Snow in the Valley
January 30 & 31, 2010
(click on each image to see a larger version -- approx 1440X900)


Saturday's snowstorm was more that was forecast but Nathan Simmons and I braved the conditions to catch what we could.

This is Southbound 15T coming slowly at us in driving snow.  His slow progress was to check  that switches were clear and heaters working.

Stuarts Draft, VA
9:04am

The only other action we caught in the snow was this move along the Buckingham Branch by the station in town.

11:44am
Staunton, VA

We had heard that there was a BNSF unit in "war-bonnet" paint leading 38Q so the whole afternoon we watched ATCS and listened for it.  It seemed for a while that we could catch it before we lost all daylight but that was not to be.  When it came close darkness was already here but I made the decision to try photography anyway.  The results were very pleasing!  I shot these photos at ISO 1600, the lower one at f/4.0 and a shutter speed about 1/8 second. This was HAND-HELD! The VR lens really did it's job!

6:13pm
Stuarts Draft, VA

Maybe you noticed in the shot above that 38Q did NOT have the BNSF leader.  25G was coming along not far behind so we decided to wait, joking that it would have it.  Turns out, it did!  Again, hand-held at ISO 1600, f/3.8, 1/10 second.

6:35pm
Stuarts Draft, VA


Sunday morning, January, 31st was brilliant but COLD!  We knew 15T was coming and caught him going up the grade to Lofton Hill.

North of Greenville, VA
11:31am



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Proud to be an American!
Mack Muir