Digging into the archives, here’s one from 2010. Winter 2010 saw fresh snow on the ground for a photo charter on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. At that time we were celebrating Mr. Helmstetter’s new barn which was built with the help of railfans to replace the one he lost in a tragic fire the previous summer.
Hard to believe its been 13 years already.
Happy Friday!
Standing in the roundhouse in June of 2018, as I took this photo of a sunbeam illuminating #16’s pilot, I never thought I’d see the day that a steam locomotive would move under its own power at the East Broad Top Railroad.
Happily, I was wrong. On Wednesday February 1st, 2023, Locomotive #16 moved under its own power for the first time in 67 years! Congratulations to the entire team at the East Broad Top Railroad on a job well done!
Happy Friday!
A fixture in the Baltimore skyline since 1951, the Domino Sugars sign is classic Baltimore. When Domino announced that they were going to replace the aging neon sign with LED, I made a trip to photograph the sign while it retained its original neon.
Happy Friday!
The belt driven machinery of a former flour and feed mill rest silently during an Abandoned America photo tour. Thankfully, unlike some of the other abandoned sites I’ve visited, this one is being maintained and preserved for the future.
Happy Friday!
The last time the rotary was used to remove snow on the Cumbres & Toltec was May of 1997, so when I saw the announcement over Easter weekend of 2019 that the railroad was planning to run the rotary again in 2020, I instantly emailed to get on the ticket waiting list. This was going to be the charter to attend in 2020!
For those not familiar with snow fighting operations on a railroad, small to medium amounts of snow are typically removed with pilot mounted snow plows or larger plows pushed by locomotives. Often spreaders are used to widen the clearances between the rolling stock and the walls of snow on either side of the tracks. Flangers are used to clear the snow from between the rails. When the snow is too deep for plows, flangers and spreaders, you call the rotary; a snow blower on rails.
During the common carrier days of the D&RGW, rotary plows were strategically stationed four rotary snow plows, OO, ON, OM & OY where heavy snow frequently occurred. Today only OM & OY survive. Rotary OY was typically based out of Alamosa and cleared snow east of Cumbers Pass. For this trip, it was running out of Chama, traditionally Rotary OM’s territory.
Less than a week after this event occurred, the world shut down due to the COVID 19 pandemic. How lucky we were to get to see the greatest show on rails!
The rotary exits the narrows on the way to Lobato Trestle:
Stopped momentarily at Hwy 17 Crossing:
The photoline observes the rotary in action:
Rounding Orgasm Curve:
Cresting the top of Cumbres Pass:
In February 2020, the Cumbres & Toltec hosted a special photo charter featuring Rotary Snow Plow OY. This was the first time the railroad had run the rotary since the 1990’s so it was a special event; it was the greatest show on rails.
Check back on Tuesday for a trip report.
Happy Friday!
This past June I had the privilege of attending the Mid Atlantic Air Museum’s WWII Weekend with a couple of friends who always inspire me to be a better photographer. To Pete, Matthew, and Mark, thank you for allowing me to shoot with you for the weekend. Also thanks to John for saving me a seat on the flight line for the airshow. Last but not least, Thank you to Dave for inviting me to hang out in the Cafe.
Photographing people is not something that comes naturally to me. But I learned a couple of things from following Pete, Matthew and Mark around for the weekend. First, for the candid shots, it’s all about being in the right spot at the right time. Anticipating the moment is going to take some practice. Second, reenactors are incredibly kind people. When it comes to posed shots they’ll usually say yes when asked.
I finally editing all the photos from last June’s WWII Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. Look for a trip report on Tuesday.
Happy Friday!
A little ground fog appeared in the basement of the Klotz Throwing Company after a brief rain shower during the June Abandoned America Workshop. One of those right place, right time type of moments. I hope to see Klotz again, but given the roof condition this year, I’m fearful that I’ve made my last visit.
Look for a trip report on Tuesday.
Happy Friday!
