Author Topic: Polar Express just before sunset....  (Read 13817 times)

Kevin Madore

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Polar Express just before sunset....
« on: January 15, 2013, 10:41:00 AM »
It's unfortunate that we don't see more photos of the MNGRR operation in Portland here on the forums. 

Here's a shot that I took of one of the last of the daylight Polar Express runs, just before sunset on Dec 23rd:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=420685&nseq=4

/Kevin

John McNamara

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2013, 10:55:53 AM »
Fantastic!

-John

Bill Piche

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2013, 11:17:19 AM »
That's a great pic, Kevin, as always.

Too bad that it is the only one that made it through the railpictures screening process. I would have liked to have seen what else you had come up with that day.
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"Any day with steam is a good day." - me

Richard "Steam" Symmes

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2013, 03:33:30 PM »
Yes, it is a great photo, BUT . . .

. . . again, it shows how out of their element the two footer at Portland is. The "high rise" apartment building in the background proves it.  You might as well be running the train in New York City's "Central Park."  All the original Maine two footers were "rural" affairs.  The only close exception was the back side of downtown Farmington where the SR&RL came in to meet the Maine Central.

Other than that, they were mostly out in the sticks.  I never will be comfortable with the MNG location.

Richard

Mike Fox

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2013, 04:59:40 PM »
I do wish some of the regulars would post photos of their progress. Not just the running of trains. People are fascinated with the repairing as well. Someone did an excellent job photographing when they were rebuilding one of the coaches.

Thank you Kevin for sharing here. Some of the guys at MNGRR deserve a pat on the back, and what better way than posting a picture of their accomplishments.
Mike
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Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2013, 06:08:17 PM »
Nice photo Kevin.  Dang, that's an 8 car train!  I like how you have the Portland Company building in view at left.  Good stuff.

Stewart

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2013, 03:22:37 AM »
Hi Hansel,

I counted the sides of 7 cars but saw the cupola from the caboose at the very end so thought it was 8.  Either way it's a good consist, reminds me of the CCC trains on the SR&RL in 1935.

Stewart

Kevin Madore

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2013, 08:19:41 AM »
That's a great pic, Kevin, as always.

Too bad that it is the only one that made it through the railpictures screening process. I would have liked to have seen what else you had come up with that day.

Hi Bill,

I made the decision to head up to Portland when I found out that the trains would start running in the early afternoon.  I was really hoping to catch a few frames at the east end of the line, with the waterfront in the background.  You can get those shots in the summertime, but the light is usually bad most of the day.   Unfortunately, what I found out was that even at 1:30 PM in December, the east side is already in shadow.  The east-end shots were doomed from the moment I got there.   The light was good on the west side, and I did shoot several sequences during the two daylight runs, but the look of the other frames was not a lot different from what you see in the shot that I posted.   I went with that frame for RP, because it was the prettiest light of the day, and I was able to get the nicely lit Portland Company in the background.   Whenever I post stuff on RP, I try to have those shots be the ones that show the subject railroad in the best possible way.....as opposed to any possible way.   ;D

I saw Richard's post regarding the aesthetics of the Portland location and while ideally, I always prefer to photograph trains in their "native" environments, I also understand that when it comes to steam, survival is the most important thing.  As I travel around, I see so many really authentic steam operations, in very historic and photogenic locations, that are constantly struggling to survive.   The remoteness of these locations made it possible for these railroads to survive being paved over by progress, but that same remoteness is now their biggest threat.   Ely, Chama, Orbisonia.....the list goes on.   Operating in Portland may not be very authentic, but the close proximity of the population means that events such as Polar Express will continue to bring in the money that it takes to keep the operation alive for future generations to enjoy.  We sometimes have to be careful what we wish for.

Me?   I'm wishing for the day when I can take this shot again:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=380633&nseq=181

 :)

/Kevin

Cliff Olson

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2013, 08:43:17 AM »
Getting rid of the fake pilot (as was done with #3) would be a big improvement to Monson #4.  I don't think we ever established in an earlier lengthy forum thread that the current pilot is actually required by the FRA.

Bill Piche

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2013, 03:27:46 PM »
I do wish some of the regulars would post photos of their progress. Not just the running of trains. People are fascinated with the repairing as well. Someone did an excellent job photographing when they were rebuilding one of the coaches.

Thank you Kevin for sharing here. Some of the guys at MNGRR deserve a pat on the back, and what better way than posting a picture of their accomplishments.

Mike,
That is a very good point. There's a lot of work behind the scenes to keep 4 running and to get 7 back up running that doesn't always come through since there's never any pictures put out. A lot of the time we get so caught up in the work that we don't always remember to take photographs of progress. The work crews often don't have the extra hands for such things, unfortunately.

The pics that you were seeing of the car restorations were taken by volunteers/employees within the museum building, itself, so accessibility is much better than slogging out to the engine house through the maze of snow piles, boats, and lakes that have a way of accumulating every winter.

We have a big push coming up this year on #7. Finishing the tank work (riveting, painting, final mounting, etc) is something that I know to be on the immediate punch list, as is finishing the deck. More details on what will be done this winter will come out as I get them.

As for the "Historically correct" aspect with regards to #4. The look that #4 sports now is just as historically important as having it look like it was just off the shop floor. The Edaville look is something that is appropriate to the locomotive, even if not Maine appropriate. If anything, each of the locos shouldn't necessarily keep all of their Edaville heritage out front (*cough* diamond stacks *cough cough*), but it looks good (in my opinion) on 4, but not over the top.
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Mike Fox

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2013, 09:17:38 PM »
Getting rid of the fake pilot (as was done with #3) would be a big improvement to Monson #4.  I don't think we ever established in an earlier lengthy forum thread that the current pilot is actually required by the FRA.

Cliff, if I remember correctly, a "footboard" pilot, when used on a historic piece of equipment is allowed. As long as no one ever uses it. The FRA mandated the removal, most likely because crew was getting injured or killed by riding there.
Mike
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Cliff Olson

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2013, 09:08:12 AM »
Mike, I don't think the earlier discussion addressed footboards, and I am not advocating their use on Monson #4 (or #3).  I will have to reread the earlier thread if I can find it.  I am simply in favor of restoring the "industrial railroad look" to the Monson engines. 

Ed Lecuyer

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Re: Polar Express just before sunset....
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2013, 09:12:57 AM »
The FRA topic is:
http://forum.wwfry.org/index.php?topic=1693.0

Please continue any FRA-related discussion there.
Ed Lecuyer
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