Bob Alkire with his face mask, in front of a Sounder commuter train at Everett, Washington.
On June 18, Bob Alkire of Everett, Washington “decided it was time for some train riding.” Boarding a bus, Alkire rode a half hour to downtown Seattle, and then caught one of Sound Transit’s commuter trains back north to his hometown. “We made the usual stops in Edmonds and Mukilteo before arriving back at the Everett Transit Center. About ten minutes after our arrival, the Empire Builder pulled into the station on its way to Chicago. Surprise, Surprise, a passenger actually de-trained. Oh, well, just another day of train riding along Puget Sound in the Summertime.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Two bicyclists pass by as Iowa Interstate train SASI (South Amana, Iowa – Silvis, Illionis) rolls off the Government Bridge onto Arsenal Island in Rock Island, Illinois. Leading this June 6, 2020 afternoon is ES44AC 513, painted as a tribute to the late Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad that once operated where this train is seen.
Brian Carlson, of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, writes that the “unprecedented pause” of 2020 has allowed him to work from home, slow down, and consider his future. “With the arrival of warmer weather, I was feeling the itch to get out and made three photographic expeditions within a few hours’ drive from home. While I haven’t been able to go on any multi-day, multi-state travel extravaganzas in 2020, this welcomed pause has given me the ability to get caught up on nearly everything else…and the time to ponder where I want to go and what I want to see next.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
The last photo that Robin Coombes, of Cardiff, Wales, made before lockdown, “no trains and an uncertain future around the corner,” the South Devon Railway on March 12th, 2020.
Robin writes that, thanks to the pandemic, “the camera has been mostly hung up.” However, Robin is deeply involved with the management of heritage railways, and planning for how they will weather this uncertain time. “Getting railways running again is an important step but may be the easiest in a long list of challenges over the coming months, the full extent of which may still not be clear, so life may not look much different as we try to reinvent what it is we offer. We will need to call on all our reserves of energy, ingenuity, and resourcefulness if we are to preserve the wonderful legacy of the steam age and be able to continue to capture it through the lens.
“Each side of the entry for ‘pandemic’ in the risk register were ‘social unrest’ and ‘extreme weather’ and these have both been also very much in the news headlines. It may be time to put on the proverbial raincoat for a potential perfect storm. Let us hope I am completely wrong, and the storm clouds will quickly evaporate, and the sun will be shining again, and we can all get back to our hobby of railway photography.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
“Point of Rocks, Maryland,” writes John Cowgill of Fairfax, Virginia, “has an old-style train depot that is now an office for CSX and serves as a stop for commuter trains to Union Station in Washington D.C. It is a common place for train watchers as it sits at a junction of the original B&O line with a line that was built through Washington D.C.”
Cowgill spent part of his lockdown in a mobile, auto-based quarantine. “The railroad museums were closed. The excursion trains were not able to run. I was stuck in my little space. What did I do? I wrote railroad stories, and, with many railroad sites closed, I used the time to get ahead on writing my railroad articles awaiting their reopening so that I could publish them…. When I was not quarantined in my little space, I was quarantined in my car. It was hard not being able to get out to ride trains and visit the museums, but with the trains still rolling, I was able to see the great men getting the cargo and the people to where they needed to go.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
On May 2, the Western New York & Pennsylvania operated this special run of 127 empty hoppers from Meadville, Pennsylvania to Salamanca, New York for storage, behind four Alco locomotives, including 2 six-axle units brought out of temporary storage. The railroad is known for its large roster of Alco locomotives, but in 2019, began to acquire General Electric built equipment, threatening replacement.
Photographer Greg Dziomba of Williamsville, New York, writes that “the ability to focus on my hobbies and passions has eased the anxiety of social isolation.” Working from home, Dziomba took on household projects, gave attention to his model railroad hobby, and organized his photos and slides. “On the other hand, outdoor activities while limited, did not stop the active railfan from documenting special train movements. Most of these adventures were accompanied by my sons and grandsons…. There is something special when you can share your experiences and passions with family members. Railfanning provided a quick escape from the pandemic lockdown, as a way to appreciate the great outdoors and the approaching summer months. Railroading kept my sanity.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Louisville & Indiana Railroad Z550 at Southport Road, Indianapolis, on April 28, 2020. GP39-2 2303 and SD40M-2 3002, southbound with eleven cars.
