Sunrise in old Virginia. One of the better places in the entire US to photograph steam locomotives right at sunrise is Pennsylvania's Strasburg Rail Road, and the perfect spot is here, in the Fairview section of the line. Of course, the normal tourist trains don't run at sunrise, so a charter or special event is required. Here, we see Norfolk & Western J-Class Locomotive #611, hauling a freight consist, just as the sun clears the horizon in Lancaster County. The special event in this case is the 2019 "Reunion of Steam", which featured the last two operable N&W steam locomotives, the 611, and M-Class "Mollie" #475. Yes, it's Pennsylvania in 2019, but with a little imagination, it could easily be the eastern plains of Virginia in the late 1950s.
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.
