*** SHARE YOUR MODEL RAILROAD ACTION PHOTOS

[Otto Vondrak]

Any visit to the Mid-Hudson Region of New York State today will surely include a walk across The Walkway Over The Hudson, at 6,768 feet it is the world's longest pedestrian bridge, linking the river's east and west shores high above the mighty Hudson... This diorama photo of early 1950's railfan-photographers was taken from the actual location right next to the NYC's real tracks using a special lens.

Nicely done, what's the special lens?

-otto-

[CNJ999]

Hi Otto. The lens I modified to my purposes was a 28mm FL W/A lens. I disassembled it and placed an internal pinhole aperture I had made, suspended by tiny bits of very thin wire, at the lens' focal plane between the lens elements. The resulting system when attached to my 35mm camera and stopped down produced an f/80 optical system of virtually infinite focus. In the posted photo the train model's nose was less than 12" from the front of the camera lens, while the Poughkeepsie RR Bridge was probably a bit less than half a mile in the background. Nevertheless, it is pretty much in-focus.

Back in the early 1990's, when model RR photography really grabbed me for a while and few others could take such photos, I shot a considerable number of them using the lens system described above and even significantly improved on it further until I could manage shots with the modeled subject ~3" from the front of the lens yet with any depth of scene I wished remaining in focus. More than a few of these shots appeared in MR. I even developed a method for stereo imaging of my models. When looked at through a vintage Stereopticon viewer the images were really quite striking. They cetainly caused quite a stir among the judges at one of the NMRA Photo Contests at the time and took first prize.

Today, of course, most any hobbyist can get about the same results taking multiple exposures and employing one or another of the image combining computer programs, but to me it no longer is any expression of the hobbyist's own abilities, cleverness, or understanding of optics.

CNJ999

[Montrealrail1]

Here is my PA1 recently upgraded with Loksound. the first run..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLQY4AaOf00

[Montrealrail1]

A great video on modular layout,where we can see my CN steam locomotive,and two other trains from friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpveEqdzPjU

[timberley]

@CNJ999 That photo is superb! With the added explanation of how you took it, it's even more impressive.

Here's VIA SW1000 #202, one of only two switchers left on VIA's roster, switching cars on the Dartmouth Model Railway Club layout. Loco is an Athearn I detailed to better match the proto, while the passenger cars are mostly Rapido with modern graphics added.





The most unique car in the yard is VIA 1720, a single-level Colorado Railcar built glass-roofed coach, dubbed "Panorama" by VIA. Three cars (1720, 1721 and 1722) are used by VIA on the Canadian and the Skeena in the summer months to provide breathtaking views through the mountains. The cars are sometimes taken to Toronto or Montreal for winter storage and maintenance. We're nearing the summer season, so it's time for 1720 to get sent back out to make its journey west again! Here we see it on the move in the yard:



I built that car on a Rapido coach frame using the window section of a Bachmann ultradome with scratchbuilt sides, roof, and many other parts.

[Montrealrail1]

Very nice action shot with VIA Rail materials,I use to see VIA SW1500 almost once a week..in Montreal..202 and 204

[CNJ999]

Long years ago railfans had the daily opportunity of gaining incedible NYC action shots outside the village of Cold Spring right on the banks of the Hudson, just as this pair of enthusiasts are photographing. In this scene the Empire Express barrels south destine for Gotham one Sunday morning.

But times change and today such scenes are no more, living on only as the fading memories of a handful of aging seniors.



CNJ999

[CNJ999]

One of my all-time favorite photos...



CNJ999

[Montrealrail1]

running trains today,here is a manifest freight train with CN 2115,9637 and 5654 in DPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwpj0QaRRfM

[Montrealrail1]

The most unique car in the yard is VIA 1720, a single-level Colorado Railcar built glass-roofed coach, dubbed "Panorama" by VIA. Three cars (1720, 1721 and 1722) are used by VIA on the Canadian and the Skeena in the summer months to provide breathtaking views through the mountains. The cars are sometimes taken to Toronto or Montreal for winter storage and maintenance. We're nearing the summer season, so it's time for 1720 to get sent back out to make its journey west again! Here we see it on the move in the yard:



I built that car on a Rapido coach frame using the window section of a Bachmann ultradome with scratchbuilt sides, roof, and many other parts.

very nice work..it's on my plans to make one,staring from a Rivarossi coach car,by using a dremel,I will cut the Panorama section straight trough the roof and body,but I'm looking how I can draw the green paint on,and do the windows support

[timberley]

very nice work..it's on my plans to make one,staring from a Rivarossi coach car,by using a dremel,I will cut the Panorama section straight trough the roof and body,but I'm looking how I can draw the green paint on,and do the windows support

Thanks. The easiest way to make those windows is to get a Bachmann Ultradome (like this one: http://www.myalaskamodeltrains.com/images/rollingstock/Kenai2.jpg) and cut the windows out of that. They're already the right size and profile, so it makes the job much easier!

I masked for the green paint entirely by hand, and then sprayed it. It was a very long and difficult process to get the mask right before painting! If I were doing it again, I would have custom decals made instead.

[CNJ999]

Photo showing a portion of the HO scale diorama depicting Main Street, Stormville, NY, as it appeared circa 1920, now placed on permanent exhibit at the East Fishkill Historical Society's facility.



CNJ999

[philipmartin]

Photo by Nathan Berelowitz, Friends of the Rail, South Africa, picturing Gabor Kovacs placing 49 class diesels on the track at Hercules yard after making up a cement train. Either HO or Cape Gauge, I'm not sure which.

[philipmartin]

Here are some pictures of passenger train action on my Denver Union Terminal Railroad. It is in N-scale, and features operations at Denver Union Station around 1960.

The Colorado Eagle uses a Life-Like E-8 and Con-Cor cars.

The Mountaineer uses a Life-Like PA-1 and Lima cars custom painted by Bev-Bel.

Les

Those bring back memories.

[RRFAN]

USA Trains MEC 253 with two boxcars going though Crawford Notch