Midweek Photos 3/7/2018

A FEW OLDIES FROM PITTSBURGH RAILFAN 2016 ARCHIVES

A few shots of the LVRR West Penn station building. The station has been restored and is now located in Snyders, Pa.

This is Newton Kansas, 12-30-17, just north of Hesston Kansas on highway 81 which runs south from Nebraska and  south of Salina,  great place to lay over on your travels. Clean Holiday Inn Xpress and an Applebees. The old Santa Fe (AT&SF) main line from KC to Topeka, then Newton,the rail angles through town,  and on southwest from here.  Nice little steamer on display in the park,  note the toolbox on the tender, you don't see that every day. Maybe that was a Santa Fe thing.  Newton has an active turntable and 2 stall engine shed. A large oil tank, a LONG platform in front of the old Depot,  a big flour mill. Maybe a big passenger stop in its day.  Small college, a lot of churches. Be sure to stop in Newton and maybe lay over on your travels.  Plenty of trains at night to serenade you.  They still blow horns here.  

I have a photo, and a story!  In North Dakota there is a huge trestle that's 900 yards long and 180 ft. high.  The Karnack Trestle crosses Lake Ashtabula on the BNSF KO sub.  Built in 1912 by GN, it is MASSIVE!  I've always wanted go up there in winter and light that sucker up!  In winter the lake has about two feet of ice on it, so I could drive out, set up my five big monolights, and wait in my car for a train to come.  I was about to go up there a year ago, but having a near fatal heart attack put that on the back burner.

It is now a year later, and there is plenty of ice on Lake Ashtabula, and plenty of trains!  Tackling one of these big trestles is something I've always wanted to do--near the top of my bucket list.   So, I began asking some local railfans I know if they wanted to go up there with me some Saturday night.  They all thought I was crazy, but were polite about it.  My wife didn't want me goofing around out there by myself, and said she'd go with me!  On Friday night I loaded my Subeeboo Forester with camera & lighting gear, and we headed north on Saturday morning.  We arrived at Luverne, ND about an hour before dark.

The road to the boat ramp on Lake Ashtabula was unplowed, but the drifts had been knocked down a bit by 4WD trucks.  I followed their trail until I came to an impassable drift that a bigger truck had fought and lost!  No way my little Forester was going further, and the drifts would be even deeper in the valley anyway.  We could see the trestle about a half mile away across a snowed in CRP field.  I got out and looked things over.  The 35 mph wind tore at me, and my boots sank deeply into the snow.  We would need a snowmobile to get down to the lake and a calf sled to haul all the lighting gear.   I looked at the trestle and thought, "So close!"   I turned to my wife and said, "I guess I'll just go back to Valley City and see if I can do some kind of shot on that trestle.  There's less snow there."  She replied, "That's it?  You're tucking your tail between your legs and going home?  The bridge is right over there!  What happened to the man I married--he wouldn't let a half mile hike keep him from his dream.  He'd strap on his pack and march right out there, not even pausing to wipe the boogers from his nose!"  She was right!  I might never get this chance again!  No, I couldn't do my original plan of setting up five flash on the lake and lighting the entire 900 yard structure, but I could haul a couple of flash on my toboggan and light up the center section for sure.  We didn't bring snowshoes, but the snow was mostly under knee deep.  And that's what I did--loaded a pair of White Lightning X3200 flash (3,000ws power), battery packs, lightstands, and long throw reflectors.  Off we went through the snow to the trestle!  

I set up my two flash, and the wind promptly knocked them down.  I reset them by jamming the stands deep into snow drifts.  A short while later a w/b Z train came while it was still light, and I popped a shot.  We waited for a second w/b as darkness fell.  The wind became even stronger; there was a blizzard moving in that would hit the next day.  My wife and I sat down in the snow where the wind was less brutal.  Finally the w/b auto train came, I tested the flash, and popped a shot.  Got it!  My wife and I high fived in the gathering storm as wind driven snow stung our faces.  I decided a train was a train, and no need to sit around with no wind protection, and gathered my gear.  We pushed back towards the car in total darkness.  There were no lights to be seen anywhere!  I had thought of taking a second shot at the Valley City trestle, but we were exhausted.

The next day I followed the CP tracks (ex SOO) from Valley City down to Hankinson, ND.  I got a couple of shots, nothing great.  We were in a hurry to head home as the blizzard was hot on our heels.  Looking at the trestle shot at home on my computer I saw it wasn't nearly as sharp as I wanted.  I'm not sure if the (by then) 40 mph wind had caused my heavy tripod to vibrate, or if the bridge itself was swaying in the wind.  (There's been at least one train blown off that trestle in recent years.   I'm sure this is the first time anyone has ever attempted something like this, but I'm not happy with a near miss.  I talked it over with my wife, and she's up for going back when the snow melts down some and the wind is more friendly!  I 'm thinking of early May.  If it wasn't for the wind I think I would have totally nailed that shot on the first try!  And yes, I'm going back!   I nearly lit the entire center section (200 yards) with just two monolights.  I have three more at my disposal, and just might buy a couple more for this.

I will add that I know how lucky I am to have a wife that loves an adventure as much as I do.  Not many women would sit out in the dark on a brutal North Dakota night to take a photo of a choo-choo!

Kent in SD

Freight Train Jim posted:

 

 

Where is this? She is beautiful!

