camera, pressed the shutter lever and then used a crank or knob to ad- vance the film to the next frame. Some later TLR’s had available eye level viewfinders, and combined film advance with shutter cocking, mak- ing trackside life with a TLR a little easier.


There are railfans today who still use Rolleiflex, Rolleicord, Mamiya, and Yashica TLR’s (and Rolleiflex is still made). Steinheimer rated his Rolleicord as being best for train pho- tography in rugged conditions or weather (yes, this is yet another cam- era that “Stein” used).


Other popular medium format cameras included the 6×9 cm Ko- dak Six-20 Monitor and Six-20 Vigi- lant, both with having


excellent


oltec Scenic in southern Colorado. This image was taken with a plastic Holga camera which has no exposure meter


Denver & Rio Grande 315 and 463doublehead a steam photo freight on September 28, 2013, on the Cumbres & T


, only a single shutter speed


of ¹⁄₁₂₅ of a second, and uses “guesstimate” zone focusing, some of the minimal features which railfans had to work with many decades ago.


conserving your limited film supply, versus having 36 shots with 35mm film or the al- most endless exposures of digital. Speed Graphics were also made in other format sizes. One of Richard Steinheimer’s early cameras (after his Brownie and Argus C-2) was a 3¼×4¼ Speed Graphic. Beginning with the Rolleiflex in 1929, an-


other favorite of railfan photographers were medium format 6x6 cm TLR’s. Most TLR’s came with a 75mm or 80mm lens, a semi- wide angle equivalent to about a 35mm lens on a 35mm film camera, perfect for most railfanning use. But using a TLR was some- what slow and awkward. You composed and focused looking down at a reversed image on the ground glass screen on top of the


Today


Compare all of the above with today’s digi- tal SLR and point & shoot cameras, with their high quality zoom lenses, sophisticat- ed automatic focus and exposure, fast shot advance, and almost limitless shot capacity with zero film cost. Instead of waiting sev- eral days to get our slides back, today we see our photos instantly. We also make prints digitally, much easier than using smelly wet darkroom chemicals. Railfan photography has never been better! But it might be fun to give an old camera a try to better experience what railfan pho- tography used to be like. Many of the old tyme cameras can be bought for low prices at camera shows or internet auction sites.


PHOTOS THIS PAGE: GREG MONROE


lenses. I have used a 1950s-era 6×9 Kodak Medalist, a tank of a rangefinder camera that is slow to focus and advance the film, but can capture very nice train photos through its sharp Ektar 90mm lens. As evidence of the ruggedness and usability of the Medalist, it was used by the military to photograph World War II combat action.


THE CASS MONOGRAPHS — A CONTINUING SERIES —


History and Operations of the Mills at Cass, WV 1902 - 2011


Planing Mill, Saw Mill & Extract Plant


Plans, Maps & Scale Drawings


Over 90 Vintage Photos


NOW AVAILABLE 104 PAGES PRICE $24.95


The Story of Western Maryland Shay No. 6 1929 - 2009


From Coal Hauler to Cass Scenic Railroad Service


More than 130 Photos


Track Charts Diagrams & Maps


104 PAGES PRICE $24.95


The History of Cass, WV 1898 - 2007


Over 100 Never Previously Published Photos


7” x 34” 1917 Panoramic Cass Photo


Worker’s House and


Floor Plans Maps


100 PAGES PRICE $24.95


Centennial History of Shay No. 5 at Cass


Logging Operations


Narratives


Over 100 Photos


Maps 2nd


Printing! 72 PAGES PRICE $19.95


This southbound BNSF trainwaiting at the south end of the railroad depression on the Joint Line through Littleton, Colo., in 1998 was photographed using a 1950s-era 6x9 Kodak Medalist camera that, while being slow to focus and advance the film, with careful use and forethought about the photo you are attempting, will produce beautiful train prints.


ADD $5.00 SHIPPING PER ORDER


Greenhill Station Productions 1376 Green Hill Avenue West Chester, PA 19380 email: futejgm@yahoo.com


Dealer Inquiries Invited 15


PA RES. ADD 6%


SALES TAX


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66