Trains in the Snow!

VERY NICE WORK. What do you protect your equipment with when it's snowing?

They all are great shots. You captured them very well. I think I would have to pick the last as my favorite.

Nice Job!!!! I love trains!!!

I've been down to the local train tracks in some snow to get picks of anything that comes through. Two questions:

1) Is there a posted schedule of when the trains come through? I've spent too many hours trying to stay warm and no trains (it's been exceptionally cold here in Michigan this winter)

2) How long did you spend out in the wilderness to get these shots?

Great series, a bit cold waiting with your timetable.

really gorgeous shots of a beautiful country

1rushfan wrote in post #2689828
I've been down to the local train tracks in some snow to get picks of anything that comes through. Two questions:

1) Is there a posted schedule of when the trains come through? I've spent too many hours trying to stay warm and no trains (it's been exceptionally cold here in Michigan this winter)

2) How long did you spend out in the wilderness to get these shots?

Yeah, I'm also curious about this.
Reed

I like 'em all.
Really like the trees in 1
and 2
and 7
and 8

Awesome!

Really great shots. I've been wanting to give it a try but my fears are having to deal with the authorities & getting shot.

Marvelous work. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite.

Nice shots. I like the compostions and the "backdrops"

Hey thanks for all the great feedback!! I've had a lot of fun taking these.

Reefbone wrote in post #2686110
I actually said 'wow' out loud and I'm the only one home right now. ...............
Looks pretty cold. How long do you wait around for these trains?.......

LMAO - I do that sometime too! The waits on some days can be pretty long, and it's not uncommon to wait an hour or more for the next train on the mountain passes. For example, I waited over an hour in 13 degree (F) weather for the shot of the plow.

In all but the plow shot I've been out with a group of fellow rail fans so the waits go by pretty quick, and the trains move very slow on the mountain grades so it's easy to chase a train and shoot it at several locations.

Linkzi wrote in post #2687724
VERY NICE WORK. What do you protect your equipment with when it's snowing?

For the most part I'm never far from my rig, so I just get out when the train is approaching. If it's snowing, or lightly raining and my gear is on the tripod, I'll put a water-proof hat covering the camera and lens. On really cold days I’ll keep the battery in my pocket so it doesn’t get too cold.

1rushfan wrote in post #2689828
I've been down to the local train tracks in some snow to get picks of anything that comes through. Two questions:

1) Is there a posted schedule of when the trains come through? I've spent too many hours trying to stay warm and no trains (it's been exceptionally cold here in Michigan this winter)

2) How long did you spend out in the wilderness to get these shots?

Good Questions, I'll try not to be too long winded answering them.

1) The only posted schedules are of passenger trains. Amtrak has a 800# (800-872-7245) which allows you to get the up to the minute status of a Amtrak train. You'll need to know the train number and nearest station, and you can find that online before you leave. Amtrak is often late, so it pays to have the latest info.

Except for locals, there really isn't a daily schedule for freight trains. From time to time I get 24hour line-ups from people who work for the railroad.

These are very detailed and show where all the trains in the state are as well as what they are carrying, how many tons they are, what the power is (how many engines, and what type/model), where they are coming from and going to, etc. For obvious reasons they aren't posted online, and the info is out of date a few hours after you receive it since trains get delayed along the route. So it's more of a guideline or a way to judge if you should sleep in, get up early, or do something else that day. It works best when a RR'er calls you when you're out and gives you updates as to where the trains are.

The #1 way to get up to the minute info and what I rely on most is a scanner. Every rail fan has one and it will give you more info than any 1 person can. It allows you to listen to the train dispatcher and the train crews. So say train goes by and you hear the dispatcher telling that train that it will be taking the next siding for 2 oncoming trains. Well then you know to set up for 2 trains coming in the opposite direction. It’s a lot like getting the traffic info on the radio. There's a ton of other info a scanner will tell you including a way to tell if a train is in your area, but I'll spare you all the bla-bla-bla.

2) Wait times as I said can be a few minutes to a few hours. It depends on what line you’re on and your luck. It’s a lot like fishing. One of the worst waits I had was a wasted 5 hours on Stevens Pass on a nice sunny Saturday, but you only do those all-day trips once a month not every weekend. Other Transcon lines like those that run in the Columbia River Gorge between Washington and Oregon see 70 to 80 trains a day, so the wait is rarely more than a few minutes.

Best way to get local info is to join www.railroadforums.com it’s free and a great way to meet local rail fans, get heads-up on special trains (like the snow plow) running in your area, or just look at more RR pics like mine. Lots of friendly folks who can likely answer your local questions better than I. I’ve got the same user name over there so feel free to look me up! If you’re from my area I also have seasonal guided events (free) up on the passes. So PM me your email and I’ll keep you in the loop.

Hey Ross, I recognize these from railroadforums. Great Shots!

Thanks for sharing these... great stuff. Your passion for the subject matter really shows!