On April 17 I found myself at Kalama, Washington with quite a dilemma. Which way do I shoot? I had trains coming at me both directions and with two tracks if the wrong train was on the right track I wouldn’t be able to photograph one of them.
First the detector at MP 113.5 goes off. With over 500 axles the northbound was certainly a coal train. One piece of good news, it was on main 2 opposite of the side I was on.
Next, Amtrak train 507 calls a diverging clear 2 to 1 at Kelso South.
Which one would get to me first? While the coal train is much closer it is not moving at the same rate as Amtrak. So which way do I shoot?
I bet Amtrak would be first so I got myself into position. Once there I could hear the coal train blowing for Todd Rd. about 1/2 mile to my south. Great, it looks like the coal train is first. I quickly changed lenses and recomposed for the coal train while continuing to look over my shoulder for Amtrak. No Amtrak as the coal train arrived so I made my photo as planned.
After the head end of the coal train screamed by I again changed lenses and recomposed for Amtrak. It’s a good thing I hurried because the glow off the rails told me Amtrak was just around the corner. A flurry of shutter clicks later 507 was gone.
In the end the photos I took of the head end of the two trains didn’t capture the true essence of what I’d just witnessed so this photo of both train became my favorite. Which way do I shoot? Right down the middle!
