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Strasburg sunrise steam freights (photos)

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  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 61 posts
Strasburg sunrise steam freights (photos)
Posted by mfmalk on Thursday, September 6, 2012 6:21 AM

http://www.losttracksoftime.com/p47324941

All,

This summer the Strasburg Railroad has been running regularly scheduled freight revenue service pulled by a steam locomotive.
For the last four weeks I’ve dragged myself out of bed at 3am, follow the above link to my photos - click on "Slideshow" at the top right of the screen.
See you there this Friday morning?

Matthew

 

  • Member since
    August 2010
  • From: Henrico, VA
  • 8,955 posts
Posted by Firelock76 on Thursday, September 6, 2012 8:12 PM

My God, those photographs are STUNNING!  It's like time stopped at Strasburg in 1919, and all the magic and mystery of old-time steam is alive and well.  Well done, well done indeed!  

  • Member since
    July 2011
  • From: Trade City, Pa
  • 121 posts
Posted by Rikers Yard on Friday, September 7, 2012 7:15 PM

As me Mum used to say "You done good". Thanks, they are beautiful !

      Tim

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: US
  • 6 posts
Posted by curt1124 on Monday, September 10, 2012 3:41 PM

Tried to follow your link and I got this:

Invalid URL The requested URL "/p47324941", is invalid.

Reference #9.7ea01160.1347309568.1c24e8d3

Any suggestions?

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 61 posts
Posted by mfmalk on Monday, September 10, 2012 6:34 PM

I just tried my link on 2 different computers, it worked properly on both.

Matthew

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: US
  • 6 posts
Posted by curt1124 on Monday, September 10, 2012 6:48 PM

I tried again without changing anything and it worked. Great shots! Back in the 1960s I fired number 90 one summer. Awesome experience. There are some guys who posted some videos on Youtube of the morning freights they're doing now. You might enjoy them if you haven't already seen them.

Thanks again,

Curt

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 61 posts
Posted by mfmalk on Monday, September 10, 2012 8:05 PM

Strasburg is an amazing place, one of my favorites to visit - every time I venture out with camera in hand it produces; any month of the year.

Thank you Curt, as well as the others who have left comments or sent emails - your words are all very much appreciated.

Matthew

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • 399 posts
Posted by seppburgh2 on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 6:52 PM

WOW!  You've captured the feel of steam in the morning.  What camera did you use and were the pictures enhanced.  My two cents, worthy of publication on a future issue of Trains!

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 61 posts
Posted by mfmalk on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 6:07 AM

The majority of the photos were taken with a Canon 5D MkIII and 70-200mm/F4.0 lens.

A few were with a Canon 5D MkII and 24-70mm/F2.8 – the very last photo was taken with my ageless wonder: Canon EOS-1DS (2003!) with a 50mm/F1.4 prime.

All were on a tripod.

 

On an individual image, overlay your mouse on the upper right corner, on the letter “I”.

A pop-up of the camera specs and EIXF data will appear.

 

Every single photo on my website goes through Photoshop before being posted. These required very minimal tweaking - mainly cropping, and contrast/brightness.

 

Matthew

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 6:20 AM

Neat stuff!  Thanks for sharing it.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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    July 2006
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Posted by ConwayScenic on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 9:17 AM

Matthew:

     I just now finished looking at your picks. Outstanding. Great job. Normally I do not write in forums, but to not say something about these great photos would have been wrong. What makes these pictures so great is your passion. It's one thing to take the time and shoot wonderful images, which is what you did, but to get up in the wee hours of the morning to be on location to shoot these wonderful Iron Steads of the rails is just fantastic. You are to be commended my friend for a job well done. I thoroughly enjoyed your set of pictures. Have a great day and Happy Hunting with your camera.

                                                                                                                      John

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 61 posts
Posted by mfmalk on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 8:55 PM

John,

I truly appreciate your words, thank you.

I passionate hobbyist photographer is how I describe myself – you picked up on the passion in my efforts. Amazing how I could probably never drag myself out of bed to go to work at 3am, but when that alarm clock goes off and the camera bag is waiting for me, I can’t get out of the house fast enough. All of a sudden a shower is a hindrance!

And to touch on what I feel is the other half of the hobby, I thoroughly enjoy being in Photoshop tweaking the images as much as I do being out in the field with the cameras in hand. It’s my release, my escape, from the real world – it takes me back and away to another time.

Keep checking in, I’m headed out the door again soon, both back to Strasburg and other places, both familiar surroundings and new locations.

Matthew

  • Member since
    December 2011
  • From: Bradford County, PA
  • 1,319 posts
Posted by Lehigh Valley 2089 on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 7:02 PM

Terrific shots! I am really looking to get back to Strasburg when I can. 

The Lehigh Valley Railroad, the Route of the Black Diamond Express, John Wilkes and Maple Leaf.

-Jake, modeling the Barclay, Towanda & Susquehanna.

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