Hello! Monday’s e-mail newsletter is about photographing railroads before they’re gone or undergo drastic changes. Scott Lothes from the Center for Railroad Photography & Art has made his list, but we want to hear from you! What are your predictions? If you’ve already stayed two steps ahead of the wrecking ball, then post a link to your photo here. Photos taken after July 19, 2010, may be featured in a future newsletter story. Please stay tuned for Monday’s newsletter! Have a nice weekend.
Predictions about what?
I apologize if I was not being clear. We would like you to predict what railroad subjects you think should be captured on film (or digitally) before they change or vanish completely. Topics might include branch lines, commodities traffic, technology, locomotive types. The list is endless. Then, if you’d like, include a link to a photo you’ve taken to illustrate the concept. Photos taken after July 19, 2010, could be featured in a future Web story. Or, you can wait until Monday to read Mr. Lothes’ predictions for some inspiration.
Umm, ya, I replied to thread about 6 months ago, but it was closed by the moderators just after my reply. It was a taboo subject not to be discussed in this forum. As a student at the Univ. Of Montana in the mid-60’s I road freights – in the cab, in the caboose, and ya, in boxcars. I rode all over – from Missoula to Spokane, Seattle, Helena, and and even up the NP branch to Wallace, ID via MILW trackage rights – in a blinding snowstom. I was always welcomed by all railroaders, dispatchers, engineers, conductors, et al, and was in the caboose for a good portion of that ride over Lookout Pass and down MILW trackage along the St. Regis River. I have many slides of that era that are priceless to me, but that subject is not to be mentioned here at all. Some photos of my riding were published on Altamont Press, but it not here. Sorry for the loss. I see stories here of fans being afraid to look at dates stamped on old rail for fear of being arrested for trespass, and that makes me sick. A bygone era? Ya.
BNSF is replacing a lot of old signal bridges and targets with new bridges and “L” shaped signals on its Transcon route. The old signal bridge in Emporia, KS, which dates from the late 1970s to early 1980s (ATSF), will be soon removed. New signal mast is in place and soon will be activated.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2150023
Regards,
Russell Honey
Engineer, conductor in locomotives. Eventually Positive Train Control, grade seperations and technology will result in un-staffed remote operated trains. For same reason, line side signals.
Angela:-
The remnant of the C.& N.W. “Cowboy Line” east of Chadron, Nebr. to Merriman, Nebr. seems to be a one commodity railroad that isn’t long for this world.
And, of course, there’s the nagging question of what’s to become of the Union Pacific’s (nee D.& R.G.W.'s) Tennessee Pass Subdivision in Colorado. A portion of the line at the east end is operated by the Rio Grande Scenic (?) and an outfit called “Rock-n-Rail,” but there’s quite a few miles of heavy welded rail and forlorn C.T.C. signals that are just rusting away.
A couple of weeks ago I drove along the San Luis & Rio Grande’s line west out of Alamosa, Colo. The track looked to be in pretty good shape and I did see a crew switching the San Luis Central interchange at Monte Vista. West of Monte Vista the track is still there, but it doesn’t appear there’s any business. In fact at South Fork, Colorado, aspen saplings seem to be taking root between the crossties. Not a good sign.
Lastly I’ve read on this website and elsewhere that the Santa Fe Southern, a shortline spinoff connecting the New Mexico state capital city with the BNSF connection at Lamy, NM, isn’t doing too well either.
Later, 07/27 @ 1900 CDT.
West of Monte Vista, Colorado I did see some rotary-dump “coal buckets” in storage. Also in storage were quite a few white, well-insulated CORX tank cars that used to haul beer concentrate from some brewery in Golden, Colo. to a bottling plant in Virginia.
May not be too exciting, but here is an example of railroad crossing sign changes and something which is not likely to last forever.
Emporia, VA is one of two places where I had seen “button copy” railroad crossing signs (the other is Vineland, NJ. If you aren’t familiar with road signs, “button copy” was an early way to improve night visibility by placing metal buttons within the writing of signs that would reflect headlights. My understanding is that Button Copy signs were primarily placed in the 1950s and 1960s and have largely been replaced by reflective paint or relfective sign backing which improves night visibility.
Here is a close up picture of one of the button copy signs in Emporia - http://penncentral2002.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1205925 which would have been taken sometime during 2007 or 2008. Here is another close up which is very good at showing the buttons - http://penncentral2002.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1336719 from December of 2007. Here is a more distant shot of the same sign - http://penncentral2002.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1205924
Emporia also had something which I have never seen anyplace else - a black background on a RR crossing sign - unfortunately since I generally stopped by there in the afternoon and it was directly facing the sun at that time, I never did get a good shot of it.
Now on October 17, 2009 I stopped by Emporia and this is what I saw: http://penncentral2002.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2151334