W/NW: Trains and Train Stations

[css9450]

This is at the former Amtrak station in Michigan City Indiana (despite the "Arcadia" name on the depot). Amtrak quit using the station about 30 years ago (they moved into an adjacent plexiglass shelter) but they ceased stopping here entirely a couple years ago. The station is vacant and it appeared on the annual "10 Most Endangered Buildings in Indiana" list a few years ago.

A big overnight storm has left the area covered with about 30 inches of fresh snow, supposedly a Michigan City record. As you can expect, I got hammered by the flying snow!

 

[Coldkennels]

Bumped into the Spa Valley Railway in the middle of the countryside getting lost on the walk home. Sadly, I couldn't jump on and get a lift back to town.


(Leica Ic, Voigtlander Super-Wide Heliar, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print ( nikkor h auto 50mm f2) nikkormat ftn

1973

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (color-skopar 50mm f2.5) leica ll

Nijverdal, 2008

 

[x-ray]

I ran across these while driving the backroads near where I live back in the mid 70’s. The old guy that owned them had track around his property and would fire the up and take the kids in his neighborhood for a ride.

 

[Franko]

Hey Xray, the "old guy" was named Morrison. He's gone now and the Shay locomotive (Train 3) belongs to the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad in Santa Cruz, California. I don't know where the 0-4-0 quarry locomotive is. He had about a half mile of track around his land. Disneyland in the backyard for we of the railroad persuasion.

 

[Franko]

View attachment 4830669

Out on the Spa Valley with a Canon IIIa and a pre-war 50/1.5 Zeiss Sonnar via Amedeo; HP5+ in LC29.

Cold kennels, this is a great picture - absolutely timeless.

 

[x-ray]

Hey Xray, the "old guy" was named Morrison. He's gone now and the Shay locomotive (Train 3) belongs to the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad in Santa Cruz, California. I don't know where the 0-4-0 quarry locomotive is. He had about a half mile of track around his land. Disneyland in the backyard for we of the railroad persuasion.

My brother lives in Maryville and talked to someone recently that knew him. I didn’t remember his name but knew he was terminally ill (50 years ago) and had passed. The person my brother talked to said both engines sold but didn’t know where they went.

Thanks for the info. You must be a local too.

 

[x-ray]

Hey Xray, the "old guy" was named Morrison. He's gone now and the Shay locomotive (Train 3) belongs to the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad in Santa Cruz, California. I don't know where the 0-4-0 quarry locomotive is. He had about a half mile of track around his land. Disneyland in the backyard for we of the railroad persuasion.

Not hijacking’s the thread but here are the two steam tractors he had. You probably remember those.

A good friend from college, his wife’s father had a steam locomotive and track in Jamestown on the Cumberland Plateau but I never personally saw it.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (nokton 50mm f1.1) leica mp

Utrecht, 2015

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (nikkor 50mm f1.4) nikon s2

Amsterdam, 2019

 

[Coldkennels]

Cold kennels, this is a great picture - absolutely timeless.

Thanks - I've really been enjoying spending time on and around the local heritage railway of late.

Here's another one of my favourites from that line:


(Leica Ic, pre-war Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 in an Amedeo adapter, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)

This one was taken during their annual beer festival, with huge amounts of local and national beer, cider, and real ale available at every station and on every train. Every time I look at this I'm amazed I managed to make this work after such a large amount of stout - juggling a Weston meter, an accessory rangefinder, and framing properly with a VIOOH was quite the feat!

 

[Franko]

Not hijacking’s the thread but here are the two steam tractors he had. You probably remember those.

A good friend from college, his wife’s father had a steam locomotive and track in Jamestown on the Cumberland Plateau but I never personally saw it.

The fellow in Jamestown also had a Shay that came from the same place Morrison's did, a Ritter lumber operation in Daisy, KY. He also had a Tennessee Central caboose and Alvin York's logging truck.

 

[Franko]

Thanks - I've really been enjoying spending time on and around the local heritage railway of late.

Here's another one of my favourites from that line:

View attachment 4832602
(Leica Ic, pre-war Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 in an Amedeo adapter, Rollei Retro 400S in LC29)

This one was taken during their annual beer festival, with huge amounts of local and national beer, cider, and real ale available at every station and on every train. Every time I look at this I'm amazed I managed to make this work after such a large amount of stout - juggling a Weston meter, an accessory rangefinder, and framing properly with a VIOOH was quite the feat!

I like to use cameras from the steam era for train pictures too, although the 3f and 3a that I use seem positively automatic compared to your rig.

 

[Franko]

Not hijacking’s the thread but here are the two steam tractors he had. You probably remember those.

A good friend from college, his wife’s father had a steam locomotive and track in Jamestown on the Cumberland Plateau but I never personally saw it.

View attachment 4832607View attachment 4832608

 

[x-ray]

View attachment 4832607View attachment 4832608View attachment 4832610View attachment 4832611View attachment 4832612

Was this the the person on the plateau? If so I think his last name was Hilliard. I never met him or saw his train but knew his daughter.

 

[Franko]

The guy by his engine (the same one you photographed) was George Morrison. The other two pictures were on the property of a construction company in Jamestown. The Dixie Mt name on the tender was bogus. It originally said W. M. Ritter Lumber Co, like Morrison's engine did when you saw it.

 

[Coldkennels]

I like to use cameras from the steam era for train pictures too, although the 3f and 3a that I use seem positively automatic compared to your rig.

Typically I do use a IIIf or IIIg; the Ic is normally a wide-angle backup, but doing things truly "old style" with the accessory RF and VF was quite the experience. It's not easy, but I like to think the shot shows it can be done if you're determined enough. It's still faster and easier than doing it with large format, anyway!

View attachment 4832607View attachment 4832608

View attachment 4832611

This shot (of the Dixie Mountain-marked engine) is great. I love the vibe of this.

 

[x-ray]

The guy by his engine (the same one you photographed) was George Morrison. The other two pictures were on the property of a construction company in Jamestown. The Dixie Mt name on the tender was bogus. It originally said W. M. Ritter Lumber Co, like Morrison's engine did when you saw it.

I was wrong about the name of the person on the plateau. I’m pretty certain his last name was Basey. Been a lontvtime, 50 years.

 

[Franko]

My pictures from Jamestown were taken in 1974. I only remember the name of the construction company, Frogg and Williams. The truck in front of that locomotive belonged to Alvin York.