Steam & Excursion > Still Some More 844 (Plus Some Other Steam in 2016)

Well I got up before the rooster again (OK I lied, I didn't really go to bed)

1.) The new better half and I eased down to Union Station to see if any light was hitting the track to scope out a shot.  Lots of shadows around the depot this early in the morning, this late in the year, so we knocked off a couple shots of the engine and the accompanying job briefing shortly before departure before heading east to find a better lit spot.  I had a few ideas in mind, but again, a little too early in the day, a little too late in the year for shadows.  Terminal trench was pretty much out, Sugar Creek was out, so Eton it was.

2.) Blasting past Eton after getting off the BNSF Marceline Sub. onto the Ex-Missouri Pacific, now UP River Sub.  Detector here rang out 51 MPH.

3.) The train stopped in Buckner for a whistle stop so we leaped ahead to Levasy, the old grain elevator provides a nice backdrop for some pretty dead on center light.

A few more to come...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/16 17:05 by UPTRAIN.

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4.) After a couple other attempts were shot down by folks strewn about the planned angle, I resorted to my backup spot at Dover where we wound up being the only spectators for at least a mile.

5.) I wanted a shot at Malta Bend with the massive grain elevator there but thanks to some people taking it easy on the foot feed we didn't beat the train there (seriously--like 38 MPH in a 55, double yellow line, and meeting every grain truck in Saline county this time of year).  A stored empty coal train was in the siding kind of fouling that shot up anyway, so we pressed onward to Marshall, where we got them off the highway overpass next to more stored equipment in that siding.  The pilot engineer ran at least 10 miles or so through here and looked like he was having a pretty good time.

6.) After a service stop in Blackwater, the train slides out of town delayed in block.  The shot is fairly barrelled due to the wide angle lens used, but to be honest I'm almost certain the elevator is leaning some.  We stood beside it and eyeballed it for 15 minutes and unless one of my legs is shorter than the other, it's leaning a little.

Couple more to go...

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As some of you already know I have a new better half, Melanie.  Well, it turns out she likes choo choos almost as much as I do, especially those of the external combustion variety, so she was along with her camera as she is often these days, so here are 3 of Melanie's shots from this summer of various steam locomotives we've been lucky enough to encounter.  Her last name is Fox, so that's why you'll see Sly Fox from the old Operation Lifesaver cartoons for her watermark.

7.) Nickel Plate 765 in Chicago back in June.

8.) C&TS 484 at Juke's Tree in July.

9.) UP 844 at Eton, same location as my shot from above on 10-17-16.

Hang on, I got a couple more of hers...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/16 17:05 by UPTRAIN.

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10.) MILW 261 on October 8th during one of the photo run-bys at Bongards, MN.

11.) Southern 401 on June 11th in Monticello, IL on the way up to chase 765.

12.) Another shot of hers from chasing 261 at Sandstone, MN back in June of this year.

I hope you derived at least a little pleasure from looking at our stuff.  Thanks for looking!

Pump

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Beautiful images. Several are calendar quality. My favorite is 261 on the bridge.
I'm glad you had such a steam-filled year so far. Thanks for sharing these images.
Bob

You and Melanie do good work.  Sounds like you have fun doing this.  That's great!

Excellent  I think I could go an extra month before my next issue of Railran & Railroad shows!

/Mitch

Sure hope Mr. Dickens is wearing some sort of safety harness to prevent him from falling out of the cab should he hit a rough spot in the track as he's already 2/3rds. of the way there in the photo above. Perhaps someone close to him could convince him of how much more professional he'd look if he wore a railroad appropriate hat and sat normally in the seat??? Hope springs eternal !!

   Ross Rowland

co614 Wrote:
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> Sure hope Mr. Dickens is wearing some sort of
> safety harness to prevent him from falling out of
> the cab should he hit a rough spot in the track as
> he's already 2/3rds. of the way there in the photo
> above. Perhaps someone close to him could convince
> him of how much more professional he'd look if he
> wore a railroad appropriate hat and sat normally
> in the seat??? Hope springs eternal !!
>
>    Ross Rowland

Funny you mention this as I think the same thing every time I see a new or recent photo of 844. Hopefully he tucks in a little bit when there is a passing train. I couldnt ride like that, my eyes would dry out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/16 06:55 by Buttons2013.

Awesome photos. Looks like you both will be a great team.
John

Great work!

I'm partial to the 401 shot of course, as a member at Monticello.  I was out doing sound work that weekend.  You might well have seen me with the "blimp" on a stand around somewhere.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Exceptional photography  , Pump  !       4 stars.   Thanks for posting your work.   --Kelly

Really great photos by both of you.

Ronda Thomas