Jeffrey Gast of Terre Haute, Indiana is an employee of the Indiana Rail Road, and as an essential worker, was frequently trackside. In addition to his work, Gast “cautiously took a few trips while the coronavirus had mostly everything shut down. These were mainly solitary, local affairs that sometimes were extensions of essential errands that I needed to do anyway.” The photo here is among Gast’s favorites, made on the south side of Indianapolis. “Having gotten fast food takeout, I'd just finished lunch in the car while parked at a closed trackside business. Noticing the flowering tree growing along a chain link fence, I framed both the foliage and the train, before continuing a journey to take medications to my mother.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
![CN 2252 West near Plato Center, Illinois, on April 18, 2020.
Frank Grimm of Sandwich, Illinois writes that as “an essential worker, and never missed a day of work due to the virus. Boredom crept in on my days off and evenings off leaving me with little to do.” Rather than “sitting at home staring at the walls,” he began to plan to capture a rare move: a daylight run of a Canadian National train over the ex-Illinois Central line to Waterloo, Iowa. “Few trains passed in daylight. The occasional ethanol train or grain extra were sporadic and would pass at any time.” However, “as daylight in the Spring continued later into the evening, a pattern of a westbound manifests emerged. A train would [typically] pass Elgin [Illinois] between 4pm and 6pm, six days per week.” To see it, Grimm chose an overpass between Plato Center and Burlington, arrived at 3:30, and waited. Three hours later, his patience was rewarded with this view.
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the <a href="http://www.railphoto-art.org/railroad-heritage-62/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Fall 2020 issue of <i>Railroad Heritage</i></a>.](https://railphoto-art.org/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F50298435232_06ed4fba98_h.jpg&h=310&q=90&f=.jpg)
CN 2252 West near Plato Center, Illinois, on April 18, 2020.
Frank Grimm of Sandwich, Illinois writes that as “an essential worker, and never missed a day of work due to the virus. Boredom crept in on my days off and evenings off leaving me with little to do.” Rather than “sitting at home staring at the walls,” he began to plan to capture a rare move: a daylight run of a Canadian National train over the ex-Illinois Central line to Waterloo, Iowa. “Few trains passed in daylight. The occasional ethanol train or grain extra were sporadic and would pass at any time.” However, “as daylight in the Spring continued later into the evening, a pattern of a westbound manifests emerged. A train would [typically] pass Elgin [Illinois] between 4pm and 6pm, six days per week.” To see it, Grimm chose an overpass between Plato Center and Burlington, arrived at 3:30, and waited. Three hours later, his patience was rewarded with this view.
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Norfolk Southern train 201 passes the old depot at Boyce, Virginia, on June 21, 2020.
George Hamlin of Stephens City, Virginia writes that during the pandemic, he worked on expanding his photographic skills, experimenting with new locations and techniques, what he calls “peeling the onion.”
As he notes, “the ‘peeling’ suggested here is learning to look at a location with the thought that there are many possibilities (layers), including daily/seasonal lighting conditions; weather; framing; focal length; focus; motion; etc. For that matter, when you’re railfanning, what are you photographing: trains; locomotives; railroads, including infrastructure?” With tongue somewhat firmly planted in cheek, George adds what sounds like a recipe. “After considerable thought, I’ve identified four key elements, as follows.
First, stop the car!
Get out of the car
Look for one or more onions
Peel the layers off the onion(s)”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
On May 11th, 2020, a Union Pacific crew has gone “in the hole” on a spur at Richland, Washington, allowing a long BNSF train to pass.
