LIRR's No. 423 is tip-toeing at walking speed out of the gritty Long Island City, Queens, New York Passenger Yard on it's way to pick up it's load of commuters at the railroads Hunterspoint Avenue station about 3000' further east. When I first visited the yard years ago, it was very decrepit. However fairly recently it was rebuilt into the excellent facility it is today with concrete ties, lubricant catch pads and concrete platforms. Somewhat archaically, the switches are mix of "Easy-Throw" and cast iron hand thrown spring switches. Having spring switches means trains leaving never need any switches thrown for them, making less work and less danger of splitting a switch and breaking the points. (Don't ask how I know this.) Consequently, not long after the evening rush begins the switch tender marks off since, I believe, none of the trains seen here stay over night and that no trains arrive until the morning. That is, of course, the Empire State Building across the East River in Manhattan watching over all this activity.
Landscape photography is difficult due to the challenge of combining good light and good scenery. Good railroad photography enters another level of complexity since it requires the first two while there is a train in view.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
