Steam and Santa

Well, Friday I looked at the weather – cloudy but cold. OK, that would work. So I took a half vacation day from work and headed to Essex, CT. The Valley Railroad (aka Essex Steam Train) was running a pair of Santa Specials for the kids. They get to ride with Santa to Chester and back to Essex. I figured with the cold weather, I’d get some good smokestack plumes, and the cloudy skies would act like a big soft box, not limiting my photo angles. Would I get my early Christmas present? Time will tell.

I got to Essex just as the first train of the day was finishing up boarding. The first shot of the afternoon wasn’t your typical shot of the train, but rather I got a shot of the fireman chatting with one of the conductors.

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BTW, the fireman may look a bit familiar – I rode with him in the cab back in July. Anyways, next up was what you’d expect – a boy pointing at 2-8-0 #97, probably talking about how he’s looking forward to the train ride with his mom.

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As the final boarding call was announced over the loudspeakers at Essex Station, I got into my car and went to my first photo spot just north of the station – Old Deep River Rd.

I got there well in advance of the train, so I scouted around a bit. A couple angles struck me – first a longer telephoto shot, then I figured I could back up while changing lenses and get a wider shot as the train rounded the bend. As I was finalizing my decisions, a loud whistle to the south told me to get ready – the train was crossing Route 154 and heading my way.

A couple minutes later the train came into view, slowly accelerating the train towards me.

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And it grew closer still, so I got my last telephoto shot as the train approached the curve in the rails

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As the train continued to get closer, I gingerly went down the ice & snow covered hill while swapping the telephoto for the wide angle. As I got into position, I snapped a few frames of the passing 2-8-0, with one standing out amongst the series.

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As the train went through the grade crossing next to me, I climbed in the car and set my sights on my next destination – Essex Street to the north.

I got to the crossing just as the train was coming into view. But the shot I had in mind wasn’t at the grade crossing, but rather across the river through a clearing in the brush. I pulled off the road just as the crossing signals activated. So I grabbed my camera, and went for the small boat launch where I’d get my shot. But it was a bit more complicated than just sit and wait. As I approached the ramp to the water, I was reminded that southern Connecticut got more ice than snow, and when my boots slid on the surface instead of sinking in I started to panic a bit. See, there was nothing to grab on and I was heading for the water, the train was coming, and I was loaded down with camera gear. Some quick stutter steps towards the side, and I was able to grab a branch in time to catch my balance, get on some level ground, and get the shot off.

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Phew! OK, now back up the icy hill to the car an onto the next stop – Deep River Landing.

I got there just as the train was pulling through, heading north to Chester. So instead of trying to get a grab shot, I passed and scouted around. They’d be back. While scouting around, I found the angle I was looking for.

A few minutes later three whistles sounded to the north – the train was beginning its reverse move back to Deep River Landing, where #97 would run around her train and pull the consist of parents, kids and Santa back to Essex. So I got into position and waited for the train.

Finally it came into view, and I got a quick telephoto grab shot.

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Then I swapped to the wide angle and got the first shot I planned out – a horizontal with some benches in the foreground, and the train in the background.

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Then I flipped the camera for a vertical as the 2-8-0 got closer

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After that shot I headed for the rocks near the crossing. Scaling the icy rocks wasn’t an easy thing, but what the hey – it was worth it. Got a shot as the power was pulling away

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Then a shot of the engineer & fireman passing by

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And a tighter shot of the fireman riding the tender

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As the tender cleared the switch, the engineer watched for the signal from the fireman to proceed back over the switch, and into the siding.

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Moments later, he got his signal, and they proceeded back south onto the siding. Got a shot with the fisheye here

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Then a swap to the telephoto, I got a shot of the conductor getting back onboard, with a couple watching the action in the vestibule. Also in the background is #97 making their move to the other end of the train

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As the 2-8-0 was making their coupling on the south end of the train, I headed back to Essex to shoot the train coming back into the yard. This time I headed to the south end of the yard, where #40 was sitting, getting some maintenance done. I got a couple shots of her with some spare drawbars strewn about

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And a shot of the switches at the south end of the yard

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And over to the coal loading area for a shot of the pit, and the GE centercab switcher

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Then something caught my eye – two men working on #40. So of course I had to get shots of them working.

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Just then #97 was making their way down the main after uncoupling from the train

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As the locomotive progressed south, I got a shot of her and #40 in the same frame

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Then of the fireman waiting for #97 to make her way over the switch, heading back to the north end of the train

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This next one, I’ll have to admit that I didn’t notice it at the time I took it. Nearby the south end of Essex, there’s a restaurant called the Iron Chef (not that it matters, but one of my favorite shows is Iron Chef – both the classic Japanese subtitled version, as well as the newer Iron Chef America). So I got a shot of the Iron Horse and the Iron Chef

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And the next one I did with black & white in mind

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Finally a shot of the engineer leaning out his window

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A quick walk to the north end of the station, I got there in time to witness the fireman backing the train up to the coaches

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And a boy watches the action

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Next the fireman connects the steam heat line

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And the completed connection, with steam now flowing, heating the coaches behind

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Looking at my watch, I had time to get one more shot. So I headed back up to Old Deep River Road. I got a trio of shots with the wide angle of the train coming around the bend.

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And one final shot of the train heading through the crossing

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Not a bad afternoon. With the light fading, I got in the car and headed back home for the evening.

Thanks for looking!
Tom