UP 3985 Steam locomotive chase

[jdando]

What a day! Curt and I chased the Union Pacific 3985 Challenger steam locomotive from Mason City Iowa to St. Paul MN. This is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, if you ever get a chance to see it, even if it is only for a few seconds, make it happen! The locomotive is a 4-6-6-4 wheel configuration and was designed to haul freight, it is not as pretty as the Milwaukee Road 261, but the rail cars are absolutely beautiful. More information on the Union Pacific Challenger 3985 is here (http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/excurs/up3985.shtml).

The Challenger weighs in at almost 1,000,000 lbs and presents a difficult photo opportunity, but we prevailed.

Just north of Mason City, locomotive, tender and one of the two 28,000 gallon water tenders.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5789a.jpg

Pacing the Challenger from Curt's Marauder
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5828a.jpg

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5811b.jpg

Finally got a wide enough view of the entire train.
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5871d.jpg

Looks like this is a fire breathing locomotive
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5858a.jpg

We met Dave F. (MNXTRIK8R) in Owatonna, somehow his car was clean
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5880a.jpg

Curt's Marauder did not fair so well after about 60 miles of dirt roads
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5908a.jpg

Finally coming into Northfield MN
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5943c.jpg

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/3/1/0/2/IMG_5974b.jpg

All in all a great day of trains, cars and Marauder owners.

[Blk Mamba]

Wow, she's beautiful!

[justbob]

Wow thats really cool. Pic. 2 &3 do it for me.

[TAKEDOWN]

Awesome pictures, cool trains, beautiful scenic backgrounds... OH MY GOD, CURT! GO CLEAN THAT CAR PLEASE!!! LOL!

[justbob]

My car has seen tennessee backroads on a couple occassions seeing family believe me that car isn't dirty yet. Just triple that mess and give it a good shade of red clay.

[rayjay]

Wow, amazing piece of machinery. I have to find out if there is anything like that in upstate NY. I wonder if it would be cost effective to return to those days considering what diesel fuel costs. It would put a whole lot folks to work.

[Master]

And, aren't steam plants way more efficient than direct combustion processes? I thought a steam plant could run up around 60-70% efficient vs about 25% for gas or 35-40% for diesel. Someone have some stats? Not sure how carrying around several thousand tons of water figures into the mix, though.

[RoyLPita]

How fast does this one go?

[STLR FN]

Jeremy I can honestly say I really enjoy reading these threads. Great pics. Nice to see 'The End of an Era" hasn't completely gone away.

[CRUZTAKER]

Man I wished I lived out your way to participate.

Awesome captures again booya!!!!

[STLR FN]

How fast does this one go?Brian according to the site 70mph but if the steam is super-heated they can go faster.

[Black_Noise]

looks like a fun time, except having to clean all that gravel dust out of every nook and crany on the mm, and i know

[Local Boy]

That's some cool stuff!!!

Wish we had them here in the islands...

We did have some to haul (sugar) cane, way back when...

But, none as majestic and beautiful as yours...

Thanks for the pics...

ALOHA

[TAKEDOWN]

That's some cool stuff!!!

Wish we had them here in the islands...

We did have some to haul (sugar) cane, way back when...

But, none as majestic and beautiful as yours...

Thanks for the pics...

ALOHA

Local Boy just line some Samoans up and make em' run, now you got your picture shots.:beer:

[Local Boy]

Now THAT would be one Big Human Train!!! LOL

Only problem is you pay them with food...and I ain't giving mine up...

ALOHA :beer:

[TAKEDOWN]

Now THAT would be one Big Human Train!!! LOL

Only problem is you pay them with food...and I ain't giving mine up...

ALOHA :beer:

By the way Local Boy, when I do confront these giant Samoans I call them... SIR!!! :lol:

[Local Boy]

I hear ya, brah...

They grow BIG out here!!!

ALOHA

[CRUZTAKER]

Jeremy, I may have asked before...but what lens are you using?

Be specific.;)

[jdando]

Jeremy, I may have asked before...but what lens are you using?

Be specific.;)

Hi Barry;

I shot a variety of lens on this trip.

#1
50mm F1.4 If I recall correctly it was on a tripod

#2 and 3
18-55 IS F3.5-5.6 EF-S From the back seat of Curt's Marauder travelling about 45 mph

#4
18-55 IS F3.5-5.6 EF-S hand held in a soybean field

#5
70-200 F2.8 From the back seat of Curt's Marauder, unknown speed

#6
This is Curt's shot. I am guessing 28-105mm Canon

#7
18-55 IS F3.5-5.6 EF-S hand held on the side of a dusty road

#8
70-200 F2.8 on a tripod about 500 feet from the tracks

#9
70-200 F2.8 on a tripod about 1/4 mile from the tracks. This is a heavily cropped image. Looking at it again, the post processing could be better.

The image quality takes a real hit when I resize and upload to mm.net.

I am thinking about upgrading the wide end of my lens, but the choices are limited and expensive. The 10-22mm Canon (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=351542&is=USA&A=details&Q=#) would be nice, a different route would be a 14mm prime (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/519474-USA/Canon_2045B002_EF_14mm_f_2_8L_ II.html) :eek: but I did not win the lottery this weekend.

In reviewing the entire shot, I probably had the shutter speed a bit low and camera shake is always an issue with me. I did a good job of getting perpendicular to the train when possible to minimize the parallax (?) errors. Lighting was difficult since I have no control over the weather, time of day and location of the tracks. My post processing on these was really fast and sloppy. I have redone most of these shots and think the colors are better.

Hope this helps!

[CRUZTAKER]

Thanks man!

This months POP-Photography mag did a lens special with quite a bit of info and choices.

Tamron has come a LONG way with quality and those fast long lenses are within the 700 dollar range with VR.

My issue is, I want a faster long lens....say a 80-200 at f2.x AND a faster fixed lens such as a 80mm f1.8.

My current 300mm equivilant Nikkor is F5.6 and absolutely sucks for macro and depth of field in most situations.