[MrB]

When I first saw the title of a concurrent thread, "Virginia Rail", the immediate thought was that I had taken a couple of shots of that during last year, so I searched for them and found them on the hard drive.

But when I opened that thread, I realised my error in misreading the title!

Having found them, I decided to post my two photos and, since there didn't seem to be a suitable thread, I have started this new one. Please add to it with any of your photos of railways, locomotives, carriages, stations, signal boxes, rail personnel, etc.

Comments and critique are welcome and expected.

Virgin Rail 1:
   
[Pentax K-5 II; ISO 160; 50mm prime lens; f/5.6; 1/250s; +0.7EV; panning shot; edited in PaintShop Pro X8]

Virgin Rail 2:
   
[Pentax K-5 II; ISO 400; 20-40mm zoom at 40mm; f/5.6; 1/640s; edited in PaintShop Pro X8]

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

I too, initially read it as Virgin Rail. Should have gone to Specsavers.

[caveman]

I too, initially read it as Virgin Rail. Should have gone to Specsavers.

[caveman]

I too, initially read it as Virgin Rail. Should have gone to Specsavers.

so did I

[EnglishBob]

I read it as Virginia, but still expected to see trains LOL.

Three from Promontory Point, Utah. The site of the Golden Spike where east met west.

[

[caveman]

https://youtu.be/TFJ3KayeUTc

[MrB]

Three from Promontory Point, Utah. The site of the Golden Spike where east met west.

Wonderful old steam engines, Craig, and well-photographed. My favourite shot is the second - great composition, colours and details.

Thanks for posting.
Cheers.
Philip

[delb0y]

Oh yes, I do like a train thread!

This one's from Didcot Great Western Railway Museum. The photographic group I'm part of had a Sunday outing to Didcot (as you do). Well worth a visit if anyone's in the area.

[Jocko]

Here is one taken on the Strathspey Railway at Boat of Garten.

   
Nikon D80, 1/125 sec, f5.3, ISO 100, 99mm lens equivalent.

[MrB]

Delb0y, although I like and possibly prefer colour photos, there is an appealing timeless/historical feel to monos of old trains and, of course, particularly if they are mainly black and white anyway, and the steam here is great - you can almost hear the deafening hiss!

John, there seems to quite a few of these old diesel railcars around on heritage lines, and this one is nicely framed by the footbridge.

Looking at the buildings would appear to show that both images could do with a slight clockwise rotation.

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

I thought that with mine, but on checking, every building vertical (plus the signal), is vertical. Knowing my one leg shorter than the other photographic technique, it wouldn't have been like that originally, so it was corrected the first time I processed it.

[delb0y]

Delb0y, although I like and possibly prefer colour photos, there is an appealing timeless/historical feel to monos of old trains and, of course, particularly if they are mainly black and white anyway, and the steam here is great - you can almost hear the deafening hiss!

Thanks Philip. I'm actually thinking of concentrating on mono for the moment. Not sure yet - but I'm definitely feeling the need to simplify what I'm doing, both in the photos, and in my photography. Taking out the colour for a while might leave me the space to focus on a few other areas. It's just an idea, and the moment I see some nice colours somewhere I'll probably relent.

Regards
Derek

[MrB]

I thought that with mine, but on checking, every building vertical (plus the signal), is vertical. Knowing my one leg shorter than the other photographic technique, it wouldn't have been like that originally, so it was corrected the first time I processed it.

John, sometimes I find that the feeling of an image is a good guide, and this subtle adjustment of angles just feels right to me:

   

(I actually used the Perspective Correction tool in PSP X8 rather than a Rotation.)

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

I'm sorry, but I do not see any difference. I can see that the carriage door is at a slightly different angle, but unless I download your image and check it in Photoshop (which I do not doubt will confirm a change), I can see no difference in the buildings or overall feel of the image. My eye is obviously not good enough (maybe why every image is squint, straight out of the camera).

[Jocko]

Here are a couple of images of the same loco (Union of South Africa), 35 years apart.
I apologise for the quality of the first. It was very poorly scanned, a number of years ago. What was different about the early shot was the loco was running light, not something you see with steam locos these days.

   

   
Nikon D80, 1/1500 sec, f5.3, ISO 400, 99mm lens equivalent.

[delb0y]

Love both those images, Jocko. The first one is priceless as a record. Imagine trying to sleep in that top corner room of the Royal Hotel!

[Jocko]

The Royal Hotel is now offices, the ruined castle is an architects practice, the factory in the background is now a housing estate and the new build is long since completed!
The photograph was taken from the lounge of my then flat. The first night we moved in I woke up in the night, to the unholy row as a train of coal hoppers, with three diesel locos, slowly crossed the cast iron viaduct. It was an every night occurrence. By the second week I never again heard it. It was a train-spotters dream living there. On a Sunday you would hear a chime whistle and it would be a mad scramble for the camera.

[MrB]

The second is a fine powerful composition, John. I like it as it is (but perhaps consider cloning out those bright lines in the bottom right?), although this image is probably also a good candidate for a dramatic mono conversion.

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

The lines in the right foreground are the stand for the industrial lamp. As most of my shots are for record purposes I tend not to clone out, but I agree, it would be better if the light was not there.
Here is another from days gone by. Back in the early 70's I would regularly take photos along the two mile stretch of footpath, alongside the line from Burntisland to Aberdour. Now all the good vantage points are fenced off, to prevent access, and the bushes have grown into a thick screen.
This image shows a DMU passing Newbiggin signal box (now long gone), on a nice summer's evening.

   

[Jocko]

Here are some more images from the past.

   
   
   

[EnglishBob]

This one is an oddity, it is a deisel powered steam engine. It is also a side piston engine, the pistons are mounted vertically on one side of the boiler (the far side in this picture). This Westside Shay #10 was built in 1928 and weighs in at 84 tons. It was used for hauling timber from the mountains.

   

[EnglishBob]

In this image you can see the three side drive pistons. (sorry for the poor quality).

[MrB]

Here are some more images from the past.

When (roughly) in the past, John?

Cheers.
Philip

[Jocko]

[/quote]

When (roughly) in the past, John?

Cheers.
Philip
[/quote]

The signal is dated July 1970 and the other two are of the same era. It was a golden time for me, photography wise.

[MrB]

In this image you can see the three side drive pistons. (sorry for the poor quality).

That really is a strange beast, Craig - must have been quite a complex drive system. The first photo is very good. Perhaps you might try editing the second towards similar levels of colour saturation, brightness and contrast as the first, and it should also sharpen up a bit.

Cheers.
Philip