Re: Ma Nature Decides; A Plan Won't Hurt ...

John West Wrote:
===================================
> Good example of the fact that in the end
> Mother Nature is in charge.  You can start
> with a plan, but you gotta adapt to the hand
> that Mother Nature deals you.
> Very nice picture.

Thank you, John - but, as noted, it's one of Roosso's shots - not mine.

Chris Webster Wrote {Previously}:
===================================
> It is a very reasonably priced charter ($190 /
> person), but the posted description leads
> me to conclude that the photo run-bys
> will be during midday (high) sun ...

John West Wrote {Also Previously}:
===================================
> The schedule is perfect for photography, so
> long as they use the midday to travel up the
> line, and make good use of the late afternoon
> up until sunset.   Perhaps the first photo-
> stop should be westbound at Rock Tunnel
> and the last some sunset shots at Lava on the
> way back to Antonito.   What troubles me is
> the statement "Photo run-bys will take place
> at strategic locations on the westbound trip
> to Osier."  If true, it suggests most of the photo
> ops will be midday, and the wonderful late after-
> noon light ignored.  As Kevin notes, in October
> you can get good shots midday, but you can
> get much better shots later in the day ...


Interesting points, John and Chris (and Kevin) -

Roosso got carried away with his memories of previous great trips on the C&TS, and overlooked JBWX' suggestion to run all the way to Rock Tunnel for the first photo op.   I do agree that those first two locations pictured above - the one I posted and the first one on his post - should be skipped on October 3rd.  Skip Gravity Hill and Lava Tank as well - since the trip is being advertised as a Fall Colors Photo Charter, and there aren't Aspen at any of those places.  But I also think that going all the way to the West Portal of Rock Tunnel without stopping (except for water at Sublette) would miss a lot of good locations for Fall Colors shots.

If it were up to me, I would figure to meet the eastbound passenger train at either Big Horn or Sublette - the first places heading west where there are lots of Aspen - and plan the Charter's departure from Antonito to allow time to get into the siding there (with a cushion, of course).  If the Charter gets to Sublette earlier than expected, and/or #216 is running late, then use the water stop as a photo op first, otherwise take water after #216 has passed.  There's not a whole lot of room there, so maybe split into two groups and take water twice.  Let the video guys get a good long sequence of the engine pulling up, the fireman swinging the spout around and taking water for real; then do it again - quicker and with much less water - for the still shooters.

From Sublette west to Osier there are a LOT places that, weather permitting, can provide beautiful settings for afternoon photos with the westbound train heading into the sun - such as Phantom Curve, the West Portal, and looking back at Rock Tunnel from mp 316.20 for example.  The hillside at about 317.6 is a great place to spread out for super shots of a train coming at you along a steep hillside, and then passing to the left across a cliff - as in the fifth shot Roosso posted above.  And of course the water tower at Osier offers some fine shots late in the afternoon: *


- Willie

p.s. There's also a fair-sized grove of Aspen at mp 305 - between Big Horn and Sublette - where the crews usually blow down the boiler, but shooting there would likely mean aiming right into the midday sun from the north side of the curve just beyond:


* Besonders venn der Mond ist aufgegangen ...    



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2015 08:42PM by Johnson Barr.