Summerail trip - 2

Hi, We spent Friday evening and Saturday at Summerail in Marion, OH.

As I had taken a number of photos when I attended last year this was the only photo, taken with my cell phone, I took. The train is westbound on the former Big Four route to Columbus and Indianapolis, and is about to cross the NS (former PRR) route to Sandusky, OH.

We left Marion on Sunday, August 12 and proceeded north following CSX toward Toledo. This is former C&O track. Our first stop was Upper Sandusky where we found an EMD SW1 and an ALCO S-1 parked on a side track just south of an elevator (above and two below).

While were there a CSX manifest came south.

On the north side of town this critter was parked next to another grain elevator.

In Carey we hoped to find activity on the Wheeling & Lake Erie. Lots of sitting power but all was quiet.

The National Lime and Stone Co. has a huge quarry here and we found one of their locomotives.

Also while in Carey a CSX local arrived to switch the quarry.

There was a great deal of CSX traffic on the former B&O through Fostoria.

This work train was tied up for the weekend south west of town.

When NS got a break it ran a southbound and

 northbound through town.

Also, they managed to get the L68 local across the diamonds in town to work one of the elevators (above and two below).

Our last photo stop was at Vickers Diamond in Northwood, OH. The train is on CSX and is crossing the NS Chicago Line. Our next stop would be Owosso, MI where we would spend the night.

Thanks for looking.

Summerail trip - 1

Hi, On August 10th I left Silver Spring, MD with friends Bill Kalkman and Jim Mixter for a 9 day railfan trip. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood when we departed. Our plan was to spend some time in the Pittsburgh, PA area before ending our day in Marion, OH. There we would spend two nights attending Summerail.

Our first stop was Wilmerding, PA (above and two below). The first rain is headed east while the last two are westbound. The buildings in the background comprise a WABCO facility.

After lunch we continued west stopping at Enon Valley. Here we photographed an eastbound (above and below),

a westbound and

Another eastbound.

After checking into our hotel and having dinner we spent that Friday evening attending a slide show at the Marion depot. The Marion Model RR Club had their very large model railroad at the station open for visitors as well.

Saturday's activities consisted of a Railroadiana show, beginning at 10:00 AM and a multimedia slide show beginning at 1:00 PM.

 

This westbound CSX manifest freight was taken with my cell phone during our dinner break Saturday evening from the steps of the former AC tower, part of the Marion Station Museum. It is about to cross the NS (former PRR) line between Columbus and Sandusky.

Thanks for looking.

Brown Bears in Alaska

Hi, On Wednesday, July 25th, I had the opportunity to visit Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska. The purpose of my trip was to photograph Brown Bears, the largest of the Grizzlies, fishing for salmon.

Every summer salmon return from the ocean to the stream of their birth to spawn and die. This provides a wonderful opportunity for animals, particularly the Brown Bears, to feast. Brown Bears must put on weight to carry them through hibernation. They typically will eat about 20 fish per day.

We flew to the park from Anchorage in this plane. It has a capacity of 9 passengers plus a pilot.

What follows is a small sample of the many photos I took. All but the last were taken from platforms, one just below the falls and one right at the falls. The bears were below us, and they were interested in fishing; not in us.

People also fish in the stream. Needless to say, if a bear gets close they move on.

A mother and three cubs wandered onto the beach between and our plane just as we were about to board the plane. We immediately moved into the woods behind the beach until they were well past us.

Thanks for looking.