Western Railroad Discussion > Brown winter at Melvern

Now that I’m in my 60s I’ve been noticing a recurring pattern. As each new winter season approaches I am filled with more & more dread. Time was the winter season merely meant new & different shooting opportunities, especially with the sun in a much lower position in the sky during daylight hours. And put some snow on the ground and I would be “all in” going after that classic Currier & Ives shot. But now… the thought of frozen toes & fingertips has no appeal whatsoever. I’m feeling happy at the thought that I’ll just stay home, run the thermostat up another notch and try to wear out my Epson scanner… ;^)

So when I need to, I guess I can reach back into the files for a crispy winter time shot…

1. Ho-ho-ho from almost 5 years ago: Here’s BNSF 6972 with a string of double stacks about to cross Emporia St in Melvern, KS on February 21, 2016. Looking TT east @ 300mm from the Pine St pedestrian & bicycle overpass.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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I can relate to Lance's winter observations.  However, the variety offered by freshly fallen snow is hard to resist.  It's the slippery drive which requires more caution in getting the shot(s).  Nailed UP 1996, the Southern Pacific Heritage unit working as distributed power on a coal train at Tabernash, CO, 29 December 2015.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/20 11:52 by cozephyr.

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The trees are winter time scheme, but the motive power is sharp, bright and setup "front-front-back-back". A really nice image!

Joe

cozephyr Wrote:
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 29 December 2020. 
Not yet

Uncle Joe
 

Nice shot Lance form the old bridge.  I wonder if you can still shoot from there?  Please get out a little bit and get some Kansas shots for these Texas boys.

Thanks for all the posting that you do that have good pictures and usually a good little story.

RC Lundgren

texchief1 Wrote: > ... I wonder if you can still shoot from there?

Thanks for the kind word, my Friend! And yes, I believe you can still shoot from this spot. Years ago, maybe even in the pre-BN merger days it was closed off to everything except foot traffic and bicycles. Which is perfect for railfans. As for the KS hwy 31 overpass just behind this one... I've never had any problems "camping out" on it, waiting for trains. I think the good folks in Melvern are so used to seeing picture-takers they just smile & wave or just ignore you altogether...

Lance

Used to be a short middle siding between the mains at Malvern east of the crossing, it turned out to both mains at both ends.

Posted from Android

Good one, Lance, thanks for posting.  

To answer the question posed, the bridge is still there and you can shoot from it.  At least you could in 2019 when I went to the Santa Fe Convention in Pueblo.  And Lance had bettr luck than I've had at that spot.  He probably had more time to stay there than
I did, but I much prefer the bridge to the observation platform in the city park that's on the north side of the tracks with LOTS of foliage..  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/20 18:43 by ntharalson.