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Lastly, not a train obviously, but this guy was hunting above the tracks and I was wondering if one of you knowledgeable bird types could tell me what it is?
That is an osprey. I catch them diving for fish in Puget Sound off MP 18. Check my "Birds of Mile Post 18" thread. I got into bird photography as a way to pass the time between trains. Look for osprey nests built on elevated platforms (such as cell phone or flood light towers) near the water.
That is an osprey. I catch them diving for fish in Puget Sound off MP 18. Check my "Birds of Mile Post 18" thread. I got into bird photography as a way to pass the time between trains. Look for osprey nests built on elevated platforms (such as cell phone or flood light towers) near the water.
Thanks guys, I always check out your and enjoy your threads.I was stationed at McChord twice, once in the 80's and once in the early 90's and I used to fly up and teach class at Lewis right up until I retired in 2005. I do miss visiting the area.
I knew it was a raptor of some sort, but I don't know the difference between all the different ones that we have around these parts.
Had some guest power on the UP mainline a couple of weeks ago. Looks like the Amtrak California San Joaquin train had some motive power troubles, so BNSF stepped in to lend a hand(or actually an ES44DC).
I caught the weekend light power move both coming and going to Oakland last week.
In the morning I was by the bay in Hercules with the HLCX unit in the lead
The afternoon found me at the Eckley fishing pier near Crockett (That's the C&H sugar factory in the background, and Interstate 80 going over the water.) with the UP leading.
Messing with an ultra wide angle
And this time I knew what kind of bird it was by the tracks!
You nailed it with that wide angle of the 1376. Excellent performance from that lens.
That's a nice effect with the Amtrak unit. Relative to the camera, the rate of change of the unit's leading edge is much greater than the rest of the consist.
You nailed it with that wide angle of the 1376. Excellent performance from that lensThat's a nice effect with the Amtrak unit. Relative to the camera, the rate of change of the unit's leading edge is much greater than the rest of the consist..
Yes, it's a Tamaron 10-24mm and I don't use it that much as it's an APS-C only lens and only works on my older camera body (a Canon 40D). But when I blow the dust off of it, it really does shine. I'm starting to cary both bodies now, one with a super-zoom and one with wide so I can switch at a moments notice. It all depends on where I am shooting of course.
As far as the Amtrak, yeah I love that effect and try to get it a lot. I mostly practice it on Amtraks as they come by every hour or so in each direction and actually keep to a schedule.
I'm trying to brush up on all my photo skills as next weekend I am going to be shooting planes at the Travis AFB airshwow, where things are much smaller and faster
I'm starting to cary both bodies now, one with a super-zoom and one with wide so I can switch at a moments notice. It all depends on where I am shooting of course.
I caught some nice variety in Franklin canyon on a weekend UPS train, with a warbonnet leading and a CSX loco in the middle
This is the three engines after leaving the cars at the San Pablo UPS facility and heading light into the BNSF Richmond terminal (grabbed while sitting at a red light from my van)
Thanks, yes I always try to have at least one of my cameras handy with a medium range zoom on it for anything interesting that happens by. I also keep an old point and shoot in all of my cars just in case.
We are having very strange cool summer weather here, as the overcast sky shows as the shots of this local running long hood foward shows heading through Emeryville on the way to Oakland
Nothing much exciting lately, mostly auto racks and contianers
I did find out one interesting tibit of history though. This pile of rusting iron is the remains of the Southern Pacific ferry boat "Garden City" that was built in the late 19th century and used to ferry rail cars between Alameda and San Francisco. It was used into the 30's and spent its last years rotting away at Eckely California until it caught fire and burnt to the water line in 1983. It now rusts in place, still right by the tracks.
You can still make out the boilers, stacks and the driveshafsts for the paddles.
As always, great pictures. I’m surprised the California EPA has not made “whoever” clean up that pile of rust even though it has some historical significance.
You're welcome. Yeah, the Eckley pier is a great place to watch trains, but also just to be down by the water and enjoy the scenery.
Speaking of Mare Island...I was back the the dentist there the other week and caught this. The picture would have come out better but I had been shooting some pics of my kitties (Lenny&Carl) the night before and left the dang ISO set at 3200, so it was totally blown out. I recovered it the best I could in ACR. Anyhoo, this old GP-15 has been sitting there for a while now. Check out the crazy lights on the cab.
Amtrak P42 holding at Emeryville
Refinery switching job at Martinez
Tank train leaving Oakland headed east
Heading away...
You can see the Amtrak corridor train it is chasing into Berkeley
The fisherman is not interested as the Amtrak corridor runs along the shore...
Different train, different day, and a couple of miles away, a late afternoon corridor makes its way along the bay toward Oakland
Sunday morning double stack through Hercules
Same location, same train, different camera with wide angle lens
The train stopped for about 10 minutes right in front of my location, so I watched the Vallejo-San Francisco ferry cruise by...It's a great way to go to a Giants game in the city. The boats have a very nice bar on board!
It must have been waiting for an Amtrak to get out of the way ahead...I don't often see trains stop along this stretch of mainline.
Thanks Bill! I'm always trying to do something new or different, as I don't want to post 500 pix of the same old thing, even though lately it seems that all I have seen is Amtark commuters and UP container trains.
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