tracks are completely isolated by fencing with no grade crossings in Amsterdam; indeed, because of the river and tracks being so close, there are very few grade crossings anywhere in the area. The one grade crossing in Amsterdam leads to Lock 9, but that area is currently closed for flood repairs. There is a park just east of the bridge into Amsterdam from the Thruway, and while the park is fenced from the tracks, it does have an overhead bridge leading to it. Park on the top level of the mall parking lot to access the footbridge. The shot looking east is cluttered by fencing and wires, but there is a nice morning shot looking west from the stairwell tower in the park.


A Day At Lock 10


I spent the day at Lock 10 on October 23, 2015. Always up for a challenge, I decided to try some night photography. I set up three Alien Bees B800 studio strobes along the south bank and aimed them across the Mohawk. When I fired them, I couldn’t really see any effect by just looking. But the secret to modern night photography is you need just enough photons for a digital camera to pick them up, and I was pleasantly


70 DECEMBER 2015 • RAILFAN.COM


ABOVE: Walking east past the locktender’s tower will yield this morning shot of a train passing the dam at Lock 10. The water for the lock is in the immediate foreground.


OPPOSITE: Three Alien Bees B800 strobes had just enough throw to light up the north shore of the Mohawk from the south shore. An eastbound train makes its way through the early evening on October 23.


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  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74