Wow - that is one heck of a story, and well told.  I left my phone at home last Monday when I ran for coffee and I knew I should have turned back and got it.  Sure enough there was a train parked with 3 mixed CN units and some interesting type of CREX slug unit in the fourth spot.  I ran home, grabbed my phone and went back to get pics, but sure enough I caught the middle of the train headed south.  Dang, second time I’ve missed a good one, and both times my instinct told me to go back and get my phone.

wb47 posted:

This is Newton Kansas, 12-30-17, just north of Hesston Kansas on highway 81 which runs south from Nebraska and  south of Salina,  great place to lay over on your travels. Clean Holiday Inn Xpress and an Applebees. The old Santa Fe (AT&SF) main line from KC to Topeka, then Newton,the rail angles through town,  and on southwest from here.  Nice little steamer on display in the park,  note the toolbox on the tender, you don't see that every day. Maybe that was a Santa Fe thing.  Newton has an active turntable and 2 stall engine shed. A large oil tank, a LONG platform in front of the old Depot,  a big flour mill. Maybe a big passenger stop in its day.  Small college, a lot of churches. Be sure to stop in Newton and maybe lay over on your travels.  Plenty of trains at night to serenade you.  They still blow horns here.  

A old Santa Fe engineer in my old club in Oklahoma told us that Santa Fe crews keep a water hose in the tool box on the tender.  If the tender/engine had a "HOT BOX" they would use the water hose to put water on the "Hot bearing" from the tender so to get the train/engine into the next siding or to the shops.

Hi SOUTHERNMIKE, This is the Kiski Junction Railroad 126. It is located in Schenley, PA., north of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny and Kiskimenitas Rivers. It is a freight short line which, in the past, ran a tourist train (not sure why the tourist operation was ended). Hope this helps.    Don Francis

Kent, I'm going to read your story to my wife just to see her reaction.

I am expecting something like, "nope, nun-unh, ain't gonna happen!"

Farmer_Bill posted:

Kent, I'm going to read your story to my wife just to see her reaction.

I am expecting something like, "nope, nun-unh, ain't gonna happen!"

 

You can use it to show her just how easy she has it married to you!

Kent in SD

Freight Train Jim posted:

A FEW OLDIES FROM PITTSBURGH RAILFAN 2016 ARCHIVES

 

this shot grabbed my eye. Looks like she's just waiting to haul!! 

Kent,

your photo stories always entertain, but you have reached a new zenith with your perseverance, and that of your better half. Well done Sir and Mrs!

                   I took these in Blissfield, Michigan about a week ago...

My timing has been off this week.  There is a red, white and blue BC Rail unit behind the trees.  If you can scan in.  Caught it on the run heading north.  This guy had the wings up top in the rear, like a dash9?  I wish I could have got it up close.  That’s the way it goes...

Two23 posted:

I have a photo, and a story!  In North Dakota there is a huge trestle that's 900 yards long and 180 ft. high. . . Built in 1912 by GN, it is MASSIVE!  I've always wanted go up there in winter and light that sucker up!  In winter the lake has about two feet of ice on it, so I could drive out, set up my five big monolights, and wait in my car for a train to come.  I was about to go up there a year ago, but having a near fatal heart attack put that on the back burner.

Ah, the miracles of modern medicine . . . you were given a second chance to shoot this photo.

 So, I began asking some local railfans I know if they wanted to go up there with me some Saturday night.  They all thought I was crazy, but were polite about it.  My wife didn't want me goofing around out there by myself, and said she'd go with me!  

 You definitely married a good woman!

. . . the drifts had been knocked down a bit by 4WD trucks.  I followed their trail until I came to an impassable drift that a bigger truck had fought and lost! . . . I got out and looked things over.  The 35 mph wind tore at me, and my boots sank deeply into the snow.  We would need a snowmobile to get down to the lake and a calf sled to haul all the lighting gear.   I looked at the trestle and thought, "So close!"   I turned to my wife and said, "I guess I'll just go back to Valley City and see if I can do some kind of shot on that trestle.  There's less snow there."  She replied, "That's it?  You're tucking your tail between your legs and going home?  The bridge is right over there!  What happened to the man I married--he wouldn't let a half mile hike keep him from his dream.  He'd strap on his pack and march right out there, not even pausing to wipe the boogers from his nose!"

See previous comment.

 I set up my two flash, and the wind promptly knocked them down.  I reset them by jamming the stands deep into snow drifts.  A short while later a w/b Z train came while it was still light, and I popped a shot.  We waited for a second w/b as darkness fell.  The wind became even stronger; there was a blizzard moving in that would hit the next day.  My wife and I sat down in the snow where the wind was less brutal.  Finally the w/b auto train came, I tested the flash, and popped a shot.  Got it!  My wife and I high fived in the gathering storm as wind driven snow stung our faces.  I decided a train was a train, and no need to sit around with no wind protection, and gathered my gear.  We pushed back towards the car in total darkness.  There were no lights to be seen anywhere! . . . Not many women would sit out in the dark on a brutal North Dakota night to take a photo of a choo-choo!

Glad you found your car in the dark.  I really enjoy your adventures in winter photography, Kent, and also share your fascination with those huge bridges in the Dakotas.  Thank you (and my hat is off, to your wife).

Kent in SD

Got another CitiRail unit this morning - #1509.  It was second in this consist.  The lead unit says EF644t on it, the tail unit GF643e.  I assume those are the engine types.  They all sound different at rest.  This is typical for the mixed freights to have a blend of engines.  Happy hunting.

Yesterday, my wife and I went to a park in Steilacoom, WA (within sight of where the US Open golf tournament had been played in 2015). The tracks go alongside the park with the beach on the opposite side, and she got these photos of me getting train shots that are also included here: