New Rail, New Locos, New Cars, New Railroad

My first trip following my return to railfanning in 1998 was to Essex, MT. I walked along US Highway 2 from the Izaak Walton Inn to Java East, just after sunrise. Found a rail gang there, pulling old worn-out section and laying new ribbonrail. After a few hours, an eastbound empty grain train came rolling up the hill, complete with a pair of brand spanking new C44s and pristine covered grain hoppers.

For someone who had last railfanned in the early 1980s, everything that day was new.

Contax 159MM -- Zeiss 50/1.4 -- Kodachrome 65