Night Photography – Page 2 – Jim Pearson Photography

Steam Railroading Institute’s 25-ton switcher “Mighty Mouse” diesel sits on the turntable at Owosso, Michigan

Steam Railroading Institute’s 25-ton switcher “Mighty Mouse” diesel sits on the turntable at Owosso, Michigan, as it waits to begin a day of work at Owosso, Michigan on December 16th, 2023.

According to their website, built in the 1940’s by General Electric in Erie, Pennsylvania, this type of locomotive was used in light switching at industrial plants and elevators. The locomotive was last used by an elevator at Shelby, Ohio before being purchased by the Steam Railroading Institute at an auction in 2008. It is the primary switching locomotive in the museum’s yard, and for pulling the 1225 onto the turntable when not under steam. “Mighty Mouse” gets its nickname from a previously added decal on the hood of the locomotive.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @ 10mm, f/3.5, 1/160, ISO 12,800.

Steam Railroading Institute’s Pere Marquette 1225 passes the Carland Elevator at Carland, Michigan

Steam Railroading Institute’s Pere Marquette 1225 passes the Carland Elevator at Carland, Michigan, as they run their last North Pole Express passenger train between Owosso and to the Village of Ashley, Michigan, for their Ashley Country Christmas, on December 17th, 2023. This is considered one of the top locations to photograph the train and thanks to Scott Shields, who set up his lights, we were able to capture the scene at night! The only thing missing was the snow! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

According to their website, Pere Marquette 1225, the largest and most impressive piece in the Steam Railroading Institute’s collection, is one of the largest operating steam locomotives in Michigan. The 1225 was built in October of 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Pere Marquette Railway. It’s part of the National Register of Historic Structures and is renowned for its role in the 2004 Warner Brothers Christmas Classic, THE POLAR EXPRESS™. 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image as well as its sounds to bring the train in the animated film to life!

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 36mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 8000.

Pere Marquette 1225 heads out of Owosso, Michigan at dusk

Pere Marquette 1225 heads out of Owosso, Michigan at dusk with the last North Pole Express excursion between Owosso and the Village of Ashley Country Christmas for the year, on December 17th, 2023.

According to their website, Pere Marquette 1225, the largest and most impressive piece in the Steam Railroading Institute’s collection, is one of the largest operating steam locomotives in Michigan. The 1225 was built in October of 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Pere Marquette Railway. It’s part of the National Register of Historic Structures and is renowned for its role in the 2004 Warner Brothers Christmas Classic, THE POLAR EXPRESS™. 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image as well as its sounds to bring the train in the animated film to life!

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 4500.

Pere Marquette 1225 prepares to pull onto the turntable to start their day at Owosso, Michigan

Pere Marquette 1225 prepares to pull onto the turntable to start their day North Pole Express excursions between Owosso and the Village of Ashley Country Christmas in Michigan, on December 17th, 2023. While I’d normally shoot this scene as a RAW file on my Nikon D810, on this day I was concentrating on video and drone shots. Still, I think my iPhone 14 Pro held up pretty good, all things considered!

According to their website, Pere Marquette 1225, the largest and most impressive piece in the Steam Railroading Institute’s collection, is one of the largest operating steam locomotives in Michigan. The 1225 was built in October of 1941 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Pere Marquette Railway. It’s part of the National Register of Historic Structures and is renowned for its role in the 2004 Warner Brothers Christmas Classic, THE POLAR EXPRESS™. 1225’s blueprints were used as the prototype for the locomotive image as well as its sounds to bring the train in the animated film to life!

Tech Info: iPhone 14 Pro, 6.9 (24mm), f/1.8, 1/1/40, ISO 3200, in 4K video Mode.

The hostler on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway 463 works on the engine at dusk…

The hostler on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway 463 works on the engine at dusk as it, along with 168 and 488 rest outside the engine house at Antonito, Colorado after a day of work. Dusk is a magical time to capture images anywhere, but this was during photoshoot hosted by Dak Dillion Photography during a two-day photo charter, between Antonito and Osier, CO.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @52mm, f/8, 1/125, ISO 900.

Stars fill the sky on the night of October 19th, 2023, as the crew on D&RGW 463 takes on water at the yards water tank at Antonito, Colorado, during the night photoshoot hosted by Dak Dillion Photography during a two-day photo charter, between Antonito and Osier, CO.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @36mm, f/8, 3 seconds, ISO 1400.

