When I bought by tickets for Train Festival 2011, I decided to do the first night photo session and made sure I brought my tripod with me for this event. Since it had been under a thunderstorm alert with lightning strikes on Thursday night, we were rescheduled for Friday night. Nathan, Bob Alkire and I then headed back down to Rock Island to the grounds for this unique photo opportunity.
That sky told me more rain and thunderstorms were on the way as we drove to this event. It was a hot and humid night as we started.
On the way in, here is Central Pacific 63 "Leviathan". The first pose of the evening was Nickel Plate Road 765.
Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 765 was the first of two main shots for this hot evening here in Rock Island. Since we had twice the amount of people, I let Nathan use my tripod so he could get a good shot of this steam engine before I would photograph around the grounds with the existing light.
The Nebraska Zephyr would be the second shot late in the evening.
Two more pictures of Nickel Plate 765.
Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern GP40 4001.
BNSF ES44C4 6688.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy SW7 9255.
Chicago and North Western F7A 411.
Central Pacific 4-4-0 63 "Levianthan".
Iowa Interstate GP38-2 701.
The line of tank steam engines.
Flagg Coal 0-4-0T 75.
Viscose 0-4-0T 6.
Milwaukee Road "Super Dome".
The tenders of Nickel Plate 765.
Now we added a character to Nickel Plate Road 765 scene.
I changed angles for my next two pictures, after which the lights were re-arranged for the Nebraska Zephyr as we started hearing the rumble of thunder off to the northwest.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy E5A 9911A as the lights were being changed.
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy E5A 9911A.
The Nebraska Zephyr.
The unmistakeable E5.
A young woman posed by the drivers of Nickel Plate Road 765. After that I let Nathan use the tripod again before I resumed.
The Nebraska Zephyr.
Dakota Minnesota & Eastern GP38-2 4001.
The Nebraska Zephyr.
More views of the Nebraska Zephyr and CB&Q 9911A. Having had our fill, Nathan, Bob and I returned to the Motel 6 and after about thirty minutes, a severe thunderstorm poured rain from the sky. I put the pictures into the computer and called it a night.
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