Re: Similar to Easter Island Phantoms

KevinM Wrote:
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> I'll never forget the day I watched a charter
> organizer from across the pond go scurrying up one
> of those embankments on the fireman's side of a
> westbound train at Phantom, looking for an
> elevated shot, and not having any idea what he'd
> find at the top, or what was on the other side.
> Fortunately, the Conductor held a little
> train-side "come to Jesus" meeting shortly
> thereafter and threatened to simply highball to
> Chama it that stuff didn't end immediately. It
> was an effective speech.
>
> With some of the antics that went on during that
> trip, I'm amazed that we finished with the same
> number of people we started with.
>
> Phantom Curve is a great place for
> photography......for perhaps 10-15 people.
>
> /Kevin Madore

Kevin,

Plain and simple, Phantom curve is a hard spot to get a great shot in a charter run, if a charter special is scheduled to stop here, In my opinion it would be better to have multiple runbys in the primo locations of the train moving slow through the curve and only allow like eight people at a time if that. With the growth of trees that have filled the area in the last twenty five years it is getting harder to actually find a spot anywhere except on top of the ridge to see the whole movement of the train through the curve. Having the Phantoms cross through your photo also adds some frustration to shooting motion but is easily tolerated than that of tricot of Spruce, Pine or Fir trees.
Of all the curves and loops along the line the best open view of full movement of the operation at hand would be Tanglefoot Loop, Even Whiplash has some obstructions unless you are moving your tripod around from one elevation to another, or you park your vehicle in the middle of the loop and photograph from the back of it, which I saw someone do one time when I was riding a standard passenger run.

Still a Student,

Dave