rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Last Wednesday, my wife and I spent the day at Cass State Park, in the mountains of West Virginia. The park, which is a tribute to the logging industry of a century ago, consists of a restored company town {where the company store has become a gift shop} and a restored logging railroad. This is the story of our 11 mile ride on the railroad, from the town of Cass at 2438 ft elevation to Bald Knob at 4700 ft elevation. Normally, railroad right-of-way is limited to just 1% -2%, but this one is at 7% much of the time, and even reaches over 10% at the very end.

When we first got there I noticed a young man with what I thought was an ancient View Camera - very appropriate, I thought, considering the age of the railroad equipment. Then I realized his tripod supported a tablet, which he was using to record video.

Here he is recording the first train backing into the station. In a few minutes this train would leave, he would repeat the process with the second train, and we would both get on-board that second train,

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I had asked my wife to get us tickets in the end car, because I thought it would give me best view of the overall train ... I didn't take into account others with similar desires. When we got home, I realized he was part of the show also

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Because the locomotive stayed on the downhill end of the train, my choice of car paid an unexpected dividend - a really good view of some really bad track.

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"Switchbacks" are used to "climb in place". Forward to tail beyond switch; switch to next track; backwards to tail beyond next switch; switch to next track; forwards. Here we are starting the backwards movement {initially we were on track to right}

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About the time I was ready to photograph the entire train, the conductor announced something like "if you look out the downhill side, you can record the locomotive"; they recorded it and I recorded them - all of them!!

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As we were on the middle leg of the second switchback, the conductor pointed out that the first train, now going downhill on its return to Cass, was on the upper leg heading towards the same switch!! {note the vertical distance even at this point}

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They had a plan!! Switch Left; we moved to tail. Switch Right {this picture}; they fit on tail also. Switch Left; they left downhill. Switch Right; we left uphill {our conductor was switchman}

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We had to make a water stop at an unassuming ground-level tank with a pump. Apparently no one else was very interested in this operation.

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We finally reached Bald Knob!! They have a wooden observing platform to the left of this view .... but about the only thing to see looking down that day was clouds {i.e., fog}. Note: our seats were in the car at the far left of this scene

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rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

A couple of notes I didn't want to embed in my narration:

image #2: if you download this image you can see that my camera's autofocus concentrated on the guy and his camera. Even at f/5.6, most of the train was out of focus, but his camera is in perfect focus, and we can see his image within our image.

image #5: I call this my "Eleanor Rigby" picture - "Look at all the happy people; I wonder where they all came from". Looking at this sea of cell phones gives new insight into problems facing the camera manufacturers.


Again, please feel free to make comments, suggestions, etc. This presentation was influenced by comments on my previous one.

pfrancke Loc: cold Maine

you've brought back some nice memories. Good Job!

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

You documented the switch work very nicely and it is all very comprehensible. I'm amazed that the train can handle such a steep grade without the help of a third cog rail. A very entertaining and nicely done series.
Erich

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Great story and well illustrated (great shots) and well narrated. I love trains.

I love the inclusion of the other photographers.

Ok. I am offically envious. (It's a good thing).

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Thank you. In order to interlace words and images, as Linda suggested with my previous series, I was reduced to almost counting letters at one point, but I figured it should be possible under the "picture is worth a thousand words" theory, so I worked a little more on organization, and finally it all fit.

These locomotives are "Shay" locomotives, special geared locomotives designed by a Michigan logger named Ephraim Shay for weak, curvy track. Of course, Michigan doesn't have mountains, but they have the side advantage of getting maximal traction also.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

That explains it. Again, a very nice series. It certainly puts me in that place and you have a nice balance between imagery and explanations.
Erich

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Thank you.

Including other photographers is something I've been working on lately. I sometimes describe the direction I've been moving in as "street photography like" because I'm coming to view other people, especially photographers, in their natural settings as desirable subjects; in my earlier years, they were just in the way from my POV {best example of that this time was the young man and his tablet; I believe he thought I was just staying out of his way}

This visit actually had its roots in a vacation my wife and I took in 1986. I wanted to ride Cass then, but she wasn't feeling up to it; 8-1/2 months later our first daughter was born.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I loved your series! You're a great storyteller, you offered interesting observations and information and your photos are all engaging. Super job!

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

A very enjoyable set.

magnetoman Loc: Purbeck, Dorset, UK

Well, I'm very envious - and really enjoyed the series. You've accepted that people get in the way and made the most of it, so we get the feel of the ride. Shooting at a special event night shoot on our coast, I arrived to find people everywhere, so I asked a BBC cameraman how he coped with it. 'Oh, they're part of the event, we just show it as it is' - not a bad idea.
Will you be showing us more of the logging side of things?

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Thank you for your encouraging words.

It turns out that we spent only one day at the Cass park, and most of my attention was focused on the train {we did stop at a logging camp on the way down, for example, but even then I spent more time unsuccessfully trying to come up with a view comparable to the one I ended with than looking at the displays there}; thus, I simply don't have enough material to do another display here of logging stuff here ... I may display a few remaining images at the Gallery, however.

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Interesting scenes rehess.

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

I loved how you explained every "step" of your adventure! Wonderful as are the pictures, rehess!

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Super series, recess!
Nicely selected perspectives, and well-composed images all put together in a lovely, coherent series! Made me feel I was there...and want to be there!

Dave