Steam and Sun at Sumpter Valley

Others have already posted a few samples of the beautiful imagery that came out of this year's Sumpter Valley Fall Photo Train. Although this railroad is a little off the beaten path....not unlike many of America's best historic lines.....the photographic opportunities at this operation can hold their own against just about anyplace, and that includes railroads that get a lot more publicity for photo shoots. They have a pair of indigenous steam locomotives, a great selection of rolling stock and a great staff of volunteers who do an awesome job of staging the event. They also have a right-of-way that photographs remarkably well, in all manner of weather. In 2018, we were blessed with two straight days of glorious sunshine, which is a little unusual in the Pacific Northwest.

I've just begun digging into the take from the SVRy and will have a full album to share in the near future. But for now, I'd like to share an image taken about 30 min after sunrise, as the #19 was pulling out of the yard with a log train. I don't normally post a lot of black and whites, but after looking at this scene in both color and monochrome, I decided that the latter was just stunning enough to make an exception.

Steam and Sun at Sumpter Valley

More to come from Sumpter Valley. This was my 4th Fall Photo Train and my 5th visit overall. Definitely not my last!

/Kevin Madore