{"id":5827,"date":"2014-03-21T03:01:59","date_gmt":"2014-03-21T07:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=5827"},"modified":"2014-03-09T06:29:30","modified_gmt":"2014-03-09T10:29:30","slug":"semaphore-dawn-tracking-the-light-daily-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/semaphore-dawn-tracking-the-light-daily-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Semaphore Dawn\u2014Tracking the Light Daily Post."},"content":{"rendered":"

Adrian, New York, May 1987.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0A thick Spring fog blanketing the Canisteo Valley acted as a sound envelope. The combination of moisture and the valley\u2019s walls produced an acoustic environment that enhanced the railroad experience. Making this special was the almost total void of other human made sounds.<\/p>\n

The trickle of\u00a0 water from the nearby Canisteo and a light breeze through the trees was punctuated by the distant roar of an eastward train. Engine noise and the clatter of freight cars gradually swelled as it worked from Hornell down the valley on the former Erie Railroad.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d positioned myself at lightly used private crossing near westward signal 318 (measured in miles from Erie\u2019s Jersey City terminus). A hint of blue in the sky marked the rising sun.<\/p>\n

After more than ten minutes, I\u2019d listened to the mournful warning blasted for the public crossing in the village of Adrian, two miles to the west. The roar grew louder. Then finally, there was a hint of headlight piercing the fog.<\/p>\n

\"Semaphore<\/a>
Delaware & Hudson\u2019s symbol BFOA (Ford autorack train destined for Ayer, Massachusetts) blasts by a former Erie upper quadrant semaphore east of Adrian, New York at 5:20am on May 16, 1987. This vintage signal, one of several dozen protecting the railroad in the Canisteo Valley was the primary intended subject. This image was first published in Pacific RailNews in the 1990s. Images like this one will help illustrate my new book; Classic Railroad Signals that I\u2019m now assembling for publication later this year by Voyageur Press<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My college roommate had lent me his Canon A1 35mm SLR, which I\u2019d loaded with professional Kodachrome 25 slide film. I had this tightly positioned on a tripod.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When the train began to illuminate the scene, I opened the shutter. This closed again moments before the headlight of the lead locomotive left the scene, leaving a truncated streak of light to represent the train\u2019s passage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Images like this one will help illustrate my new book; Classic Railroad Signals<\/b> that I\u2019m now assembling for publication later this year by Voyageur Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tracking the Light<\/a>\u00a0posts new material\u00a0every\u00a0morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please spread the word and share\u00a0Tracking the Light<\/a>\u00a0with anyone who may enjoy seeing it!<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Tomorrow: Like the Ribs of some Ancient Beast.<\/p>\n

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