Out & About – March 19, 2014

I snuck out after dinner this evening to try my luck with Amtrak #1 as it passed through Sugar Land. In about a month, sunset will be late enough to where I can get some sun on it when it comes through. But for now, I must deal with darkness.

Shooting it after sunset is challenging because I must make constant adjustments, right up to the moment it arrives, because the light level is dropping by the minute.

P42DC 144 leads #1 as it splits the signals at the east switch of Sugar Land at 7:39 PM on 3/19/2014

I really don’t want to know what was being dumped from the 4th car as it passed by me, but it sure did leave a foul stench along the right of way. Note the dimmed headlight in the distant background. It’s the MEGEW, UP 8325, waiting for Amtrak to get by before proceeding eastward to Englewood.

The dispatcher wasn’t able to line the MEGEW out of the siding. At 7:49 PM a job briefing ensued in which the dispatcher tells the crew what the plan will be.

 The DS told the crew “After stopping, UP 8325 at CP SA025, has authority to pass signal displaying stop indication, eastward, siding to main”. He also instructed the conductor to hand operate the dual-control switch at CP SA025 and line it siding to main.

Say what you want about the day-glo safety vests, they sure do work good at night!

Finally, at 7:59 PM, the MEGEW was able to get underway and knock out the last 30 or so miles to Englewood.

I’m too much of a traditionalist to forsake sunny sky photography, but this night stuff is fun to capture. I do like how the same old stuff at the same old locations has a completely different feel after dark.