Midweek Photos 7/25/2012

Tim, it will be good to see those cars when they are spiffed up again.  For this week, I have some shots from my new camera.  It's a Rolleiflex MX-EVS made in 1951, with 75mm f3.5 Tessar lens.  I love this camera!  I've been patrolling along DME tracks in eastern South Dakota a lot lately, and have a few shots from there.  First two shots are from a w/b train near Cavour that was stopped while MoW completed some track work.  It's been hot and the cabs are not air conditioned.  The crew decided to hang out on the nose of the engine where they could at least catch a breeze.  They humored me and posed for me, partly out of boredom.  The next shots are from derailed hopper cars full of wheat.  This was just a mile from where I took the other shots the week before!  The Rolleiflex is a 6x6 square format, like a Hasselblad.  It feels different to frame a photo as a square rather than a rectangle.  I like the challenge!  On another forum, an "expert" (who has never taken night shots) told me it's not possible to take color night shots with film because the ISO is too low on color film.  SO, my next project is do exactly that.  The "expert" apparently isn't familiar with the new Kodak Portra 400 color film.  The 1951 Rolleiflex is the only film camera I own that is modern enough to have flash sync.  The black & white conversion was done by Ilford HP5. 

Kent in SD 

The 765 deadheading into Bellevue on the wye on Friday 7/20/2012.

The 765 getting serviced in the NS Bellevue yard on 7/20/12

A tank car passing Eastbound through Berea on CSX tracks on 7/24/2012.  I have never seen one like this and am curious as to what is hauled in this type car.

John

Great pictures. Thanks to all the posters.

Was a good weekend of trains for me. Here's what I was able to find while out with the family.

North Shore Railroad Bay Window Caboose in Williamsport, PA at the Newberry Yard. This is the caboose that use to be at Delta Place Station in Lewisburg, PA.

ARFX Bay Window Caboose at the Luzerne and Susquehanna Engine House in Pittston, PA.

Knoebels Grove Ammusement Part Ride.

Lehigh Railway #2300 U23B in Pittston, PA

Penn Valley Railroad passenger cars crossing Fishing Creek in Rupert, PA during the Iron Heritage Festival excursion to Bloomsburg, PA.

Luzerne nd Susquehanna #50, #1201 and #600 next to the Engine House in Pittston, PA.

A couple more from the 765 this past weekend.

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John:

I checked this out with "a source" and it is actually considered to be hopper car, not a tank car.  Twenty-five of these were specially built by UTC in 2011 to haul phosphorus pentasulfide.  The cars are equipped with the two manways obvious in the photo and have 5 compartments/outlets.  Judging from the configuration of the outlets, I am guessing this is some form of pressure differential car.

Curt

Curt,

Thanks for the research and information on my "hopper car" photo.  None of my fellow trainwatcher who saw this car knew what it was either.  It pays for me to stay awake while watching cars go by.

John