Thomas Hillebrant of Richland, Washington, spent some of his pandemic photographing his hometown rails. Living just “two blocks from an active industrial lead,” Hillebrant has “photographed trains on this line countless times before, but working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has given me even more opportunities to record their movements. Many days, a pressing project, team meeting, or deadline keeps me tightly bound to my computer, but an equal number of times, I have slipped out the door with my camera upon hearing a horn blowing for a nearby grade crossing. Missing a few minutes of work has not been a problem - I can usually make up the time later in the day.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
![In the late evening hours of July 2nd, 2020, Norfolk Southern’s Pennsylvania Railroad heritage unit 8102 leads train 50E West through Welch, West Virginia.
Adam Horgan of Alexandria, Virginia, writes that he “generally enjoy[s] photographing more remote locations, and COVID-19 has reinforced that tendency for me. I’ve gone to some locations that have been on my photography bucket list, and utilized the long Summer days to be more patient on the slower lines.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the <a href="http://www.railphoto-art.org/railroad-heritage-62/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Fall 2020 issue of <i>Railroad Heritage</i></a>.](https://railphoto-art.org/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F50298434487_72133b5e1b_h.jpg&h=310&q=90&f=.jpg)
In the late evening hours of July 2nd, 2020, Norfolk Southern’s Pennsylvania Railroad heritage unit 8102 leads train 50E West through Welch, West Virginia.
Adam Horgan of Alexandria, Virginia, writes that he “generally enjoy[s] photographing more remote locations, and COVID-19 has reinforced that tendency for me. I’ve gone to some locations that have been on my photography bucket list, and utilized the long Summer days to be more patient on the slower lines.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
For several months, the Maryland Midland ran a unit dirt train between Westminster and New Windsor, Maryland. This was a flood control project, with the unit train designed to keep large dump trucks off of residential streets in each town. The train is seen here on May 13, 2020, along Avondale Road in Avondale, Carroll County, Maryland, with the MMID’s heritage unit GP38-3 2060 in the lead.
Warren Jenkins of Thurmont, Maryland writes that creative scheduling made it possible to continue his photography. “My state issued ‘stay at home’ orders by late March, restricting travel to local trips for groceries, banking, and other necessary supplies. This ended my weekly trips to the railroad museum. With the local shortline running one block from my apartment, I quickly found I could coordinate my trips for necessities with the passages of my local shortline. A scanner and my camera bag therefore became a part of every local errand trip.” Jenkins adds that “although the season of Covid has been personally frustrating, because of unemployment and separation from distant family members, pursuing the local shortline photographically has been very exciting and fulfilling.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Pennsylvania Railroad J1 dragging a long string of coal hoppers up the eastern slope of the Allegany ridge towards Gallitzin, Pennsylvania. Oil on canvas, 22 x 26”, in progress, May 2020.
Gerald Jones of Esperance, New York tells us that he has been “working on a painting that has been on my list of paintings to do for a very long time. The Pennsylvania Railroad J1 steam locomotive is a personal favorite of mine though I never had the opportunity to actually see one operate.” The painting seen here is still only “roughed in” as Jones puts it. “I hope to have the painting completed by summer’s end, and of course I still need to add the Engineers gloved hand waving out of the cab window as a finishing touch.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
A long string of Military Vehicles viewed at a crossing at Duplainville, Wisconsin, being shipped from the factory on May 28, 2020.
Ed Knueppel, from Sussex, Wisconsin, found an unusual approach to making time during the pandemic: Moving to work after dark. “As the Covid-19 Pandemic unfolded in March 2020, the state of Wisconsin issued a “Safer at Home” order. This caused my employer to rapidly switch to having almost all employees telework all or part-time. I volunteered to switch to a third shift work ‘day’ to improve coverage as an essential worker. This resulted in much of my railfanning time being during the dark night hours and early morning as I returned home. As summer rolls by, I find myself back working full time during normal hours. I’ve noticed that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, I have continued to find ways to railfan and have not lost any enthusiasm towards the hobby. The state is opening back up but I continue to railfan alone and certainly miss the camaraderie of the Duplainville area railfans.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Big Boy at Hermosa, pastel on paper, 16 x 20 inches, July 2020.
