Real World Train Pictures

[ET44C4]

Nice catch there!

Yessir... Not something you see everyday in southeast VA.

And more nice shots - nice to see the different angles and compositions you are using. Very creative...

Thank you Kevin, I appreciate it.

[ET44C4]

DSC_3791.JPG

Norfolk Southern coal train No. 814 approaches downtown Suffolk, VA while passing the old peanut factory along the right-of-way. A large cloud of coal dust is seen trailing not too far from the locomotives.

[ET44C4]

DSC_3798.JPG

DSC_3800.JPG

Coal dust

[ErikGorbiHamilton]

DSC_3798.JPG

DSC_3800.JPG

Coal dust

Wow! Do they not wax the top of the coal before they leave the mine? Never seen it that bad before!

[ET44C4]

DSC_3798.JPG

DSC_3800.JPG

Coal dust

Wow! Do they not wax the top of the coal before they leave the mine? Never seen it that bad before!

With the dust being that bad, I think only part of the coal got treated...

[NStrains]

Im assuming that was EB into Suffolk headed for Lambert's??? If so, that thing was dusting along for quite awhile!!!

[ET44C4]

Im assuming that was EB into Suffolk headed for Lambert's??? If so, that thing was dusting along for quite awhile!!!

Yep.... It could have come all the way from West Virginia.

[KevinWS]

ET44C4 - DSC3791 = another interesting shot.

Trains often deserve a zoomed out shot, so they become more then just an loco shot and turn into an interesting "picture".

I constantly have to force myself to do this, as otherwise I ways end up zooming or waiting for the train to come too close!

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Surely all that dust is breaking some environmental and/or health legislation?

In South Africa we have a large number of coal and mineral trains, but even here the dust emissions are controlled, especially in the case of coal where the dust is not good for you.

[ET44C4]

ET44C4 - DSC3791 = another interesting shot.

Trains often deserve a zoomed out shot, so they become more then just an loco shot and turn into an interesting "picture".

I constantly have to force myself to do this, as otherwise I ways end up zooming or waiting for the train to come too close!

-----------------

Surely all that dust is breaking some environmental and/or health legislation?

In South Africa we have a large number of coal and mineral trains, but even here the dust emissions are controlled, especially in the case of coal where the dust is not good for you.

Thank you Kevin! I've been trying out some different angles and scenes for photographing the trains here.

As for the coal dust, I'm not sure what kind of environmental laws are in place for coal trains, but I do know that was quite the dust cloud. I've seen wind blow a little bit of coal dust out of trains before, but never anything like this. The amount of dust coming out of the train lead me to believe that some of the coal must not have been treated/waxed. I can't imagine that happening, though...

[BoostedFridge]

Up in my neck of the woods, the unit coal trains get 'sprayed' twice in their 600 mile journey to port.

https://www.cpr.ca/en/community/living-near-the-railway/coal-dusting

I'm wondering if there was an issue with the spray system when the train exited the mine. It does seem odd that the first 15 or so cars are fine, while the rest are dusting.

[KevinWS]

An 18E electric unit and a Class 34 diesel (with a Class 36 diesel in the middle) rest at the end of the day at a small country station...

The 18E on the right (this one built in 1982 and since upgraded) is a powerful locally designed electric loco.

Hidden in the middle - the Class 36 (type SW1002) diesel-electric was designed for the South African Railways by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Locally built, these are used as road locomotives.

Lastly on the left, the Class 34 diesel-electric. Again designed for SAR, this time by General Electric (type U26C), and built in South Africa in the 1970's, these are still active.

[ET44C4]

Love the late afternoon lighting for that shot.

[KevinWS]

Thank you. Its way in the country (500 kms away) and I only ever get there when I pass by on a road trip - at the end or start of a day.

As you correctly said - this was at the end of a day.........

[KevinWS]

And back to steam.

Here is a shot of a loco I found abandoned in the bush in a remote area, but already showing signs of stripping - railway lines in the area had been stolen which had probably led to its further isolation.

On a later visit there was only part of the loco frame left, with most of the carriage also have been stripped off as well, including the wooden frame. Three months later - all gone!

[ET44C4]

Very interesting, Kevin. It's sad to see such old pieces of equipment go like that. I wonder if it got scrapped..?