This one sure looks like it belongs with the 68-69 series of
railroad shots, doesn't it? I decided to be strict with the "period" theme, so I
had to put this one here. The trackside storage shed was near the Norfolk Naval Air
Station. I was passing by one night and noticed that the light from the mercury-vapor
security lamp reflected off the rails in a very pleasing pattern. I decided to return the
next evening with my camera and preserve it. I pulled a few darkroom tricks to make sure
that everything except the highlights was buried in pure blackness. It creates a quiet,
loneliness of mood, and enhances the reflections off the rails. (Minolta Autocord, Plus-X
Pan Pro)
In the western U.S. this kind of railroad crossing is a
rarity. It is a point where two dual-track main lines cross. (Mamiya 500 DTL, 50mm F2 at
F8, 1/250, Kodak High Speed Ektachrome, ISO 160)
Next to the four-way crossing, above, was the control tower
shown here. The signals and switches for the local yard were controlled from this point.
You'd expect that the 'Kent' sign on the building would indicate the name of the town
where it was located, but in this case the location was Warsaw, Indiana. (Mamiya 500 DTL,
50mm F2 at F8, 1/250, Kodak High Speed Ektachrome, ISO 160)