Nostalgia & History > Shrinking trains. How to make prototypes look N scale.

The challenge in railroad photography in the diesel era has always been to enhance the image. You can only get away with three quarter wedge shots so much. Even the most interesting lashups can sink to sameness over a period of time. Of course, it is the bulk of the photography, but the post steam photographer doesn't have the luxury of the visible explosions offered from Big Boys and Mallets. So we look for ways to make our trains dramatic. One way I always enjoyed was shrinking trains. Put them in either man made or natural environments that show them in elements that dwarf them. Fortunately railroads run over bridges, and through mountains. Take the big and make what looks big miniscule. Even in the PSR behemoths of today, you can cut them down to size on Tehachapi, Cajon, Sand Patch, or anywhere that puts the train in the distance. Just a fun exercise today in train shrinkage 101.
Man made shrinks
top...EL eastbound at Rittman Ohio

middle...Huey P Long bridge New Orleans

bottom...Katy in KC

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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No one does it better than Mother Nature

top...Feather River Canyon

middle....Cajon Pass

bottom...Tehachapi

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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top...Mix of manmade and nature. Westbound in Cumberland Narrows

middle...EL in Canisteo River Valley

bottom.. Looking Mid West, but actually Western Maryland. Williamsport helper.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

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Outstanding series!

Nothing like a giant grain complex to dwarf a train! I get a lot of that here in the Land of OZ...

Lance

They are all really great photos and they are appreciated to view.  Thanks Bill for all your photos, bur especially those of the B&O and the Western Maryland, they bring back many great memories.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Great bunch.
JB

Rittman, OH had such a large elevator....     Long gone.

Very NICE and interesting series!

Larry

Roadjob Wrote:
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 top...EL eastbound at Rittman Ohio

Cool concept Bill ! I will question you on that "Rittman" location though. Nothing like that was ever in that town, and that's some well maintained tracks for the EL.
 

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

Terrific bunch, besides all the great variety you definitely have the eye of a true photographer as you can see and capture things most of the rest of us don't see or would not bother with. Good stuff...

JG

Yield to you on that one old buddy. Thought it was, but I could not think of anywhere else I would have seen that type of structure. The train I remember was Santa Fe 100.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

Very nice series.  Most especially like Photo2; the two MP units with DB are a nice catch; plus all units are facing forward.
ALLEN