random thoughts on railroad photography, railfanning, technology, and such

Entries from October 1, 2010 - October 31, 2010

Monday
Oct252010

BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Provincial Supertramp

provincialsupertramp.blogspot.comI was contacted by “Provincial Supertramp” due to my work as a rail advocate and a rail-centric blogger. In her email she detailed her intention of traversing America by train and disclosed her desire to blog about her travels, trials, and tribulations - but that’s not all.

Provincial Supertramp, a twenty-something female from Sacramento, California, and a self-professed rail enthusiast, hopes to help change the perception of rail travel in the process. Not only will this blog appeal to anyone interested in railroads and the state of train travel in America, but Provincial Supertramp is one of those “artsy” writers that have a unique blend of perspective, insight, and honesty. 

According to the first post on her blog she will make a difference:

“How could we, as a nation, have forgotten so quickly something so glorious as all that? 110 years after the first train ran in the United States and the railroad catalyzed the country’s industrialization, modern commerce, vast geographic expansion, and the development of our national identity, our modern railway system appears to have been sidelined by an American obsession with the speed, control, and cutting edge technology of automobiles and jet airplanes. While we relied almost solely on railroads for intercity travel and freight until the 1920s, and they played an important role in all of our most crucial moments in history, in the past 60 years trains have rapidly lost their place of honor amongst American modes of transit. Seeing this travesty, I have taken it upon myself to endeavor to single handedly restore the honor and glory to this historic institution.”

Wow, that is a lofty, and noble, cause. I wish her the best of luck. As someone who firmly shares her opinions regarding the value and worth of rail travel, I support her. As such, I encourage you check out her blog and travel with her as she “sees America,” both visually and socially, from the best vantage point possible - on a train. “All aboard!”

Saturday
Oct232010

Drivers - Man, Water, and Fire

In the course of human achievements there have been many truly advancing inventions forged by talented and brilliant folks. Obviously computers, atomic fusion, and airplanes come to my mind immediately. However, one invention that had far-reaching ramifications, good and bad depending on one’s perspective, considering the time frame when it was first developed, the late 1700s, was the steam engine. This eventually morphed into a steam locomotive, among other implementations, and the future of discovery and settlement of America was cast. 

While at the Los Angeles Union Station on National Train Day, May 8, 2010, I caught the former Santa Fe No. 3751 posed and ready to run to San Bernardino with an excursion train as part of the San Bernardino Railroad Days and Bicentennial Celebration. I took a bunch of photos of the famous locomotive and have recently reworked some of them with a more artistic lean. Here is a close-up shot showing an amazing amount of detail of the 3751’s drivers and of the magic of one of man’s most amazing inventions.

Drivers - Detailed view of the driving wheels of the former Santa Fe No. 3751.

Thursday
Oct212010

Amtrak's Pomona Station

On Labor Day this year I found myself out and about in the local area looking for trains to shoot.  I was following the Union Pacific’s Alhambra and Los Angeles subdivisions, which parallel each other closely in this portion of Southern California.

Poster for Amtrak’s Sunset Limited

Eventually I reached the Amtrak station at Pomona. Pomona, named after the Roman goddess of agriculture and abundance, was once a budding citrus producing region on the eastern fringe of Los Angeles County. It is more of a industrial and residential community these days and also is the home of the famous Los Angeles County fair, the world’s largest county fair.

The station was built in 1940 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and now serves as a virtual placeholder on the Amtrak schedule since it is no longer staffed and offers virtually no services to Amtrak passengers other than affording them an opportunity to get on or off the thrice-weekly Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle service that stop at Pomona. The southern platform serves as a stop for Metrolink’s Riverside Line and sees quite a few commuters on a weekday basis. Union Pacific does run intermodal and manifest traffic on both subdivisions through the station complex as well.

Schedule of trains that stop at Pomona, California

Seeing as it was a holiday for nearly everyone, the station and platforms were literally deserted so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to grab a couple of shots. I set-up at various locations on the south side of the complex and took a bunch of shots to be processed as HDR photos.

Pomona Station 1 - Southwest elevation.
[9/6/2010 - Alhambra Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry.

Pomona Station 2 - Southeast elevation.
[9/6/2010 - Alhambra Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry.

Pomona Station 3 - Pedestrian bridge southwest elevation.
[9/6/2010 - Alhambra Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry.

Pomona Station 4 - View of the pedestrian bridge and tracks.
[9/6/2010 - Alhambra Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry.

Pomona Station 5 - Southeast elevation of station and pedestrian bridge.
[9/6/2010 - Alhambra Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry.