Steam & Excursion > Nite shot-SP&S700 Kennewick WA

Here is one of my favorites, not to mention my all-time favorite steamer. This was taken late October 1990 at 10PM in Kennewick WA the Thursday night before running (carrying passengers, too)the dinner train to Yakima for SteamFest '90 on what was then the Washington Central RR. I had lighting assistance from a friendly fellow photographer who I can not give credit to, since I never got his name!!!! The weekend before the 4449 did the same runs between Yakima and Ellensburg up the Yakima Canyon(or Canon if you prefer...). Also joining the fun was the Great Western 51 that was leased to the Toppenish Railroad. She was burning coal at the time, and set quite a few brush fires, prompting a conversion to burn oil.

What a great 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steampower

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In response to my own thread, here is the 4449 in Yakima, the weekend before at 10PM at night. Natural light this time, ASA200- roughly f5.6 for about 30 seconds. We rode behind her the week before from Portland to Kennewick, then to Cle Elum the next day with 2 spectacular runbys in the upper Yakima Canyon on the Washington Central(ex BN-ex NP). The wye in Cle Elum was still in place. Both the 4449 and the 700 along with Great Western 51 turned on that wye, which is now gone...

I will continue this series later with daytime shots. To have 2 weeks of mainline steam with 2 magnificent engines was(and will) probably never be repeated in Washington...

Steampower

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The Spirit of Washington dinner train behind steam was a great attraction. What I remember best was the night before a dinner train run, we came up from Central Oregon, somewhat late at night. It was fairly dark, and when we got north of Wapato, when we noticed a semaphore had just changed to yellow. So, we decided to wait to see what was coming. About 10 minutes later, a light appeared with steam. What a sight to see the 700 spliting semaphores at night. Just the way the NP A-3's did.

Russell
SD9E

Leaving Yakima soon!

Steampower, thanks for posting that photo of the 700. That's certainly the finest one I've ever seen of it in that paint scheme. It's too bad it didn't have the current herald (photo below) on the tender.

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Steampower:

You've got my vote for the night shot of the week!

The flash illumination adds some real details (and not all of the glare from natural light) to a night scene. I can see why this has been so popular over the years.

redberan4449