My Canon 40D only had an ISO range up to 3200, and that was very grainy. This is the first experiment with my Canon 7D which can go all the way up to 12800! In this 30 second exposure, there is a clear signal for an approaching eastbound light power move. The stars in the night sky can clearly be seen.
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Under a crystal clear night, an eastbound power move blasts past the west switch of Sagers.
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Silent Night. There was nothing but the faint sound of cars on I-70 a couple miles to the south when snapping this shot. The signal stands dark beneath a glorious star-filled sky.
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This is definitely the longest exposure I've attempted to date. This is a 2 1/2 hour shot taken at West Sagers, looking at the North Star. For this shot, I setup the tripod and started the exposure, then literally went back to the tent and climbed in to my sleeping bag and slept for two hours before coming back out and completing the shot!
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For the second time in the night, the signal at West Sagers lights up green in preparation for an approaching eastbound. The sky lights up in a brilliant orange to the east as a crescent moon beings to make its ascent in to the night sky.
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Need a light? The headlight on this eastbound is sure to lend a hand! UP's MRONY knocks down the signal at West Sagers as it quickly progresses east, getting ever-closer to its destination of North Yard in Denver.
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With an ISO of 12800, a lot of detail can be picked up even in virtual pitch black conditions. The new control box for Sagers stands beneath a star-filled sky. Looking southwest, we can see right in to the galactic core.
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For decades, this old signal has stood at West Sagers underneath starry nights like this one. With new signal masts already erected, this old troopers days (and nights) are definitely few remaining.
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Definitely one of my favorite night shots to date. Sun rising in the east? Nope! It was barely 4am when snapping this picture. That is actually a crescent moon making its way in to the night sky.
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After a great night of starry photography, the sun is finally cresting over the eastern horizon in the Utah Desert. The soon-to-be-removed codeline makes for a nice silhouette in front of the colorful sunrise.
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Relics from the past! Codeline is become harder and harder to find. It's time in the Utah Desert is definitely limited as new signals are being erected by UP that will be driven entirely off of ATCS (wireless radio).
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The existing signal for the mainline is located in between the main and the siding (to the left) while the new signal UP is putting up will be on the left side of the main for approaching trains. It appears on the right side of the main in this shot as we are looking at the back of the signal.
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Doesn't get much better than this! A brilliant sunrise mixed in with a few morning clouds in the Utah desert. This shot is in homage to the soon-to-be-replaced signal in the foreground.
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The curve at the east end of the siding of Thompson is a great place to shoot eastbounds in the morning. Since the desert can be unreliable at best (as far as trains go), the California Zephyr is always a good candidate! About ten minutes late here, the eastbound Zephyr just passed through the virtual ghost town of Thompson.
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Its journey across the desert complete, the eastbound California Zephyr is now approaching Grand Junction where it will receive a fresh crew (engineer and conductor) for the trip to Denver.
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