Bob Krone, from Greenville, South Carolina writes that he “spent a lot of railroad-related time avoiding others both inside our home and outdoors. I reasoned that a day of self-sustained train watching and photography meant that I'd be enjoying myself with no sense of guilt.” Beyond his photography, however, Bob is also an accomplished pastel artist, and in April, began work on a depiction of a Union Pacific “Big Boy” locomotive after seeing UP 4014 in Arizona in October 2019. Starting on April 4th, Bob finished his pastel on July 7th.
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Norfolk Southern 11J in Bound Brook, New Jersey in Spring, 2020.
Matthew Kuipers of Haskettstown, New Jersey writes that the “pandemic did take a hard toll among all people, including me. First and foremost my heart goes to those lost. And those who saved many lives. I work as a box truck driver for a food distributing company, and I worked straight through the deal. I did put off being out there trackside much however, with much going on in the work aspect of things. I just focused on that instead.” Matthew did get some photographs made earlier in the Spring, and plans to “be out to photograph a lot this summer as that is the only thing fun I can do anyway!”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
One of the Florida East Coast’s hot trains, 202-03, which operates between Miami and Jacksonville, is seen here crossing the San Sebastian River beside Route 1 at St. Augustine, Florida, on June 3, 2020.
Robert LeMay “moved to St. Augustine, Florida from Connecticut many months before the Covid-19 Pandemic hit,” having previously lived near the Northeast Corridor. LeMay currently lives “less than two miles to Florida East Coast Railway’s mainline between Jacksonville and Miami,” and “can hear the trains blowing for the local railroads crossings. Over time I became familiar with FEC’s schedule. I don’t venture out too much since St. Augustine is a big tourist town. Since the pandemic traffic along Route 1 was down considerably. So when I do venture out it’s usually earlier in the day before the tourists wake up.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
VIA Rail Canada train 692 rounds a curve near Roblin, Manitoba, on June 20, 2020. A pair of General Motors F40PH-2D's haul a five car consist including a Skyline series dome car back to Winnipeg.
David Maiers, in the small Canadian town of Roblin, writes that “here in Manitoba, the Covid-19 pandemic began to strike home in mid-March with the closing of various public places and precautions at grocery stores.” Fortunately, Maiers lives along the route of VIA’s route to remote Churchill, on Hudson Bay. “I try to not miss VIA when it comes through with its unique 1950's era stainless steel consist. While there are few surprises with this train it is nice to stay in touch with the hobby and the railroad by photographing it. Sometimes many hours late, it is worth the brief time together as it passes through.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
![Mike Matejka of Normal, Illinois, frequently went biking during the pandemic. Fortunately for Matejka, the Route 66 bike trail through Normal parallels the historic Chicago & Alton Railroad, now used by Union Pacific and Amtrak. “There is occasionally a Chicago-bound stack train that either precedes or follows northbound Amtrak 300’s 7:31 a.m. departure from Normal. Most mornings between 6 – 7 a.m. the signals are dark but occasionally I’ll spot green. Time to dismount and ready the cell phone camera…. Isolated? Maybe personally, but the long [trains] and the buzz from I-55 reminds me that the busy world is still out there, functioning as best it can.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the <a href="http://www.railphoto-art.org/railroad-heritage-62/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Fall 2020 issue of <i>Railroad Heritage</i></a>.](https://railphoto-art.org/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F50298432477_a842695d67_h.jpg&h=310&q=90&f=.jpg)
Mike Matejka of Normal, Illinois, frequently went biking during the pandemic. Fortunately for Matejka, the Route 66 bike trail through Normal parallels the historic Chicago & Alton Railroad, now used by Union Pacific and Amtrak. “There is occasionally a Chicago-bound stack train that either precedes or follows northbound Amtrak 300’s 7:31 a.m. departure from Normal. Most mornings between 6 – 7 a.m. the signals are dark but occasionally I’ll spot green. Time to dismount and ready the cell phone camera…. Isolated? Maybe personally, but the long [trains] and the buzz from I-55 reminds me that the busy world is still out there, functioning as best it can.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
![BNSF train QCHCSSE at Rocky Hollow Road west of Chana, Illinois, passing through the soy fields, on June 19, 2020.