#trainphotographyphotoart #photoartrailroadphotography #photoarttrains #photoartrailways #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #NikonD800 #digitalphotoart #steamtrain #ColoradoSteamTrain #D&RGW

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway 463 takes on water at the yards water tank at Antonito, Colorado

Stars fill the sky on the night of October 19th, 2023, as the crew on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway 463 takes on water at the yards water tank at Antonito, Colorado, during the night photoshoot on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, hosted by Dak Dillion Photography during a two-day photo charter, between Antonito and Osier, CO.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @36mm, f/8, 3 seconds, ISO 1400.

The conductor on G419, with the latest CSX Heritage Unit L&N 1850 leading does a roll-by inspection at Slaughters, Ky

The conductor on G419, with the latest CSX Heritage Unit L&N 1850 leading his loaded grain train, conducts a roll-by inspection on hot intermodal I028 at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky on October 5th, 2023, on the Henderson Subdivision.

According to CSXT: CSX has introduced the sixth locomotive in its heritage series, a freshly painted unit honoring the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Designated CSX 1850, the locomotive will be placed into service, carrying the L&N colors across the 20,000-mile CSX network.

The paint scheme was designed and applied at the CSX Locomotive Shop in Waycross, Georgia, which has produced all six units in the heritage series celebrating the lines that came together to form the modern CSX. Like the other heritage locomotives, the L&N unit combines the heritage railroad’s iconic logo and colors on the rear two-thirds of the engine with todays CSX colors and markings on the cab end.

Chartered by the State of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N grew into a vital transportation link between the Gulf Coast and the nations heartland. The railroad was absorbed by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, which subsequently became part of the Chessie System and, ultimately, today’s CSX.

The CSX heritage series is reinforcing employee pride in the history of the railroad that continues to move the nations economy with safe, reliable, and sustainable rail-based transportation services.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/8, 1/60, ISO 360.

Steam locomotive Frisco 1630 help provide a dramatic night photo at Union, Illinois

Colorful light from signals along with the smoke from Steam locomotive Frisco 1630 help provide a dramatic night photo as it sits in the station at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) during their 70th anniversary weekend in Union, Illinois, waiting to depart on the evening of September 16th, 2023.

According to IRM website: St. Louis – San Francisco Railroad (Frisco) 1630 is the museum’s most famous steam engine. A Russian Decapod, it was built in 1918 for export to Russia but was embargoed when the Bolshevik Revolution took place. Instead, the newly completed engine was sold to the Frisco, which used it in both freight and passenger service into the 1950s. The Frisco later sold it to Eagle-Picher Mining, where it saw use hauling freight and aggregate trains until the mid-1960s. It arrived at the IRM in 1967.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @15mm, f/4, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Digital Photo Art – Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 at Union, Illinois

Digital Photo Art – Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 sits on the main next to the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) in the dark on September 16th, 2023, as it waits for a green signal to proceed at Union Illinois, during the IRM 70th Anniversary celebration where the museum ran trains continuously from 11am Saturday morning to 5pm Sunday afternoon, which gave a rare opportunity to photograph much of their equipment during nighttime hours.

According to the IRM website: Illinois Terminal 101 is a rare example of a center-entrance interurban coach. It operated its entire service life between St. Louis, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. These cars were built for high-speed operation and were known as “Yellowhammers” and “Alton High-speeds.” The car has been restored to its appearance in the mid-1950s.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @24mm, f/4.5, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Indiana Railroad 65 Interurban Car sits at the west end of the station platform at Union, Illinois

Indiana Railroad 65 Interurban Car sits at the west end of the station platform, ahead of Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 and Frisco 1530 steam locomotive as it waits to depart the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) on the wet and rainy evening of September 16th, 2023, during the IRM 70th Anniversary at Union, Illinois.

According to the IRM website: Indiana Railroad 65 was the first piece of equipment IRM ever acquired, becoming the museums “mother car” when the museum purchased it for preservation in 1953. When it was new in 1931 it was among the most modern interurban cars in the world, a lightweight coach designed for high-speed operation across the Indiana Railroad interurban network. Car 65 was one of the last interurban cars in use when IRR closed out operations in 1941. Museum volunteers have completely restored car 65 to its appearance while in service in Indiana in the 1930s.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @18mm, f/4.5, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Commonwealth Edison 4 sits in the station at the Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

Commonwealth Edison 4 sits in the station at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) at night as they wait to depart with a pull, push, caboose train, with Shay #5 on the other end, on September 16th, 2023, during the museums 70th anniversary celebration weekend at Union, Illinois.

