Braving the Elements
A couple of days ago I had a mild rant on another railway blog about modern day railway photographers who search for the perfect shot and think that it can only be found on a day when the weather is perfect too. My point was that rain and clouds add a new dimension to the railway scene and, for these photographers, the perfect shot can go begging simply because it’s raining.
In case anyone should think that I don’t practise what I preach I offer these two photographs. It’s June 1989 and I’m stationed in Orange – on the Saturday of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend the Flying Scotsman and 3801 were due in town early in the morning with a tour train to Dubbo so I headed down to Loco at Orange East Fork
Unfortunately the Scotsman was having problems with NSW coal and the train was running very late. When it did finally arrive the Scotsman was cut off and run into Loco to have the firebox grate thoroughly cleaned.
That’s where I got this photo as the Scotsman wheezed it’s way up to where the pits were located.
You’ll notice that the loco seems to be covered in steam and the background almost looks as though I’ve blotted it out. Well the truth is that it was so damn cold it was actually snowing.
While the Scotsman was being serviced I went home to have a hot shower – according to my wife my face was blue.
After the hot shower I jumped back in the car and drove down to the Dalton Street level crossing where I got this photo of a rejuvinated Scotsman and 3801 storming out of town as they took the train on to Dubbo.
You’ll notice that the background is still rather white, the roads are wet and … you guessed it, it was still snowing.
Those two shots aren’t perfect by any means but they tell a story far more graphically than if they had been taken on a fine sunny day.