Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This weekend, I got out to Georgetown, Colorado, which lies about 50 minute's drive west of Golden, on I-70. This was gold and silver-mining country, and the old mines can still be readily seen dotting the hillsides. Some of the old structures are large-format photographer's dreams, but that'll have to wait for a return trip... Without delving too much into the towns of Silver Plume and Georgetown, which certainly are photo-worthy, I'd say that the tiny Georgetown Loop Railroad ( www.gtownloop.com ) is a real treat for the railfan, or anyone looking to breathe in (sometimes literally!) a bit of the west in the days when silver and gold were king. Of particular interest to the railfan are the unusual narrow gauge Shay locomotives, which were well-suited to this short line, with it's curves and steep grades. This was the first time that I'd seen a steam locomotive in action, and I found the old "Iron Horse" metaphor apt, as these locomotives snort and hiss, even while at rest, though no horse ever belched great black clouds of smoke while running downhill on a 4 percent grade! Though a short ride, the trip is not lacking in drama, as it winds through mixed pine and aspen forest, over creeks, and finally, the dramatic Devil's Gate High Bridge, before practically corkscrewing down into Georgetown. On a hunch, I took the Leica M, rather than the Hasselblad, and I'm glad I did, because, this being my first time around operating steam locomotives, I did a good deal of scurring about, photographing the engine taking on water at Silver Plume (90mm Summicron), the tidy engine house containing Shay #12 and, as a tourist, photographing the locomotive from the vantage point of one of the open-air gondolas (35, 50 mm). I did take a few overall shots of the locomotive in action, but had most fun zeroing in on smaller-scale dramas, such as the fireman lowering a water spout into the tender's gaping maw <-- (poetic licence taken). There, I've gone only wide enough to show the Georgetown Loop RR nomenclature on the tender, and to reveal the water tower as, well, a water tower. Go in too tight, and the photo loses context for most viewers. I'll return with a larger camera + tripod sometime, and will have the advantage of knowing exactly where I want to place the tripod! In all of the excitement, I completely failed to shop for exotic pens or wristwatches. Nuts. :-) Jeff