lots of carload traffic and virtually no graffiti!<\/p>\n

\"Ukrainian<\/a>
A Riga-built electric multiple unit in local passenger service hums along in L’viv. These cars were plentiful and colorfully painted. The styling reminds me of North Shore’s classic Electroliners.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ukrainian<\/a>
A bit of telephoto compression with my Nikon F3HP and 180mm Nikkor lens focuses on the glint of westward passenger train. The track and trains were heavily built and well maintained.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Ukrainian<\/a>
Freight rules in the Ukraine; long freights like this ore train roll along every few minutes. This one is led by the common VL80 electric. Contax G2 with 28mm Biogon lens, Fujichrome film.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A trailing view of the same freight. Also, exposed with a Contax G2 with 28mm lens on Fujichrome. I burned through several rolls at this one s-bend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"At<\/a>
At the back of the ore train was this semi-permanently electric pair. The ore may be headed for the US Steel plant at Kosice, Slovakia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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