Andrew S. Nelson from Oregon, Illinois writes that he is using the pandemic period to fill in the gaps on local lines, like the BNSF’s C&I line from Savanna to Aurora, Illinois. Nelson notes that there is a “sense of urgency in shooting locations” as Nelson plans “to move thirty-five miles north next year making easy access not so easy anymore.” With most of his subjects close to home, Nelson is “taking more advantage of marginal [and] unique lighting conditions. If a photo or opportunity doesn't pan out, I'm not out much time, miles and gas money; and I can always try again.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the <a href="http://www.railphoto-art.org/railroad-heritage-62/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Fall 2020 issue of <i>Railroad Heritage</i></a>.](https://railphoto-art.org/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F50298432007_6f87a206f7_h.jpg&h=310&q=90&f=.jpg)
BNSF train QCHCSSE at Rocky Hollow Road west of Chana, Illinois, passing through the soy fields, on June 19, 2020.
Andrew S. Nelson from Oregon, Illinois writes that he is using the pandemic period to fill in the gaps on local lines, like the BNSF’s C&I line from Savanna to Aurora, Illinois. Nelson notes that there is a “sense of urgency in shooting locations” as Nelson plans “to move thirty-five miles north next year making easy access not so easy anymore.” With most of his subjects close to home, Nelson is “taking more advantage of marginal [and] unique lighting conditions. If a photo or opportunity doesn't pan out, I'm not out much time, miles and gas money; and I can always try again.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
![Norfolk Southern 3489 and 3421 at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2020.
Cliff Redanz of Perkasie, Pennsylvania writes of exploring his local railroad scene, including Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, site of the former Bethlehem Steel Works along the Lehigh River. Looking for a good vantage point on the old works, Redanz explored the Minsi Trail Bridge, spanning both the river and the railroad. “Though somewhat familiar with the area… I unexpectedly found [the bridge] lined with a very high, small-mesh, chain-link fence, making photography literally impossible!” However, he encountered a passerby who became Redanz’s “guardian angel.” “I learned that farther along on the bridge, someone in the past had cut a hole in the chain-link fencing, to facilitate photo-taking. This had obviously been a very dedicated railfan. Thank you, whoever you were, for making possible my Covid-19 rail breakout.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the <a href="http://www.railphoto-art.org/railroad-heritage-62/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Fall 2020 issue of <i>Railroad Heritage</i></a>.](https://railphoto-art.org/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F50298429752_cfc0898ad7_h.jpg&h=310&q=90&f=.jpg)
Norfolk Southern 3489 and 3421 at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2020.
Cliff Redanz of Perkasie, Pennsylvania writes of exploring his local railroad scene, including Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, site of the former Bethlehem Steel Works along the Lehigh River. Looking for a good vantage point on the old works, Redanz explored the Minsi Trail Bridge, spanning both the river and the railroad. “Though somewhat familiar with the area… I unexpectedly found [the bridge] lined with a very high, small-mesh, chain-link fence, making photography literally impossible!” However, he encountered a passerby who became Redanz’s “guardian angel.” “I learned that farther along on the bridge, someone in the past had cut a hole in the chain-link fencing, to facilitate photo-taking. This had obviously been a very dedicated railfan. Thank you, whoever you were, for making possible my Covid-19 rail breakout.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Amtrak Acela train 2154 hustles north through Eddystone, Pennsylvania, during the resumption of limited Acela service, on June 1, 2020.
Robert Sartain of Wallingford, Pennsylvania spent some of his Covid lockdown photographing Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. In response to the virus, Amtrak cut service dramatically, starting with the cessation of non-stop New York-Washington service on March 10th, and then all Acela service on March 23rd. “As rail photographers, we often hear the adage, ‘shoot the ordinary, for tomorrow it will be gone.’ Sometimes the converse is true, too: sometimes the ordinary is a welcome sight, indeed. On June 1st, Amtrak resumed a limited schedule of Acela service between Washington and New York City. The first Acela northbound that morning was train 2154. In the olden days, i.e., before the month of March, I’d often pass 2154 on my morning commute driving to work. Who knew that three months later that I’d be working remotely from home, but happily would go out of my way to shoot an ordinary Acela resuming her trek northward to New York City, under iconic PRR signals?”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
UP 8495 with unit empty gondola train GYPU-03 at Palmer Lake, Colorado, on the way from Granite, Wyoming to Pueblo, Colorado, on April 5, 2020.
