Photo by Tom Steiner
Photo by Bill Grady 
Photo by Bill Grady 
Photo by Bill Thomas 
Photo by Cooper Smith 
Photo by Ricky Bivins 
Photo by Ricky Bivins 
Photo by Tom Stiner 
Photo by Will Kling
Photo by Tom Steiner
Day: November 25, 2020
Photo by Tom Steiner
The engineer has just opened the throttle to get underway. When an operating steam engine sits, unmoved for any period of time condensation builds in the cylinders. Steam and air can compress, water and vapor cannot. So, when the train is to be moved the engineer must open the cylinder cocks at the bottom of the piston chamber and let the movement of the piston drive out the moisture. Obviously, it is not a safe place to observe, note the seagull scrambling to exit the scene.
In the picture, the Great Northern mallet # 2050 is exiting Interbay Yard in Seattle, with a long freight. Snow in Seattle is not rare, rather, just an annoyance to be dealt with. Having snow and cold temps does enhance the drama of steam and smoke, however.
That’s Queen Anne hill in the background, with city center beyond. Soon this freight will cross Bridge #4, over the Lake Washington Ship Canal trekking north along Puget Sound. Its destination could be Stevens Pass and points east, or continue north to Bellingham or Vancouver, B.C.
Our two oldest kids learned how to count watching slow moving boxcars from this same vantage point. We lived in nearby Ballard in ’61 & 62. All diesel by then, darn.
Credits: Hall Will Collection, Museum of History & Science, Seattle
Submitted by Gary Ostlund
Shooting trains at night can be troublesome so I here’s a few tips on shooting at night using manual settings. You can also shoot on auto, but you’ll get better results if you use manual as the headlights from a train can “fool” your camera on auto. Also, many folks photograph trains at night using flash, but that’s another ball of wax and involves a lot more work and I won’t be covering that in this article.
First and foremost are two things. Use a tripod and turn off your VR on your camera or lens, otherwise when shooting it can cause blurry images when shooting on a tripod. If your gear doesn’t have it then you don’t need to worry. This applies if you’re using a tripod.
For best results use the fastest lens you have with the fastest shutter speed. if you are hand holding also use the highest ISO you can, but no higher than you must, and when hand holding use the VR if you have it. It’s also a good idea to brace yourself against something to help hold the camera steady when hand holding at night.
Shoot a test exposure based on what the camera tells you. If it’s too dark, increase the exposure, too light, decrease it.
Join other night photography groups on Facebook so you can see what other people are doing and how.
Use the self-timer when possible when shooting at tight. It helps eliminate camera shake from when you press the shutter. Better still, get an electronic cable release.
Learn to manually focus your camera. Auto focus at night can be troublesome.
If your camera has a setting for Locking the mirror up before taking your picture, then use it. When shooting at night, sometimes the slap of the mirror can cause camera shake.
Pop over to YouTube and watch videos on shooting at night. There’s a wealth of them available and free!
Here’s a few good ones.
Here’s some articles on the subject as well:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/railways-at-night-pictures/index.html
https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/when-steam-locomotion-ground-to-a-halt/
Night photography of trains and railroads can be very dramatic and enjoyable, but it can take time along with some trial and error till you get used to it, but very rewarding. When trackside at night or anytime always remember to be safe!!
I lucked out with a friend at Fortner Gas here in Madisonville. He let me know about the spur upgrade so I could get some shots. Just a few days after it was completed, I caught the local headed that way with some loaded tankers and got the switching action on camera. The cab shot in the trackmobile was a surprise bonus for me! Fortner has become a regional supplier of propane with this new transloading facility across from the Madisonville Industrial Park off Hwy 41A in Madisonville, Ky.
Notice the little touch of re-engineering on 4302’s panel door above! Yes, I got to couple up to the tank car and blow the horn! – Photos by Bill Thomas
Our 2021 Chapter Calendar is now available for purchase! Click on the link below to purchase a copy directly via online. The front features the third place winners from our yearly chapter contest winners and the interior features the 1st and 2nd place winners for the year. Since we didn’t have a November meeting and won’t have another till hopefully January 2021 it’s best that you order your calendar via online. If you prefer not to order online you may email the chapter at info@westkentuckynrhs.org and request one via our treasurer, Bill Farrell. With COVID, online ordering is the safest and quickest way to get your copy of the calendar.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR CALENDAR TODAY!
Below are images that show what the calendar pictures looks like.
Front 
Back