New Years Double-Header

It's another clear but chilly New Year's Eve in California's Mother Lode country. Sierra Railway Nos. 3 and 28 are double-heading a New Years' Eve party special this night, leading a long train of rowdy revelers up hill past Modesto Bee staff photographer Ted Benson's multiple sync-flash set up. 

This leg of the run operated between Jamestown and Hetch Hetchy before the two steamers would around their train to slug it up the hill again. 

This was not a "free" photo op for me, however. My job on this December 31, 1989 evening was to help Ted set up his flash equipment by assisting him in stringing wire and testing the remote flash units' connectivity which took well over an hour to accomplish. My reward was the opportunity to expose two frames, one in black and white, the other in color, of the double-header under full steam charging up this fine hill Ted had deemed "the spot." 

Of course, Ted was able to sync the entire set of flash bulbs to go off when he pressed his cable release button. As for me, I had to open my shutter at the precise moment Ted yelled "Open" and hope I didn't push my cable-release button too soon - or too late. 

As this photo attests, I was a tad too soon which is why my photo looks like No. 3 is firing a phaser at some phantom off-camera Klingon Bird Of Prey. The result was No. 3's headlight tracing its path to the point of illumination by the flash bulbs. 

Ted's photo ran on the front page of the next morning's Modesto Bee while mine ended up ... here. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and well worth the time and effort put into the photograph.

Epilog: A few years later Ted gave me a signed, framed 11x14 print of his photo which hangs on my wall today.