Chip Sherman, who works for the Union Pacific in the Denver area, writes that the pandemic had a dramatic effect on his employer’s traffic levels, as well as on him personally: “I pulled the pin after some twenty-two-years with my last railroad job as of June 1, 2020! The coronavirus was a factor in that decision as age and my possible vulnerability on the job prompted my path towards retirement.” The slowdown did leave Chip some time to do some photography and explore the local area, but the decline of coal traffic, combined with the impacts of the pandemic, meant job cuts after job cuts. “Essential workers found their jobs disappeared at an astonishing rate,” Chip adds, before noting that he will miss his co-workers. Video conferencing, however, has helped somewhat. “The coronavirus cancelled all of my social gatherings. Fortunately, one group that normally met in Pueblo or Palmer Lake each month went to using Zoom conferencing. Great way to visit with other photographers from across the country! Programs were shared via Zoom with typically good results.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Lambton Yard, Toronto, on May 2020.
Toni Skokovic of Toronto writes that the pandemic gave him a chance to return to railroad photography after many years of absence. The cause? The Center’s virtual conference in Spring. “While watching presentations in my basement, ideas started forming into an epiphany of sorts. I live steps away from Canadian Pacific's Lambton Yard, one of the busiest junctions on CP's system. All of this within a short walk from home, well within the range of the most of restrictive isolation directives. That was it, a little bit of push from CRP&A's presenters and then realizing the historic bond railroading has with my neighborhood.” To both simplify and challenge himself, Toni stuck to film and manual-focus cameras. The yards nearby have seen many changes, as CP sells off and redevelops portions, yet also continues to rely on this important junction point for through traffic and some local service. Toni adds that his “go forward plan is to keep working through this local railroad scenery, as the city changes and figure out where it leads. But it all started during isolation. This was a good reminder that every situation hides a creative opportunity.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Cumbres Loop, 1918. Watercolor on paper, 18 x 27 inches, 2020.
Artist J. Craig Thorpe of Bellevue, Washington writes that the pandemic has kept him busy in his studio working on a range of projects, from a cover for an upcoming documentary film about the Great Northern’s 1910 Wellington avalanche disaster, to commissions from museums and tourist railroads. Among these, a “notable commission was an 18-inch by 27-inch oil celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.” The painting also features Denver & Rio Grande 168, a locomotive recently restored to service, and the Cumbres & Toltec’s historic car fleet. “I worked closely with C&T President John Bush to choose a view set in 1918 on Cumbres Loop (Tanglefoot Curve) that included a work train as well as two snowsheds, long since gone.” The painting will be used on posters which will eventually be sold by the C&T. Thorpe adds that he is “grateful to have these and other commissions, to keep new art inspiring people with rail history, but also setting a hopeful tone for the future.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
Norfolk Southern train 145 travels westbound in the countryside of Indiana at sunset, on June 1, 2020.
John Troxler of Logansport, Indiana writes that the pandemic and its associated economic slowdown had both positive and negative impacts on his photography. “The Covid-19 shutdown of manufacturing operations such as automotive assembly plants have directly impacted the class-1 railroad traffic where I live,” Troxler notes, adding that “train count reduced greatly, train symbols were cut, the two remaining Roadrailers running in the United States were stopped temporarily, and trainmen were furloughed.” The reduced traffic meant fewer easy subjects to photograph, and Troxler found himself waiting a lot. Yet the tedium also taught him to consider subjects he would have otherwise passed over. “The pandemic has driven me to sharpen my skill for hunting down great railroad images when the opportunities are lean and being prepared when the opportunities are presented. As the great Roman philosopher Seneca once stated, "luck is when opportunity meets preparation.”
To see additional member work made during the Covid-19 pandemic, see “Creativity & Covid” in the Fall 2020 issue of Railroad Heritage.
