Brian's Tracking the Light

The sun was getting low when I caught SEPTA’s Conrail Heritage Unit inbound at Elkins Park, Pa. This vintage Silverliner IV multiple unit was wearing the Conrail ‘can opener’ and an early version of the SEPTA logo to pay tribute to the Conrail influence on SEPTA in its early years. In the spirit of retro-railroading, I’ve adjusted the color profile of this photo to resemble an image exposed on…

We call them ‘blinky bugs’. Riverfront Park in Marietta is a peaceful place along the banks of the Susquehanna and nice spot to wait for a freight on Norfolk Southern’s Port Road Secondary. On previous visits Kris and I could watch the fireflies, while listening to a distant train rolling down the river. The other night featured the appearance of the brilliant full moon— a radiant golden orb…

Modern Class I freight railroading is often a story told through double-stacked containers riding in articulated well cars. Thirty-five years ago, JB Hunt was a newcomer to the railroads. I still remember the novelty of seeing JB Hunt trailers aboard Santa Fe piggyback trains in the California Tehachapis. Today, Norfolk Southern moves mile-long trains of JB Hunt containers, stacked two high,…

On our June 2026 visit to SEPTA’s Elkins Park station, I made these seven digital images in an effort to capture the historical and contemporary contrasts of this classic suburban station on the former Philadelphia & Reading. In an era when many stations are little more than a platform and a parking lot, it is refreshing to find one that remains true to its roots. Tracking the Light explores…

In May 1999, I was testing Canon EOS Elan cameras and lenses for Trains Magazine. One of the key features of the EOS system was image stabilization. Among the photos I exposed was this panned view of Conrail B23-7 1933 rolling through CP83 in Palmer, Massachusetts. This photo demonstrated the advantages of image stabilization when making a long-pan image. To blur the background, I set the camera…

Hot weather last week made for sauna-like conditions along the Susquehanna River. We pulled into Port Deposit, where a riverside park offers views of the four long-span bridges that cross the river between Perryville and Havre de Grace, Maryland. I made this photograph using my Nikon Z7-II with a 70–200mm lens, then cropped the image to better feature an Amtrak Regional train crossing the most…

Exposed using a Rolleiflex Model T loaded with Kodak Vericolor II Type S 120 roll film. October 1984. Central Vermont Railway crossing the Conrail diamonds northbound; Palmer, Massachusetts. In October 1984, I exposed this image using my father’s Rolleiflex Model T loaded with Kodak Vericolor II Type S 120 roll film. I scanned the negative in 2010 using an Epson V500 flatbed scanner. Epson’s…

At 7pm on June 18, 2026, I’ll be presenting a program on Conway Scenic Railroad to the Philadelphia Chapter NRHS at the Elkins Park SEPTA Station. At 7pm on June 18, 2026, I’ll be presenting a program on Conway Scenic Railroad to the Philadelphia Chapter NRHS at the Elkins Park SEPTA Station.

It was a clear evening. We paused briefly at Christiana, Pa., to roll by Amtrak Keystone 658. The scene was unclutered and I wanted to feature the station and underpass that is the centerpiece of former Pennsylvania Railroad infrastructure in the town. I framed up the station with a broad window of sunlight beyond the railroad bridge over the road. When train 658 came into view, I exposed a…

I thought about giving this the title, “Snapping Up an HST.” In June 2010, I bought my first (and only) DSLR: a Canon EOS 7D. It’s a great camera, and I’ve made thousands of photographs with it. Canon is famous for its color palette. However, I’ve often felt that many of my early digital images were somewhat lackluster in terms of contrast and composition. The other day, I imported a variety…

April and May were weedspraying season on Irish Rail. Back in the day I was pretty familiar with this program. The Irish Rail weedspray train was something of a tradition and I made countless photos of it working around the network. On 14 April, 2009, I exposed this telephoto view on Fujichrome of the weedspraying train working up-road at Cherryville Junction in the midst of a torrential…

On this day 157 years ago, a ceremonial golden spike marked the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific at Promontory, Utah. On this day 134 years ago, as a well crafted publicity stunt, New York Central & Hudson River Railroad No. 999 made its world-famous speed run leading the Empire State Express toward Buffalo. On the long tangent near Corfu, the engine was reported to have reached…

Times have changed since Norfolk & Western Train No. 4 The Pocahontas paused at Roanoke for passengers. My 1946 Norfolk and Western Railway timetable lists a 20-minute station stop, departing east for Norfolk at 10:55 a.m. On our visit to Roanoke in March, we watched as an Amtrak Siemens Charger reversed its Amfleet consist into the comparatively new station platform. While a far cry from a…

Not all railroad buildings feature trains. In March, courtesy of my old pal TSH, Kris and I visited the iconic Hotel Roanoke for lunch. I had the Reuben. The majestic Tudor-style hotel is a relic of railroading’s golden age. Roanoke was at the very heart of the Norfolk & Western, and for many years this grand hotel was owned and operated by the railroad. It is conveniently situated just a…

During our visit to Roanoke’s Norfolk & Western station, N&W’s successor Norfolk Southern ran several freights by the old passenger terminal. Not to pass up an opportunity, I made these digital photos from the station’s windows using my Nikon Z6-III. I like the depth afforded by the framing, and texture made possible by strategically placed reflections. Tracking the Light Posts Daily!

The former Norfolk & Western station in Roanoke, Virginia, is now the O. Winston Link Museum. Last month, Kris and I paid a visit to this iconic late-era North American classic, designed by Raymond Loewy, a pioneer of industrial design. Before visiting the museum exhibits, I thought it would be appropriate to capture the station’s Art Deco architecture using my Nikon Z6-III. More images to…

On one of my early tours of the former Boston & Albany west end, Bob Buck chased an eastward freight from Pittsfield up the grade toward Washington Summit, Massachusetts. Near Dalton, Bob, Doug Moore, John Conn, and I piled out of Bob’s Ford van and watched the train crawl up grade. I can still smell the creosote from the ties on that hot August afternoon. Doug Moore will undoubtedly remember…