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arkansawyer — Amtrak II

Published: 2008-02-09 17:20:12 +0000 UTC; Views: 1024; Favourites: 17; Downloads: 0
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Description More than a year ago, Harrisburg had one of those awesome "cloud days" that make for very interesting photos. In my haste to capture the clouds, I think I overlooked a gem.

Now, almost a year and a half later, I am going through my archives and stumbled across this shot, that when full-viewed made me think, "How could I miss THAT?"

A part of me knows that the original (Click here to see Amtrak) was chosen by me because of the cloudy skies, as well as the autumn colors on the hills beyond... But this shot, now, in retrospect, actually shows much more detail on the bridge and the train itself, and perhaps even is better than the one I posted then.

I'd like your opinion as to which you prefer, and why. (Or even if you don't care for either, let me know)...

Location: Rockville Bridge (info from wikipedia)

The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct in the world. Constructed between 1900 - 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet (1,164 m).

The bridge crosses the Susquehanna River about 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The eastern end is in Rockville and the western end is just south of Marysville.

The original bridge on the spot opened on September 1, 1849, when the PRR began operating over it. The Northern Central Railway built the Marysville Bridge to the north in 1858, and later moved to the expanded Rockville Bridge. The current bridge was built by Italian laborers, who were working for two contractors (Drake & Stratton), one on the east side of the Susquehanna River and one on the west. For most of its life the bridge carried 4 main line tracks, but which was reduced to three in the 1980's when the PRR Main Line was modernized across Pennsylvania. In the late 1990's a shipping container was blown off an intermodal freight train and landed in the river prompting Norfolk Southern to reconfigure the track layout, terminating the wye track to Enola at the west end of the bridge. This reduced the number of main line tracks to two, but left a buffer zone on either side to prevent further containers ending up in the river. Currently, the bridge is used by the Norfolk Southern and Amtrak. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
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Comments: 65

Protons [2008-02-16 01:49:35 +0000 UTC]

I personally like the first one you posted, because the clouds are absolutely amazing. They almost look fake -- painted on.

However, this one is nice too.

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arkansawyer In reply to Protons [2008-02-16 02:57:48 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I understand both reactions...

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Protons In reply to Protons [2008-02-16 01:51:08 +0000 UTC]

Oh, and I really like in the other one how the bridge is. How it gets smaller.. but then again, I've always been a sucker for that kind of stuff.

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Helens-Serendipity [2008-02-15 18:59:22 +0000 UTC]

It really is lovely James wonderful soft colours with the hard texture

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arkansawyer In reply to Helens-Serendipity [2008-02-15 20:34:43 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! The original post was 'feedback requested - amtrak II' ... and a request to compare this post to the one I posted way back when. I like the sky in the original shot but when I looked at this closely I can't believe that I overlooked it entirely back then...

I've been working on getting photos together for a "photobook" and going through month-by-month browsing through old photos... trying to find originals that I had set aside long ago and finding gems like this that I had overlooked before.

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Helens-Serendipity In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-16 16:38:10 +0000 UTC]

My pleasure

It's great when we come across something like this

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arkansawyer In reply to Helens-Serendipity [2008-02-17 03:09:49 +0000 UTC]

I agree.

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pugluvr [2008-02-10 05:25:15 +0000 UTC]

Hmm... I like this one better because... something about the mixture of blue, grey, and white in the sky makes it more... beautiful

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arkansawyer In reply to pugluvr [2008-02-10 06:16:52 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! As always, I appreciate your comments.

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pugluvr In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 06:17:56 +0000 UTC]

No problem

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truelulu [2008-02-10 01:23:11 +0000 UTC]

This shot is very nice! The train zipping through the quietness of autumn color contrasts as nicely as the sky against the trees. Nice old bridge too.

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arkansawyer In reply to truelulu [2008-02-10 01:26:38 +0000 UTC]

If you check back in a few, I'll update the description with a link to more information on the bridge. It is actually a historic bridge... In it's day the longest stone arch bridge in the world...

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djberry [2008-02-10 01:17:48 +0000 UTC]

Great shot. Wonderful color and interesting composition.. too bad it's not from a higher vantage point.

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arkansawyer In reply to djberry [2008-02-10 01:23:56 +0000 UTC]

I've seen some photos of Rockville from a higher standpoint but similar angle. The only way I can figure to get there would be to stand along the roadside of the divided 4 lane US322 that goes above. Doable, but not something I want to try on a lunch break.

This particular day, I was actually taking my lunchtime stroll along the bank and heard the train coming... took what I could when the opportunity arose!

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eyesofhumor [2008-02-10 00:36:40 +0000 UTC]

I like them both!

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arkansawyer In reply to eyesofhumor [2008-02-10 01:14:42 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, Cindy, I appreciate it!! This reminds me a little bit of your vine covered warehouse... the vegetation all hanging on... changing of the seasons and all... I like the other shot for the sky but this one for the details..

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eyesofhumor In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 16:07:24 +0000 UTC]

Yep that ivy covered factory will never be the same... the part in the middle that fell never regrew and I think that within the next few years it'll all die. Been there for as long as I can remember but I think it's run it's course.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

arkansawyer In reply to eyesofhumor [2008-02-10 17:49:56 +0000 UTC]

Then again... One never can quite tell....

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okiehillgirl [2008-02-10 00:26:50 +0000 UTC]

this one is a helluva lot better.