According to the IRM Website: Commonwealth Edison 4 is a “steeplecab” electric locomotive. It is the oldest preserved electric locomotive with articulated trucks, a design where the truck frames are connected together and carry all buffering forces. It hauled coal trains around the Northwest Generating Station in Chicago for 50 years until acquired by IRM in 1962.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, Nikon 10-24 @ 24mm, f/4.5, 30 seconds, ISO 100.

Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 waits to depart as another Interurban puts on a light show at Union, IL

Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 waits to depart as another Interurban puts on a light show as it pulls from the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) on the wet and rainy evening of September 16th, 2023. Behind 101 is Frisco 1630 waiting to pull forward after 101 departs, during the IRM 70th Anniversary at Union, Illinois.

According to the IRM website: Illinois Terminal 101 is a rare example of a center-entrance interurban coach. It operated its entire service life between St. Louis, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. These cars were built for high-speed operation and were known as “Yellowhammers” and “Alton High-speeds.” The car has been restored to its appearance in the mid-1950s.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @18mm, f/4.52, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 sits on the main next to the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

The color from the red signal gives the look of fall color as Illinois Terminal interurban coach 101 sits on the main next to the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) in the dark on September 16^th, 2023. It waits for a green signal to proceed at Union Illinois, during the IRM 70^th Anniversary celebration where the museum ran trains continuously from 11am Saturday morning to 5pm Sunday afternoon, which gave a rare opportunity to photograph much of their equipment during nighttime hours.

According to the IRM website: Illinois Terminal 101 is a rare example of a center-entrance interurban coach. It operated its entire service life between St. Louis, Missouri and Alton, Illinois. These cars were built for high-speed operation and were known as “Yellowhammers” and “Alton High-speeds.” The car has been restored to its appearance in the mid-1950s.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @24mm, f/4.5, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #UPtrains #NikonD800 #IllinoisRailwayMuseum #trainsinbadweather #illinoistrains #interurbancoach #streetcars #trainsatnight

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Nebraska Zephyr “Silver Pilot” Night shot, Union, Illinois

Bathed in the light from a red signal, Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Nebraska Zephyr “Silver Pilot” sits at the depot at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM), Union, Illinois on September 16th, 2023, as it waits for its next night run as part of the museum’s 70th Anniversary celebration. The IRM ran trains continuously from 11am on Saturday until 5pm Sunday during the event.

According to the IRM website: The Nebraska Zephyr is the most famous train at the Illinois Railway Museum. It is an articulated streamlined train built entirely of stainless steel. The train is known as the “Train of the Goddesses” because each of its five cars is named after a classical deity. It is the only complete Zephyr train from the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad in operation today.

When it was built, the Nebraska Zephyr was pulled by a two-unit set of “shovel nose” diesels. In later years it was commonly hauled by stainless steel E5 passenger diesels, and today the train is still hauled by the last surviving E5, CB&Q 9911A “Silver Pilot.”

Tech Info: Nikon D800, Nikon 10-24 @ 16mm, f/4, 15 seconds, ISO 100.

A lucky late night shot!

There was a lot of luck that went into making this image of Steam locomotive Frisco 1630 at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) during their 70th anniversary weekend in Union, Illinois.

In between the spitting rain on Saturday night, September 16th, 2023, I along with many other photographers were working on photographing the 1630 as it sat at the depot at IRM waiting for its next run. I was working with my D800 on a tripod shooting available light shots at 30 seconds each at f/4 with my Nikon 10-24mm lens, when several things happened.

I started the 30 second exposure and about 20 seconds into the exposure the train started to depart the station, resulting in the streaks you see of the headlight and marker lights on 1630. At the same time, I had a trolly come to a stop, which you see in the circle of smoke and the headlight star in the distance is from the Nebraska Zephyr waiting to enter the station after the Frisco departs. The headlight from the Zephyr illuminated the steam surrounding the scene, providing an effect that would be hard replicate, let along plan! Sometimes, I just get lucky!

