Some Train Photos Are Special.

Take a long-distance train ride and, if you look for them, you’ll see people taking your picture as you roll by. I was surprised to discover that railroad photography is an avocation for literally thousands of people, and many of them produce some really excellent work. But among those there is an elite group, a relative handful, who have the technical skill, but also bring the eye of an artist to their work. Here are four of those.
 

 This photographer, David Carbailido-Jeans, was in exactly the right place at just the right time. He got the train and he also scored a 180-degree rainbow! What are the odds?
 

 And isn’t this a beauty! Taken on a winter’s night in Palmyra, Wisconsin, by Robert Jordan. There’s something about it that won’t let you look away. Maybe it’s those dim lights at the back of the building.
 

 Photographer Mike Danneman had to decide on the exact location, get set up, and wait for the eastbound California Zephyr as it was making its descent into the Denver area. And then he had just a few seconds to get just the right shot. You know this is a favorite of mine—it’s on the cover of my book.
 

 And I really love this one by Dennis Livesey. A wonderful train photo … but there’s no train in the picture! It was taken just two weeks ago in Essex, Connecticut.
 
If you want more, a lot more, go to RailPictures.net. Believe it or not, you’ll have access to more than half-a-million train photos. I spend a lot of time there on nights I can’t sleep. And—one guy’s opinion—these four are among the very best.