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arkansawyer In reply to okiehillgirl [2008-02-10 01:15:01 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!! (I think you're just bored from the old one!!)

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QuackImAPineCone [2008-02-09 22:01:53 +0000 UTC]

the trees are such beautiful colors! The bridge is cool too!

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arkansawyer In reply to QuackImAPineCone [2008-02-10 01:13:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I think I like both about this photo.. the detail in the bridge is pretty neat to see.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

eskimoblueboy [2008-02-09 20:02:39 +0000 UTC]

I think the detail in the train and bridge are better in this one. I also think the light on the bridge and train is better in the first one.

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arkansawyer In reply to eskimoblueboy [2008-02-09 20:43:59 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I think the light and the clouds in the original made me totally overlook this one. I could probably 'tweak' out the haze in this one but... I really like the detail on the train and bridge, and even the vegetation on this one... I think I'll leave it the way I took it.

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eskimoblueboy In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-09 21:04:09 +0000 UTC]

They are both great shots.

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arkansawyer In reply to eskimoblueboy [2008-02-10 01:24:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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eskimoblueboy In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 03:11:36 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome.

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jonas-took [2008-02-09 19:55:11 +0000 UTC]

I love this shot: not so much sky and the train is wonderful

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arkansawyer In reply to jonas-took [2008-02-09 20:47:54 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! It means a lot.

I added the "print" option requested... in some standard sizes. A question about the prints you've gotten in the past - how was the quality?

Also, do you think it would be worthwhile for me to adjust contrast and lighting slightly on this image to remove some haze, or leave it natural? The more I go along, the more I prefer natural rather than changing things. I feel like too much post-processing kinda makes the whole art of capturing the image rather pointless - although there are reasonable limits to that.

I am actually working on a photobook collection of some of my images from the past couple of years, and going back through my archives month by month reviewing every image (of thousands per month some months) and just now hit October 2006 and this image.

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jonas-took In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-11 05:00:19 +0000 UTC]

I really like it as it is. the quality of the prints from da is quite good, I have hung them all on my walls. Excellent!

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arkansawyer In reply to jonas-took [2008-02-12 22:32:50 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Blueskye27 [2008-02-09 19:44:46 +0000 UTC]

While I like the sky in the other picture, this one is easily my favorite. The whole shot is fantastic.

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arkansawyer In reply to Blueskye27 [2008-02-09 20:49:21 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, Cindy!! It means a lot! I appreciate it. At the time, obviously, I preferred the other one, but now I am agreeing with you in that this one is perhaps better! I like the detail in the stonework, the vegetation, and the train (not to mention the smudged sky above where the exhaust fumes heated the air).

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Blueskye27 In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-09 20:51:25 +0000 UTC]

I love the way the shrubbery hangs off the bridge...it's gorgeous.

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arkansawyer In reply to Blueskye27 [2008-02-09 21:06:10 +0000 UTC]

There are SOME nice things about Pennsylvania.. (Although this could as easily be a bridge somewhere in Arkansas, too)

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Blueskye27 In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-09 22:54:28 +0000 UTC]

It looks quite beautiful there. And you get snow! I'm jealous about that.

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arkansawyer In reply to Blueskye27 [2008-02-10 01:12:43 +0000 UTC]

It snowed some today... enough to coat all the ground with white... but was in the upper 60s a couple days ago... so it all melted by late afternoon... now I just saw a pop of lightning and heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. Strange February weather...

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Blueskye27 In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 01:19:41 +0000 UTC]

Sounds more like Arkansas all the time...

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arkansawyer In reply to Blueskye27 [2008-02-10 01:22:14 +0000 UTC]

It's funny... I left home at 19.. lived in Texas 4 yrs... alabama 4 yrs, oklahoma 1.5 yrs... and here ever since. It's the most like home of any of those other places, from the small town friendliness to the mountains and fields and climate... a couple degrees cooler in winter and summer but not significantly so.

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Blueskye27 In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 01:24:41 +0000 UTC]

I'm gonna have to visit Pennsylvania someday. It looks lovely.

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arkansawyer In reply to Blueskye27 [2008-02-10 01:32:47 +0000 UTC]

I think you should!

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Blueskye27 In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 01:34:07 +0000 UTC]

Me, too.

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Simply-Simon [2008-02-09 19:40:22 +0000 UTC]

I think this one, The train is off centre and their is less sky.

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arkansawyer In reply to Simply-Simon [2008-02-09 20:49:35 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, Simon. I appreciate it.

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Simply-Simon In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-09 21:44:19 +0000 UTC]

I can't spell either!

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arkansawyer In reply to Simply-Simon [2008-02-10 01:18:11 +0000 UTC]

We all make mistakes sometimes! (It took me a year and a half to notice this treasure hidden amongst all my trash!!) I tend to delete few photos unless they are total wastes... I finally found a tool to sift through the entire collection by month/year... and when I hit October 2006 and saw this one, I couldn't believe I never even remembered considering it.

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Simply-Simon In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 07:00:07 +0000 UTC]

a fine photograph

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arkansawyer In reply to Simply-Simon [2008-02-10 17:47:02 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

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Simply-Simon In reply to arkansawyer [2008-02-10 17:56:56 +0000 UTC]

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IHeartGrahamCrackers [2008-02-09 19:11:47 +0000 UTC]

For some reason, when viewing the smaller image, I prefer the other photo...and when viewing full size, I think I like this one a little better...I can't really explain why...though both are good anyway

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