B&O Old Main Line Photos - FAQ
B&O Photo Tours - FAQ
Below are Frequently Asked Questions about my photo pages. Your comments and questions are welcome.
Send them to Steve.
Why did you create these pages?
After reading Herbert Harwood's Impossible Challenge and Impossible
Challenge II books about the history of the B&O in Maryland, I wanted
to see some of the things he described. His books include many photos,
but I wanted to see more, and searching on the Web during the 1990s
turned up very little.
But, there are lots of railroad pictures on the Web...
That's true. But, there are also lots of railroads in the world,
not just the B&O and CSX. Plus, most of the pictures I found were of
trains, and I was interested in both the trains and the historic
structures.
What else is different about your photo pages?
I want to share what I've learned, and therefore include a description
with each photo I post. While an expert railfan might immediately
recognize the significance of a photo, even without a description, I
realized I was unable to do so when viewing many of the other train
pictures found on the Web. So, there are probably many
novice railfans Out There who find descriptions helpful.
Why isn't the page content fancier, with automated comments and such?
Maybe it will get there someday, for now this works. I'd like to avoid
the Weber Principle: "Every Web Site's Complexity Tends to Rise to a
Level of Browser Incompatibility." This is akin to
the Peter Principle.
Do you make money from this site, such as from the ads at top?
No. The ads at the top of each page are inserted by trainweb.org in
exchange for providing free Web hosting space for all these pictures.
What equipment do you use?
Prior to 2001, most of these photos were captured with a Nikon 6006 with Tamron
autofocus 28-200 zoom. Most of the time, I used Kodak 800 speed color print film,
and scanned the resulting prints with an HP ScanJet 5100C. Since December 2000,
most pictures you see here were taken with a Sony Mavica FD-95 digital camera (10x
zoom). In 2005 I upgraded to a Sony H2 (12x zoom). I'm sure there is better
equipment available, but for my level ("experienced amateur") and budget this
combination seems to work just fine.
Isn't it dangerous obtaining these photos?
It's certainly dangerous if you do stupid things. Your life is
never worth a photo, no matter how perfect the shot. There are
two main concerns: the trains, and the area. You must have a healthy
respect for the trains. At first it might seem that walking across
the tracks is like crossing a street, but, there are many differences.
1) Trains are less common than autos, and therefore an empty track
gives the false impression of an unused track. Don't become
complacent! Watch, look, listen, be on constant guard. 2) Trains
often move faster than autos. They can be upon you before you know
it. 3) Trains cannot stop like autos. YOU have to get out of the
way. Don't become a statistic: act responsibly, obey all signage,
don't do stupid things. Beware: some trackage within this region
hosts high speed Amtrak trains. They are so quiet, and travel so
fast (around 100 mph) they can be upon you seemingly out of nowhere.
My advice is to stay clear!
What about dangerous areas?
Many railroad routes are through older, often poorer sections of
town. Venturing into these areas, alone, carrying valuable photo
equipment is just asking for trouble. Bring a buddy, go during the
day, and don't get out of your car if you are uncomfortable with
the setting. In rural areas you need to be watchful as well: there
are potential dangers from things like snakes and tick bites (from
which you can contract Lyme disease).
Can I walk through tunnels and cross bridges?
That would be very dangerous and I strongly recommend against
taking chances like that. Being anywhere near the trains carries a
risk, so keep a safe distance and stay alert. Always respect private
property and obey signage. Stations, crossings and overpasses are probably
the best spots from which to railfan. If you choose to venture into the
areas seen at this site, remember that you alone are responsible
for your actions. Each year many people are severely injured or killed
because they were careless and did not heed warnings like
the ones here. Don't become such a statistic.
Any photography tips?
Lighting is the most important factor. Shooting fast moving
objects in dim light, or shadows, rarely produces good results. Many
trains and/or equipment are of a dark color, and you need bright sun
to bring out the details. My favorite is the day after a cold
frontal passage: the sky will be blue with possibly some puffy
cumulus clouds and minimal haze. Keep the sun at your back. A
polarizing filter will help bring out the sky color. Around here,
I'd estimate that just one day per month is very good for train
photos.
What season is best for train photography?
Each season has it own special qualities. Spring has many
bright, crisp, sunny days with comfortable temperatures. Vegetation
often is in flower or has pastel shades. Summer is good for green
backdrops, particularly if you want the trees to hide something ugly
in the vicinity. I was pleasantly surprised by my autumn photos: the
vivid colors really added something. Winter is the only time
you can capture snowy scenes, plus it's the time to get shots that
are otherwise obscured by deciduous vegetation.
What about cameras?
The better quality digital cameras are finally equalling the film
cameras. IMO, there are two essentials: lots of zoom (10x or more),
and little shutter lag (the time between pressing the shutter button
and when the picture is actually snapped). The former lets you
stay clear of the trains but obtain pictures like you were close.
The latter makes it easier to snap pictures of moving trains.
How do you organize your photos?
Most of my photos are now digital. After extraction from the camera
I rename them according to the milepost location and compass direction of
view. So, for example, a photo snapped along the Old Main Line at mile 11.4
looking west gets renamed 114wDescription.jpg and placed in a folder named
OML. This milepost renaming method allows for future viewing in order:
flipping through the photos in name sequence produces a visual experience
similar to riding along via train.
Find any unusual photos?
While searching the Library of Congress site for old railroad photos,
by serendipity I found one with a "ghost" at the former Canada Dry
bottling factory in Silver Spring. The LoC stuff tends to be obsessively
detailed and exacting, which is why this is surprising. It's got to be
some sort of photograph reproduction artifact. At right center, there
appears to be a man wearing a winter coat and hat, facing away from
the camera. Check it out yourself:
Canada Dry Ghost.
What are those letter/number train designations I hear about?
Symbols like K141 and Q347 are CSX's way of identifying a run of a train.
Here's a list.
Do you guide tours?
No, sorry, I don't. If you want to easily see the Washingon Branch,
ride a Camden Line MARC train. For the OML, check with the National Railway
Historical Society's DC Chapter;
in some years they operate a passenger charter during the autumn.
Is railfanning dead due to security issues?
Only if we let that happen. Many generations before us have fought
for the freedoms we cherish in the USA. We can't let their efforts be
for naught because a few want to take those freedoms away. If we let
that happen, then we've lost.
Any other reason for these pages?
I need photos for use in train-themed computer games I design.
One such game is named Rail Baron. You can
read more about it and
download a trial copy if you like.
How did you first get interested in trains?
It was probably due to a friend introducing me to a train-themed
board game in college. As a kid, I didn't have much interest
in trains, despite growing up just two city blocks from the New York
Connecting Railroad in Middle Village. But since the trains were
largely out of sight, they were easy to ignore and
never caught my interest at the time;
here's a view.
Anybody from there who wants to share memories should
email me
.
Anything else?
If you visit any of the actual locations, follow the hiker's creed:
take only photos, leave only footprints.
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