Worse for wear but still in service

[Tom W]

Caught this Norfolk & Southern train heading southbound at one of my favorite shooting spots. The lead engine is a little beat up, but it's still serving its duty. I believe that this engine might have been relegated to either local runs or maintenance duty. The train was rather short, maybe about 35 cars.

Oddly, there were occupants in the second 'slave' engine.

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/47805464.jpg

[Carzee]

Nice shot.. my eyes were drawn to the rails. Is it distortion, or is that a narrower than normal gauge?

[Tom W]

It's probably a distortion - it's a slightly telephoto shot, and I'm standing with my feet a bit lower than track level. That probably gives it a narrow look. It's normal gauge, at least here in the US.

Thanks for the compliment.

[Carzee]

The best diesel shot I have seen anywhere was posted in a sunsets thread here a few weeks back. Now I find myself looking at sunsets and wishing there was a train a coming...

[Belmondo]

Great shot, Tom. It looks like they painted those stripes on the nose with the back half of a live chicken. Pretty messy.

Too bad about the phone lines, but you can PS those into oblivion with little trouble.

[Carzee]

Searched and found that fab diesel shot here:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78570

[Tom W]

Here's the reason that the front looks messy - it's pretty old. Paint's chipping and rust is rearing its ugly head:

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/47809380.jpg

[Tom W]

Searched and found that fab diesel shot here:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78570

Wow, Carzee, that's a stunner. Great silhouette. Sheldon really hit that one perfectly.

[Carzee]

What do really low angle shots of trains look like. Got any?

This one could've been more pointy from gravel level....

[Tom W]

Carzee, This is a low angle of sorts, taken last year. Probably not what you had in mind though.

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/37053151.jpg

[Tom W]

The fisheye lens angle appears to be from a low position as well, but I don't think that's what you're thinking either.

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/44812394.jpg

[Carzee]

Well, they're good but...

BTW, we have loooong coal trains here 'bouts. 1.4km is average, 2km is the limit. I have a friend at church who drives for Pacific National, the coal contractor. I'll ask him for a ride sooner or later.

[Tom W]

Well, they're good but...

BTW, we have loooong coal trains here 'bouts. 1.4km is average, 2km is the limit. I have a friend at church who drives for Pacific National, the coal contractor. I'll ask him for a ride sooner or later.

Not too many coal trains travel through the nearby tracks, but they do pass through town on another route more frequently. We get a lot of car carriers and container trains, plus a good number of mixed trains on these tracks. Most are fairly long. There's a 2 mile (roughly 3 km) stretch of double track between two crossings near my house where trains frequently pass in opposite directions. Often, one will stop on one track while 2 or 3 pass on the other track.

BRW, I suspect that the shot which you want me to make would be taken from a crouched or squatting position along the tracks, and I'll do that some time. Sounds like an interesting angle.

[b16pwrdej1]

Great photos.... I recognize the orange BNSF locomotive since I was able to capture one in Bluefield, but is that another BNSF locomotive in red & gray?

[Tom W]

The red and gray, if I'm not mistaken, is BNSF's old color scheme.

[b16pwrdej1]

The red and gray, if I'm not mistaken, is BNSF's old color scheme.

Thanks for the help. Personally, I like the orange color scheme better....it stands out much more.

[Belmondo]

The red and gray, if I'm not mistaken, is BNSF's old color scheme.


The Red/Silver color scheme is from the pre-merger Santa Fe. It was an updated version of the old Warbonnet paint scheme that goes all the way back to the late 1930's.

Here's an example from the 1950's.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2c/AT%26SF44CatLosAngelesCA9-24-66.jpg/800px-AT%26SF44CatLosAngelesCA9-24-66.jpg

[RockOne]

Some great train shots in this thread. Belmondo, I had a trainset when I was a kid (too long ago :-) ) that had an engine exactly like that !

[Belmondo]

Some great train shots in this thread. Belmondo, I had a trainset when I was a kid (too long ago :-) ) that had an engine exactly like that !

I think the Santa Fe warbonnets are the most modeled trains ever, at least on this continent. They were among the most recognizable of all paint jobs ever put on a locomotive, and just about everybody made a version.....Lionel, American Flyer, Marklin, Trix, and all the various hobby manufacturers.

[Tom W]

I think the Santa Fe warbonnets are the most modeled trains ever, at least on this continent. They were among the most recognizable of all paint jobs ever put on a locomotive, and just about everybody made a version.....Lionel, American Flyer, Marklin, Trix, and all the various hobby manufacturers.

American Flyer - that's a name I haven't heard in years. My brother had an American Flyer train set that he used to set up under the Christmas Tree every year. He sold it several years ago, and I really wish that he had kept it.

[marie]

just love those shots Tom
especially the first three including the close up of the well loved worn out engine
love the bridge shot
all are v. nice to see
each has their own moment