According to IRM website: St. Louis – San Francisco Railroad (“Frisco”) 1630 is the museum’s most famous steam engine. A “Russian Decapod,” it was built in 1918 for export to Russia but was embargoed when the Bolshevik Revolution took place. Instead, the newly completed engine was sold to the Frisco, which used it in both freight and passenger service into the 1950s. The Frisco later sold it to Eagle-Picher Mining, where it saw use hauling freight and aggregate trains until the mid-1960s. It arrived at the IRM in 1967.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @15mm, f/5.6, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville 3811 leads a military train southbound at Madisonville, Ky

Paducah and Louisville 3811, 2121 and 2100 head up a southbound military train loaded with armor from Ft. Knox, Ky, at West Yard in Madisonville, Ky as the last light of the day fades on April 4^th, 2023. A new crew onboard prepares their train for departing for Paducah, Ky where I’m told the equipment will be picked up by BNSF or CN to continue its move.

In the yard you can see a lot of RJ Corman equipment where they have been working on redoing the yard tracks for the past week or so.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1 second, ISO 210.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #kentuckytrains #csx #csxrailway #MadisonvilleKy #mavic3classic #drones #trainsfromtheair #trainsfromadrone #PaducahandLouisvilleRailway, PALrailway #militarytrain

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11 night shot at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend night photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 3sec exposure, +0.3 stops, ISO 200.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2 and 11 at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend at Cass, West Virginia on the night of November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 4sec exposure, -1.3 stops, ISO 100.

Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotives 93 and 81 at Ely, Nevada

Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotives 93 and 81 pose next to the coaling tower and water tank in the year during the museums Winter Photo Charter at Ely, Nevada, under a cold, but beautiful starry night on February 11th, 2022.

Locomotive #93 is a 2-8-0 that was built by the American Locomotive Company in January of 1909 at a cost of $17,610. It was the last steam locomotive to retire from original revenue service on the Nevada Northern Railway in 1961 and was restored to service in 1993.

The Nevada Northern No. 81 is a “Consolidation” type (2-8-0) steam locomotive it was built for the Nevada Northern in 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA, at a cost of $23,700. It was built for Mixed service to haul both freight and passenger trains on the Nevada Northern railway.

According to Wikipedia: “The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicated to the preservation of the Nevada Northern Railway.”

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 24mm, f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 100.

Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotive #81 at the Ash Pit, Ely, Nevada

After dropping its ashes from a day’s work, Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotive #81 prepares to pull away from the ash pit as the light fades from the sky during the museums 2022 Winter Photo Charter event on February 12th, 2022, at Ely, Nevada.

I was hoping to get the ash dump in the photo, but the crew did such a good job on firing today that there was only enough ashes for one drop and it of course happened when I wasn’t ready! LOL. Sometimes it happens!

According to Wikipedia: “The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicated to the preservation of the Nevada Northern Railway.

The museum is situated at the East Ely Yards, which are part of the Nevada Northern Railway. The site is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places as the Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Yards and Shops and is also known as the “Nevada Northern Railway Complex”. The rail yards were designated a National Historic Landmark District on September 27, 2006. The site was cited as one of the best-preserved early 20th-century railroad yards in the nation, and a key component in the growth of the region’s copper mining industry. Developed in the first decade of the 20th century, it served passengers and freight until 1983, when the Kennecott Copper Company, its then-owner, donated the yard to a local non-profit for preservation. The property came complete with all the company records of the Nevada Northern from its inception.”

Locomotive #81 is a “Consolidation” type (2-8-0) steam locomotive that was built for the Nevada Northern in 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA, at a cost of $23,700. It was built for Mixed service to haul both freight and passenger trains on the Nevada Northern railway.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @ 18mm, f/5, 1/400, ISO 125, Exp. Comp.: -1.0.

Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotives 93 and 81 pose next to the coaling tower and water tank at Ely, Nevada

Nevada Northern Railway steam locomotives 93 and 81 pose next to the coaling tower and water tank in the year during the museums Winter Photo Charter at Ely, Nevada, under a cold, but beautiful starry night on February 11th, 2022 .

Locomotive #93 is a 2-8-0 that was built by the American Locomotive Company in January of 1909 at a cost of $17,610. It was the last steam locomotive to retire from original revenue service on the Nevada Northern Railway in 1961 and was restored to service in 1993.

The Nevada Northern No. 81 is a “Consolidation” type (2-8-0) steam locomotive it was built for the Nevada Northern in 1917 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA, at a cost of $23,700. It was built for Mixed service to haul both freight and passenger trains on the Nevada Northern railway.

According to Wikipedia: “The Nevada Northern Railway Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located in Ely, Nevada and operated by a historic foundation dedicated to the preservation of the Nevada Northern Railway.”

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 15mm, f/4, 25 seconds, ISO 320.