Eastern Railroad Discussion > Being Rewarded for More than 2 Hours of Persistence

My friend Ed and I went to Conneaut on Sept. 19 to catch the Pine Tree Limited on its way to the convention of the American Association of Private Car Owners. A couple days later, Ed checked himself into the Cleveland Clinic hospital where he ultimately wound up having open heart surgery.

It’s been a long recovery period and Ed is doing well, but he had not been trackside since that September outing.

Last Friday afternoon I had an opening in my schedule and the weather forecast looked promising so I traveled to Ed’s home to pick him up and take him to Perry, Ohio, to get in a little train watching.

At least that was the idea. Perry is home to the busy CSX Erie West Subdivision and the Norfolk Southern Cleveland District, both of which go to Buffalo, N.Y., from Cleveland.

I thought by Friday traffic would be moving again on both railroads and it would be heavy as they sought to get caught up. I could not have been more wrong. We sat for a good two hours and nothing moved. The road channels of both railroads were eerily silent.

About 4:15 p.m., I heard a scratching noise on the CSX road channel. It was followed by another scratching noise a couple minutes later. Another minute passed and I heard a voice calling a signal on Track No. 1 westbound. We were not going to be shut out. Until then, we had both become rather discouraged.

By the time the train got to Perry it was just past 4:30. Weather conditions were good. It was cold, but not bitterly cold. The clouds had broken up and it was mostly sunny. The ground was still snow covered and there was a fair amount of the white stuff on the tracks.

With rain and warmer temperatures in the offing for Saturday and Sunday, Friday would be the best day to photograph trains even as it turned out not to be the best day for rail traffic.

The challenge was that the sun would be setting in less than a half-hour. The low sun angle was fine, but the trees blocking it created the effect of sunlight and shadows. Still, I rather liked the way that that played out. Our first train of the day was a garbage train that stinks to high heaven even in the winter.

(Photo 1) The garbage train approaches a signal bridge that hasn't been used in many years.

(Photo 2) A wider angle perspective of the lead unit after it stepped back out into the sunlight. Note the shadows of Ed and I making our photographs. The shadow to our left is the gate of the grade crossing.

(Photo 3) I just liked how the effects of light and shadows played out on the endless string of garbage containers.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 05:05 by SDP40F600.

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We got out shots and I managed to work the setting sun into a going way image.

After getting back in my car, we joked about how we waited for more than two hours and all we got was garbage. It was good for a laugh, but we weren’t done just yet. About 15 minutes later CSX sent a pair of stack trains past us, one in each direction. The light was slipping away fast, but there was just enough to make good images.

(Photo 3) The waning rays of light play off the sides of the snow-covered garbage containers as the sun is about to set.

(Photo 4) I barely caught the last of the sunset in a notch in the trees in front of the locomotive nose of this eastbound stack train.

(Photo 5) A meet between passing stack trains beneath the old signal bridge at Perry, Ohio.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 05:07 by SDP40F600.

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(Photos 7 and 8) Two views of the Union Pacific unit leading the westbound stack train.

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As we got ready to leave, we agreed that we had, again, learned that you need to be persistent when chasing trains. It doesn’t always work out this way, but on this day our seeing it through was rewarded with some good late day light photographs.

(Photo 9) Snow covered containers catch a few rays of dying sunlight.

(Photo 10): This might be my favorite image of the day. The westbound stack train chases the setting sun as the afterglow of sunset lights up the western sky.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/14 05:08 by SDP40F600.

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Really like the shot of the double stack with the UP leader. Nice Job.

They are all great Craig!!, and get well soon Ed !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Some very good images in that bunch!!

Low light is your friend......:).

Oh boy Craig, those are some fine images. It was worth the wait. Photo #1 is a pretty picture with that afternoon light. I wish your friend Ed the best in his recovery.
John

GREAT stuff...!!! Thanks for posting. I like that last pic.....

Wow, great stuff there! Worth the wait indeed.

I like using the sun's low lights on the reflections off cars & power...like off the garbage cars in # 3 & 4...nice! Best wishes Ed for a strong recovery! Ed has a good friend who'll take him out for some rail fanning therapy, can't beat that kind of friendship!
Matt