In a time honored shot, and somewhat of a tradition over the years with Alta-Mont railfan weekend attendees, BNSF 6819 patiently waits its next helper assist up Marias Pass, late in the evening on October 13, 2002.
The tradition of a staged nightshot with numerous members of the group was beginning to wane, in part due to the lack of availability of the necessary flashbulbs, and the fact that regular attendees had done the nightshot routine many times over.
This shot however, was one the first ever done with a digital camera (to the best of my knowledge, and along with one other attendee), and was lit by two members, one who staged and flashed bulbs in the cab, and another running amuck on the ground, where disaster nearly derailed the whole project when he went head over heels on the ballast, where in an amazing display of selflishness, saving the equipment before saving himself, he managed to somehow, remarkably, spare the remaining flashbulbs and flash unit.
I'm not sure if the tradition has been resurgent, since I've been absent for three years, but we didn't attempt it on my last two trips in 2006 and 2007. Perhaps the advent of new technology (nee Lumedyne), will bring back this tradition, but it was something special on my first few visits to the IWI, fittingly a place where time stands still...
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!)
