Western Railroad Discussion > Puget Sound Railroad Sights

A few cold and generally clear days around the Puget Sound over the last few days, provided some nice evening light for some railroad photography.
 

1. UP’s UGLSE (aka NB Empty Garbage train) passes the tail of Day Island in University Place, about mile post 10.5 on the BNSF Seattle Sub, just after sunset.
2. Another UP train featuring its DPU unit on this NB stack train at Saltar Point (Steilacoom), just as sunset fades away.This is about MP 16 on the BNSF Seattle sub.
3. A NB BNSF grainer rounds one of the numerous curves between Nisqually and Tacoma.  The train is blocking the ferry crossing in Steilacoom and is fast approaching Bridge 14. Well not that fast as the signals were not all the favorable.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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4) Same train as above just a different perspective.

5) Near the north end of the Seattle sub, alongside Boeing field, a SB BNSF Manifest waits for a nice shade of green, while getting a chance to enjoy a sunset over Mt Rainier.

6) The cold and clear gave way to somewhat warmer and rainier weather today.   By chance I noticed these units waiting for a signal NB at Bridge 14 (a recently new official Control Point).  I managed to get to this spot after they got their green and heard over the radio that this was the power for a Roosevelt Centralia garbage train, heading light engine to Seattle.
 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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Nice shots!

Really nice series of photos.

Ronda Thomas

PIC 6:  That is a weird looking drawbridge, but as long as it works...

First one is just beautiful, I really like that one.

Ted S-P

VERY NICE!!  Thanks for posting these.

'Er, along the Salish Sea. All beautiful, tnx.

Steve Donaldson
Pacific Grove, CA

Nice to include the houses on Day Island in your first photo.
John

Very nice set old friend, hope to get up there again soon!

Fantastic series of shots! Excellent use of low light conditions for many of them.

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

Thanks for all the nice comments.  Much appreciated!

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

Great photography. Nice work finding those locations.
t4p.

phthithu Wrote:
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> Steve how do you get the head lights to make stars
> like that instead of being just a big blob??? 

The stars or rays are a product (by-product?) of the particular lens and the f-stop setting.

But generally, to avoid blobs of light, which I'm not always able to do,  I take some bracketed shots under aperature mode before the train arrives.
   
Then I go to manual mode and use the settings of the shot I liked the best of the bracked shots in aperature mode.  

When the train arrives my camera will be exposed for the scene and not be fooled by the lights of the locomotive.   I don't always have time to do that and every once in a while the train doesn't show up when I wanted it to, so I'll adjust the manual settings for the changing light.

Hope that helps.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography