Remarks:Gone but not Forgotten! Dust can bee seen filling the air, as an open door lets the morning light beam into the old snow shed that was once part of the original mainline built through Donner Pass by the Central Pacific Railroad.
Remarks:Steam on Donner Pass! While many people chose to take the standard shot of the Union Pacific Heritage Tour special at Switch #9 near Emigrant Gap, California, one of Northern California's Master photographers, Kevin Dorn and I decided to get a bit more elevation. After finding out about a spot from Justin Tognetti, we hiked up a ways to this new vantage point which allowed us to capture the train, the scenery of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and all the on-lookers who were there to see the 844 and her train.
Remarks: It is 5:29AM, and the sun is rising. Yet, in the depths of the Feather River Canyon, the shadows are deep and dark. For this shot I had to boost the ISO in the camera to 1600 ISO in order to stop the train and get the shot. The train is a rerouted BNSF trackage-rights train, Stockton to Denver manifest that has been routed through the Canyon due to Donner Pass tunnel and track work.
Remarks:Mother Flanger! It is 5PM, the temperature is 19 degrees. I've been waiting on the flanger set for about 30 minutes with fellow photographer JM. The snow is steadily falling due to a massive storm and we are freezing. Just as we are about to call it quits, one of the most wonderful sights on the railroad comes into view. The flanger set kicking up snow, creating a snow cloud in its wake. The best part of this was being covered in snow after the shot!
Remarks:Alpine Steam in America! UP 844 begins her trip up through the Truckee River Valley on her way to Roseville, California for UP's Heritage Tour celebrating the anniversaries of Roseville Yard and the Western Pacific Railroad. From this vantage point in Verdi, the structures in the background remind me of an Alpine Village in Europe.
