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From my college dorm room 40+ years ago, cassette tape deck and all. [Nikon EL-2]

Cell towers too make me crazy, with the hard vertical line they create in a composition. 😑

I think that the decision on what option to use should also include the quantity of slides at hand. I had thousands, so having to load, focus and shoot each slide would have taken months, maybe years. Remember too that scanning them is only just the beginning, as they'll all require editing to...

Yesterday, NS hit an SUV in our area after the motorist ignored the grade crossing signals. Driver survives, but got banged up pretty bad and their vehicle is now scrap metal. I don't understand the mentality that decides that risking their life is worth saving a few minutes.

Wow, that's a nice shot with the fall colors worked in. Hinton Train Days in 2024 are October 11/12/13. Looks like a lot of fun! (y)

Thank you. One of the few smart things I did while scanning was to keep the initial unadulterated scan file. That way, as my skills improve, I can always start again from scratch and not overwork an edited version.

Speaking of better times in railroading, I came across this one from Opeilka, AL taken 05/25/1985 with my 50mm. This is a southbound on the former CofG crossing the former WRofA main at the station. I miss the joy of discovery back then when there were more things to be found and more trains...

Thank you. Yes on the 50mm - short length, light, perfect perspective and fast. I had the same lens as you on my Nikkormat FTn and it was my only lens for many years. At times I think I should buy a 35mm for my DX to replicate what I had, but I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of it. I...

That's a fine shot and it's great that you've been able to coax the Tamron back to life. Sometime in the early 1980s I dropped my Dad's Nikon EL-2 that he'd loaned me. I wrapped the camera in my down jacket to keep it cushioned in my car's trunk. At the next stop, I forgot about the camera...

Ends up that I shot it with my Nikkor 50mm. I took several slides there that day. This one below was the first as the train approached, then I swung down to get a close up of the locomotive. I also shot the caboose bringing up the rear and the freight depot (partially seen in the slide...

Thank you. These were shot from highway bridges. I'm selective about standing on these though, never leaving myself vulnerable to vehicles passing by. A sidewalk or guard rail is a necessity for safety. Also, some bridge views are spoiled by power wires strung alongside or fencing.

Your finding of CSX's Honoring Our First Responders locomotive was a treat and thanks for posting your picture. I think it's great that the railroads are creating special paint jobs on locomotives; I hope the public notices them.

More recently, CSX has standardized on a nice yellow nose/dark blue scheme as seen in some of @crashton's photos and here. [Columbia SC 07/09/2022, Nikon D5100]

CSX eventually settled on variations of its "Yellow Nose" scheme, which were attractive and practical. [Monroe, NC 07/11/1998, Nikon N2020, Kodachrome]

This was another variant, somewhat improved with blue trim. [Georgiana AL, 06/18/1988, Nikon N2020, Kodachrome]

Decades ago, CSX experimented with numerous paint schemes, including an all gray one that became known as the "Stealth" scheme because of its invisibility in the fog and rain. Its lifespan was mercifully short. Here are two "stealth" units on the point of a grain train. [Shenandoah Jct. WV...

The PRR's position light signals came in a small size too, known as a dwarf signals. These were usually placed for better visibility by crews at sidings and some yard tracks. High signals as seen in the background are actually aimed at a higher elevation so that the light will strike an...

As the years passed, Amtrak did improve its image. Here's a snazzy-looking Metroliner train in January 1981 at Princeton Jct. I think I was shooting with my Dad's Nikon EL-2 here. This scene is very much changed today, with a new station, high level platforms, new signals and new trains...

Glad you're enjoying it. (y) I guess it's a sign of my increasing age, but railroading was a lot more interesting decades ago.

From 07/20/1976 at Princeton Jct., NJ when Amtrak was just over five years old, these Metroliners were just seven years old and I was just a teenager. [Nikkormat FTn, Nikkor 50mm, Plus-X, processed in basement darkroom]