Waking up tiny McEwen. With loud hiss from her cylinder cocks and a throaty bark from her stack, Sumpter Valley Railway #19 pulls away from the water tank in the tiny hamlet of McEwen, Oregon, on a rather cold October morning. Back in the early part of the 20th century, McEwen was just another en route stop on the original Sumpter Valley Railway, which stretched from Baker City, west to Prairie City, a distance of some 80 miles. Today, McEwen is the base of operations for the re-born Sumpter Valley Railroad, featuring not only a lineside depot and water tank, but also, a freight yard, car shops and engine servicing facilities.
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.
