Nostalgia & History > My Best Grab Shot Ever

I was pacing this train in far northern California (Grass Lake) driving with one hand and shooting out the window with the other with no real expectation of what to expect when the slides came back.  Several good slides of the train taken in the traditional fashion of standing with both feet on the ground came back -- and this one.   That's Southern Pacific SD40R number 7372 on September 2, 1991.  The engineer is watching me expressionless.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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That image speaks to me of the individual character that each railroad had back then. Today, I find locomotives to be rather bland and boring. One wide nose diesel to the next, there isn't much variety or excitement. Great shot, by the way. You've capture the old SP nicely.

NICE!  You're not much of a railfan if you haven't driven with one hand and taken pics with the other out the window!  :-)

~RGDave

Nice grab Marty, thanks for sharing. 

Kent in CArmel Valley

Kudos, Marty! That perfect pan shot can show up quite unexpected at times...

Lance/199

So is it a pan shot?  No pan was actually involved.  I was moving the same speed as the train.  So relative to us, the scenery was moving past us.

Marty

MartyBernard Wrote: > ... So is it a pan shot?
My mistake! I thought your camera was moving...

If it is not a pan shot, what is it?

Great shot. Speed is evident. Engineer is hoping you don't end up in front of him.

It isa pacing shot. upkpfan

elu34ch Wrote:
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> Great shot. Speed is evident. Engineer is hoping
> you don't end up in front of him.

Route 92 in far northern California is a fine 2-lane asphalt with little traffic and parallels the SP for maybe 100 miles.  But there are few close open spots (no trees) like this one.

Marty

Very NICE shot!!

Larry

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> If it is not a pan shot, what is it?

It's a tracking shot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_shot. But with a twist: the subject, not the camera, is on the track.

Great shot , Marty!

Randy Lundgren
Elgin, TX

Looks like the engine's dead.