Night Photography – Jim Pearson Photography

CSX Heritage Unit, L&N 1850 leading his loaded grain train at Slaughters, Ky

The late evening light and rainy weather helped bring about this slow shutter speed shot of the conductor on G419, with the latest CSX Heritage Unit, L&N 1850 leading his loaded grain train, doing a roll-by inspection on empty coal train E904 at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky on October 5th, 2023, on the Henderson Subdivision, trackage that used to belong to the L&N.

I’ve been trying for several days to get a good shot of this engine, as it’s been at Howell Yard in Evansville, IN for their Family Days event. I didn’t want a shot of it just sitting in a yard, so I played the long game and made two-day long trips to Indiana to get it finally on the move! I started the chase on this move at Princeton, IN this was my last shot of the day! It rained pretty much the whole day, but fortunately there was a lull here and a couple of other spots where I was able to get the drone up!

According to CSXT: CSX has introduced the sixth locomotive in its heritage series, a freshly painted unit honoring the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Designated CSX 1850, the locomotive will be placed into service, carrying the L&N colors across the 20,000-mile CSX network.

The paint scheme was designed and applied at the CSX Locomotive Shop in Waycross, Georgia, which has produced all six units in the heritage series celebrating the lines that came together to form the modern CSX. Like the other heritage locomotives, the L&N unit combines the heritage railroad’s iconic logo and colors on the rear two-thirds of the engine with today’s CSX colors and markings on the cab end.

Chartered by the State of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N grew into a vital transportation link between the Gulf Coast and the nation’s heartland. The railroad was absorbed by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, which subsequently became part of the Chessie System and, ultimately, today’s CSX.

The CSX heritage series is reinforcing employee pride in the history of the railroad that continues to move the nation’s economy with safe, reliable and sustainable rail-based transportation services.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/8, 1/10, ISO 100.

Colorful light from signals along with the smoke from Steam locomotive Frisco 1630 help provide a dramatic night photo

Colorful light from signals along with the smoke from Steam locomotive Frisco 1630 help provide a dramatic night photo as it sits in the station at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) during their 70th anniversary weekend in Union, Illinois, waiting to depart on the evening of September 16th, 2023.

According to IRM website: St. Louis – San Francisco Railroad (“Frisco”) 1630 is the museum’s most famous steam engine. A “Russian Decapod,” it was built in 1918 for export to Russia but was embargoed when the Bolshevik Revolution took place. Instead, the newly completed engine was sold to the Frisco, which used it in both freight and passenger service into the 1950s. The Frisco later sold it to Eagle-Picher Mining, where it saw use hauling freight and aggregate trains until the mid-1960s. It arrived at the IRM in 1967.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @15mm, f/4, 30 Seconds, ISO 100.

Cass Scenic Railroad Heisler #6 pulls across the bridge in a light rain at Leatherbark Creek at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railroad Heisler #6 pulls across the bridge in a light rain at Leatherbark Creek during a night photo shoot as part of the Cass Spring Photographers Special, at Cass, West Virginia on May 3rd, 2025.

According to the Mountain Rail West Virginia Website: The Meadow River Lumber No. 6 was built by the Heisler Locomotive Works in Erie, PA, in 1929 for the Bostonia Coal & Clay Products Company of New Bethlehem, PA.

The Heisler was sold to the Meadow River Lumber Company at Rainelle, WV in 1939, where it was rostered as No. 6. She retired from the lumber company in 1965 and was purchased by the purchased it by the state of West Virginia purchased. The engine ran under its own steam from Rainelle to its new home in Cass in December 1966. No. 6 would begin operating on the railroad in 1968. The Heisler is the fastest geared locomotive in the Cass collection.

Tech Info: Nikon Z6ii, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/125, ISO 5,600.

Cass Scenic Railroad Heisler #6 pulls across the bridge in a light rain at Leatherbark Creek, Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railroad Heisler #6 pulls across the bridge in a light rain at Leatherbark Creek during a night photo shoot as part of the Cass Spring Photographers Special, at Cass, West Virginia on May 3rd, 2025.

According to the Mountain Rail West Virginia Website: The Meadow River Lumber No. 6 was built by the Heisler Locomotive Works in Erie, PA, in 1929 for the Bostonia Coal & Clay Products Company of New Bethlehem, PA.

The Heisler was sold to the Meadow River Lumber Company at Rainelle, WV in 1939, where it was rostered as No. 6. She retired from the lumber company in 1965 and was purchased by the purchased it by the state of West Virginia purchased. The engine ran under its own steam from Rainelle to its new home in Cass in December 1966. No. 6 would begin operating on the railroad in 1968. The Heisler is the fastest geared locomotive in the Cass collection.

Tech Info: Nikon Z6ii, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 38mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 10,000.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend night photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 3sec exposure, +0.3 stops, ISO 200.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during a light rain

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during a light rain, at the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on the night of November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 24mm, f/9, 30 seconds, ISO 100.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits at the depot at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits at the depot at Essex, Connecticut as the conductor is surrounded by steam, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 36mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40 during a night photo shoot at Essex, Connecticut, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits at the depot at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits at the depot at Essex, Connecticut as the conductor is surrounded by steam, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 45mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40…

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40 during a night photo shoot at Essex, Connecticut, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 52mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 7,200.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot in Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot in Essex, Connecticut as crews conduct their night operations, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 44mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 7,200.

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40 during a night photo shoot

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40 during a night photo shoot at Essex, Connecticut, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 52mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 6,400.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits in s shroud of steam at the depot at Essex, Connecticut, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

#photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #thevalleyrailroad #steamtrains

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits in a shroud of steam at the depot at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits in a shroud of steam at the depot at Essex, Connecticut, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot at Essex, Connecticut as the conductor stands next to the engine, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 31mm, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 2800.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits…

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as Reading and Northern SW8M 803 waits on the turntable to pull it onto the main at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, for the first day of the year of 2102 pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

From what I find on the web: Reading and Northern locomotive 803 is an EMD SW-8m model. It was built in September 1951 with builder number 14495. It was previously owned by Conrail (CR) as 8684 and originally by Lehigh Valley (LV) as 270.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, 2.5 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 200.

70300Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 2.5 seconds, ISO 200.

#railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #steamtrains #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #RBNRR

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house at dawn

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 2.5 seconds, ISO 200.

The Valley Railroad steam engine 40 sits in the station at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad steam engine 40 sits in the station at Essex, Connecticut during the night photo shoot by Dak Dillion Photography on October 8th, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad #40 is a ALCO 2-8-0 that was built in 1923. It was built as Portland, Astoria and Pacific No. 101, but never used there; transferred to Minarets and Western Railroad in 1921, later to Southern Pacific, then to the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad. Purchased by the Valley Railroad in 1977.

Tech Info: iPhone 14 Pro, 6.9 (24mm), f/2.2, 1/8, ISO 1600, JPG.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: iPhone 14 Pro, normal lens, f/1.8, 1/30th, ISO 800.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests in the yard at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests in the yard at Essex, Connecticut as crews conduct their night operations after a day on the line, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 45mm, 5.6, 1/40, ISO 10,000.

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40…

A brakeman holds up a lantern at the depot next to The Valley Railroad Company #40 during a night photo shoot at Essex, Connecticut, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 52mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 7,200.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot in Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot in Essex, Connecticut as crews conduct their night operations, on October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 38mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.