A rather cold golden hour. The warm glow of the freshly risen sun does its best to mask the fact that it's a chilly 20 degrees F in beautiful (but remote) McEwen, Oregon. Which clear skies and very little wind, the air temperature in tiny McEwen has dropped rather precipitously overnight, making for some tall, dense plumes of steam as Sumpter Valley's two active locomotives undergo their final servicing at the tank, before departing on today's photo event.
In the course of reviewing photos of this line, narrow gauge steam enthusiasts may be confused at seeing references to the Sumpter Valley RailWAY and the Sumpter Valley RailROAD.....and you probably wonder which is correct. The Sumpter Valley Railway was the original line, first started in 1890 and torn up about 1947. That line went all the way from Baker City to Prairie City, a distance of about 80 miles. The Sumpter Valley Railroad is the re-creation line, started about 1975 and built more or less on original right of way. It runs from the little hamlet of McEwen, seen here, west to Sumpter, which is a distance of just about 5 miles. The current operation is a bit of a cross between a tourist railroad and a museum, not unlike the narrow gauge lines in Colorado. Like most tourist lines, it begins operation in the spring, and runs until just before Christmas, shutting down during the coldest months. It's a bit remote, but well worth a visit. It also photographs amazingly well.
Landscape photography is difficult due to the challenge of combining good light and good scenery. Good railroad photography enters another level of complexity since it requires the first two while there is a train in view.
