Through The Lens 181 – Mr. Helmstetter’s Barn

Mr. Helmstetter's New Barn

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!

Oregon Trip Report 2018 – Part 2

Smith Lake Reflections

Continuing from last week’s Oregon Trip Report Part 1, The second morning of the trip starts in the small fishing village of Garabaldi, which is home to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, for a Martin Hansen photo charter with the Polson Logging #2 pulling a log train and the McCloud #25 on a mixed freight. We covered a good portion of the line, stopping in several scenic locations including Garabaldi Pier:

Garabaldi Pier

Second Nehalem River Bridge:

Second Nehalem River Bridge

Hathaway Slough Trestle:

Hathaway Slough Trestle

Stasek Slough Trestle:

Stasek Slough Trestle

Three Graces:

Three Graces

and back to Smith Lake for the night session:

Smith Lake Blue Hour

Thanks again to Martin for putting on an excellent charter and also to Pete Lerro for leading the night session!

Look for Part 3, next Tuesday.

Trip Report – Locust Heights & Western

As I mentioned in last week’s post, I recently attended a photo charter on the Locust Heights & Western Railroad in Clarksburg, WV.  The LH&W RR is a “backyard” railroad built by the late Keith Mason along with his family and friends.  Today the Mason Family and their dedicated team of volunteers keep Mr. Mason’s passion for railroading alive, operating most Wednesday evenings from June through October.

The LH&W RR has been on my photography “to do” list for several years, so I jumped at the opportunity to attend a photo charter, especially with the proceeds going toward the cost of recently completed boiler repairs.  Charter organizers, Matt Wilson and Walter Scriptunas, put on a great combination of daytime runbys and a night photo session.  The Mason Family and Railroad Volunteers even dressed the part, allowing the charter participants to make some timeless images.

The Flats:

First Crossing:

Lumberjacks:

The Woods:

Feeding the Fire:

Late night in the Yard:

Night Session Outtake:

Thanks again, to Matt, Walter, The Mason Family and the dedicated team of volunteers that keep this wonderful place running!  I had a great time and I’m looking forward to the next one.