A Bit of Redemption

A few days back I stunk up a potential shot of the NS 8102 Pennsylvania Heritage engine on a night run through Jonesborough. The pics were only good enough to serve as proof of a heritage engine sighting but that's all. I hoped it would return on the trip back from Memphis but I also figured the best case it would be trailing. But at least there would be a chance at a better picture, this time with a snow scene for a background - a reasonable trade.

Thanks to some fine folk on the ETRail group on the FaceTube I watched the train's progression from Chattanooga to Jonesborough. The timing worked out great because I could get to a new picture-shooting location on my home from work. Well, as they say ... "the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."

Another nice guy on the FaceTube put me onto this spot earlier in the week, but when I scouted out this location for myself it was a clear sunny morning and the sun was to my left. This time I was looking straight into the sun; nothing but lots of huge monstrous ugly lens flare. Then, while trying to find a way to block the sun from the front of the lens with my hand, I heard the engine's horn blowing at the crossings coming out of Jonesborough.

Time for plan B.

I moved back toward my truck and stood with the camera in the shadow of the RR crossing sign. That fixed the lens flare problem but a stand of trees blocked the angle to the shot that I wanted. Trade-offs.

Anyway, after all the scurrying about, I snapped these two pics of 'the Tuscan Red train with the "Cat Whisker" gold pinstripes' as it began accelerating up the hill toward Johnson City. The sun was setting quickly and there were some decent clouds to add some interest to the sky; consolation since I didn't get to use the angle I wanted.

This is not a new Heritage engine for me, still at 9 of 20, only 11 more.

#1 1069 Virginian
#2 8098 Conrail

#3 8104 Lehigh Valley

#4 1073 Penn Central
#5 8100 Nickel Plate Road

#6 8105 Interstate
#7 8101 Central of Georgia

#8 1070 Wabash

#9 8102 Pennsylvania

Super Bad PRR

For the first time in a couple of months a new Norfolk Southern Heritage engine was passing through Jonesborough. It was going to  pass through after dark, again, so I went to my usual place for nighttime shots: behind the courthouse in downtown Jonesborough.

I had a few minutes to wait so I figured I'd play around with the flash settings and exposures and shooting angles to see if I could coax a picture out of the scene that wasn't just like the others I've shot here. 

Well, it was an unmitigated disaster. You wouldn't think a train could sneak up on you but when my diesel truck is idling, and the courthouse HVAC system is running and a delivery truck is delivering it drowns out the train horns until it's too close to put the camera back to known settings before the train is there. My first clue was when the crossing signals went off ... but it was too late. I set to spinning dials trying desperately to salvage something ... but ... fail.  Such a disservice to the Tuscan Red train featuring the "Cat Whisker" gold pinstripes.

I'm almost embarrassed to publish these pics but they are proof that I saw my ninth Heritage engine and they will serve as impetus to get better pictures to replace them ASAP.

#1 1069 Virginian
#2 8098 Conrail

#3 8104 Lehigh Valley

#4 1073 Penn Central
#5 8100 Nickel Plate Road

#6 8105 Interstate
#7 8101 Central of Georgia

#8 1070 Wabash

#9 8102 Pennsylvania

Valley Girl

The Norfolk Southern Heritage 8104 Lehigh Valley made a rare daylight appearance on 22A. This was the first time I'd seen this engine on the move - the previous time it was parked at Andover.

Since I had time to spare on the trip to my usual spot in downtown Johnson City, and because it was during the daylight hours, I drove slowly along the route, looking for a different spot to shoot. I stopped about 1/4 mile from downtown, near the old Johnson City Depot - soon to become a Tupelo Honey restaurant. The sun was at my back with downtown JC as the backdrop, and I could use some abandoned rail and old signals to add some interest as the train rounded the corner leaving downtown.

NS8104 Heritage, Lehigh Valley, Johnson City, 1/19/2014

I didn't notice until I started editing the pics just how clearly I could see the guy in the cab. He waved as they went by.

NS8104 Heritage, Lehigh Valley, Johnson City, 1/17/2014

This is not a new Heritage engine for me, still at eight of twenty.

#1 1069 Virginian
#2 8098 Conrail 

#3 8104 Lehigh Valley

#4 1073 Penn Central
#5 8100 Nickel Plate Road

#6 8105 Interstate
#7 8101 Central of Georgia

#8 1070 Wabash