Blossom Valley Railroading
During the second week of
February through the end of March California's Central Valley is a riot
of color as thousands of almond and fruit trees begin to bloom in preparation
for the Spring which is just around the corner. By the first week of March
almond trees up and down the Central Valley appear to be sheathed in white,
almost like snow. In compliment to the blossoms, photographers often have
beautiful azure skies punctuated with large cumulus clouds topped off with
the crisp light of clear late winter days.
While these elements alone
can make for some incredible photography, when you add in the elements
of railroading - well, need I say more? If Winter railroading in
the Sierra offers drama, then spring time railroading in the Central Valley
offers a fragrant beauty!
Case in point. Riverbank,
California on February 26th 1996: Santa Fe 5182 and 5511, an SD40-2 and
SD45B combo race south (railroad east) with a mix of empties and loads
bound for the crew change town of Calwa, near Fresno. The train will be
sidelined at Empire to await the passage of Amtrak's San Joaquin before
allowed to continue its journey.
The Santa Fe Railway has
just merged with the Burlington Northern to form the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe (BNSF) but as yet the signs of this pairing off have yet to make
their appearance in Northern California. Even so, the two diesels on this
train are no longer owned by the Santa Fe, each bearing the markings MKM
on their sides, indicating the units are now owned by locomotive rebuilder
Morrison/Knudsen and leased back to the fledgling BNSF.
- Ken Rattenne
Photo Details
The image was shot Nikon FM2 using a 24mm
f2 Nikkor lens. Film was stock Kodachrome 64. Exposure was at f5.6
at 1/500.
Text
and photographs copyright © 1999-2018 by Ken Rattenne & KPR Media
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