Night Trains
In daylight steam locomotives were impressive, but at night they became spectacular.
The fire that drove them seemed intent on escaping the confines of the firebox to dance over the passing trees and buildings. Whenever the firebox doors were open an orange glow lit up the inside of the cab, illuminating the crew who seemed to be working in a cauldron of fire.
In contrast locomotive depots at night were mysterious and almost spiritual. Cloaked in darkness locomotives arrived and departed, or simply simmered in the shadows awaiting their next call to service.
Railways are a 24-hour operation, but photographing them at night presents a number of unique challenges. The time exposure records night scenes in a unique and intriguing way, but it doesn’t work with moving trains.
To convey the atmosphere of a moving train requires at least thirty-five synchronised PF60 flash bulbs capable of generating more light than a small town over a very short duration. Few such pictures exist simply because of the logistics and expense required to produce them.
The fire that drove them seemed intent on escaping the confines of the firebox to dance over the passing trees and buildings. Whenever the firebox doors were open an orange glow lit up the inside of the cab, illuminating the crew who seemed to be working in a cauldron of fire.
In contrast locomotive depots at night were mysterious and almost spiritual. Cloaked in darkness locomotives arrived and departed, or simply simmered in the shadows awaiting their next call to service.
Railways are a 24-hour operation, but photographing them at night presents a number of unique challenges. The time exposure records night scenes in a unique and intriguing way, but it doesn’t work with moving trains.
To convey the atmosphere of a moving train requires at least thirty-five synchronised PF60 flash bulbs capable of generating more light than a small town over a very short duration. Few such pictures exist simply because of the logistics and expense required to produce them.
