IAEGER


ABOVE: A Norfolk Southern train passes by the location of the old Star- lite Drive-In Theatre, which has been cleared in the last 15 years to make way for a new private home. The location is east of town just off the high- way and over the Elkhorn Creek bridge. RIGHT: “Hot Shot East Bound at at Iaeger, West Viriginia,” August 2, 1956 (NW1103). Regarded as one of Link’s most widely-recognized photos, astute observers will notice there is no image on the movie screen. The scene of a jet airplane was added later by Link in the darkroom.


TRACING THE STEPS OF O. WINSTON LINK Links to the past BY FR. DALE PETERKA/COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE AUTHOR BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY BY O. WINSTON LINK/COURTESY O. WINSTON LINK MUSEUM


ON JANUARY 30, 2001, the world of railroad photography lost one of the gi- ants. Photographer O. Winston Link, best known for his dramatic photos of Norfolk & Western steam, was discov- ered slumped over the steering wheel of his car. Experiencing chest pains while driving to a doctor’s appointment, he made it as far as the station parking lot in Katonah, N.Y., not far from his home. It seemed a fitting final destina- tion for a man who made railroading


38 MAY 2012 • RAILFAN.COM


such a large part of his career. Link always insisted that he made


his famous railroad photos at night so that he could light the subject the way he wanted, creating


highlights and


shadows, and, of course, a dark back- ground to hide distracting details such as wires, debris, and buildings. The ef- fectiveness of this technique speaks for itself. Every part of a Link photograph is an important part, adding to the sto- ry being told. No unwanted details. No


clutter to take your attention away. The black sky and the surrounding darkness add an element of drama to the scene. They tell a story often over- looked by people who stay home after dark: the nostalgic story of steam trains in the night. In the late 1950s, O. Winston Link’s


great project was the recording on film of the last days of steam on the Norfolk & Western. Like the disappearance of the American buffalo a few generations


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