Midweek Photos 11/28/2012

I haven't seen the schedule yet, but the CP train will likely be out my way eventually. It's wild & crazy when it arrives!  Last night I spotted a D&I train about a mile from my house waiting for a warrant.  It was dark!  I drove ahead of it near their quarry and set up some lights.  The plan was to catch a "meet" where it would pass a parked train.  You don't get a chance to photo something like that with the D&I very often.  I drove about 15 miles north of town, set up some lights by a parked GP7, and waited.  Eventually the train came, but it stopped about a quarter mile short.  They simply parked it on their line, and the crew left!  Dang.  Rather than let the opportunity go to waste, I took a shot of the parked GP7, just south of Dell Rapids SD.  Second photo is of a BNSF unit train running west of Mitchell on the Dakota Southern line.  Third photo is from that same run.  Conductor Scott guards a rural crossing east of White Lake SD.  Both shot with my Rolleiflex MX.

 

 

Kent in SD

 

Kent, that must have been early if the darkness was a problem in getting your shot. The full moon has been lighting the night quite well the last few nights.
I'm glad you caught the GP7 with enough light.

Kent, it looks like South Dakota will be missed by the US Holiday Train this year. 

http://www.cpr.ca/en/in-your-c...e/Pages/default.aspx

If I read the map right, the train goes right from Wisconsin to North Dakota.

 Here is the 2012 train in Scranton, PA last night.

 

The train faced East this year, with the stage car closer to the passenger cars on the end of the train.  This made the train easier to see from inside the Mall at Steamtown if anyone was too cold.  BTW, it was pleasantly cold, and the large group of attendees stayed for the entire show.

The Scranton Times tower in the background adds to the festive train.  Scranton is the only Pennsylvania stop on the tour.

The Claytones

Santa Claus passed out candy canes in the crowd.

and then joined Tracey Brown on stage to dance with the band.

 The CP train will go through Minnesota and I could catch it there, or I could just drive up I-29 and catch it in Fargo.  I've seen it enough times already, and I'm jammed for time this year.  If it were a steamer I could photo in the dark I'd be after it in a heartbeat!  As for my GP7, it was about 9 PM and plenty dark up here.  Almost always with my night shots, if the train appears lit, it was almost certainly lit by my flash units.  I love to control the light and flash at night let me do that.

 

 

Kent in SD

you gents are lucky.... living here on Long Island its tough to get to see some good trains.