B&O Photo Tours
News Page
September 2023 - Railfan Cameras, updated April 2024
Two years of camera research has revealed there are few ideal cameras for railfans who
don't want to spend thousands of dollars. Few still photo cameras gracefully handle moving
trains. Here are the best options I found:
Top Budget Camera - a used Sony H5. Pros: burst mode lets you switch between single
shot and multiple simply by how long you press the shutter button. "High-speed shutter" mode
nudges the camera's automatic choices toward shorter exposure times so moving trains don't
blur. 12x optical zoom. Uses common AA batteries. Can be found for under $100 used.
Cons: color fringing, particularly on zoom shots. No HD movie capability. Dates to
2006 so used versions might have a depleted internal battery, which means loss of settings
like the date/time when you swap in fresh AA batteries, but many camera servicers can install
a fresh internal battery.
Top Zoom Camera - Canon SX50. Pros: 50x optical zoom. Long battery life.
Cons: autofocus too often gets confused. 50x zoom goes to waste since much beyond 20x
usually grabs too much atmospheric distortion
from heat at the tracks. Deep zoom photos lack
sharpness. No way to switch between single shots and multiple quick photos without fussy
reconfiguring. Sample full moon views at right taken hand held, SX50 above, RX-10 below.
Top Quality Camera - Sony RX-10 IV. Pros: low-light ability is remarkable, yielding
best high-ISO photos I've seen. Solar eclipse and moon photos at right were generated hand held,
point and shoot, no filters (click for larger versions). Fastest autofocus I've experienced.
25x optical zoom is ideal. Ready for next photo in under
0.1 sec. Does not have the H5's "high speed shutter" mode, but sports mode is similar. Sports
mode defaults to 20 photos per sec, which is overkill for a slow train, but you can reduce
that to 3 photos per second, which leaves enough time to release the shutter button after just
one photo if that's all you want. Full automatic prefers long exposures that blur trains, but
you can tell it to favor higher ISOs: I suggest ISO Auto Min of 1/500 for slow trains, 1/1000
for fast. Virtually no color fringing. The RX-10 III is very similar.
Cons: default automatic settings blur moving trains, but can be tweaked as
described here. At least twice as heavy as the cameras above. Higher priced than ones above.
Clear Image Zoom feature has trouble choosing proper exposure and focus. Forcing higher ISOs
makes automatic mode favor opening the lens wide, which reults in a shallow depth of field,
but you can compensate by using Aperture priority mode and forcing a smaller aperture than
the preferred F stop 4. Can't access photos via older Windows versions (XP).
Plethora of configuration options would overwhelm a beginner.
There likely exist pricey, high-end cameras that also can do what a railfan needs. I limited my
research to ones obtainable in used condition for under $1000.
Someone asked me how to reduce the number of photos in continuous mode. The configuration option
is not obvious. What works on the RX-10 might also for other Sony models: in the camera menus,
find/select Drive Mode, then find/select Continuous Shooting, then rotate the control wheel
to choose between Lo Mid and Hi. I choose Lo (~3 pics per second) which leaves me anough
time to release the shutter button when I want only one pic.
August 2022 - Streetcar Pole Search
Though Baltimore's streetcar system was shuttered during the 1960s, one estimate
says about 400 of its power poles are still standing. Most such poles have a
round ball at top, as in the photo at right, and many have bits of cabling and wooden
insulators still attached, as in the photo at left.
If enough survivors can be located, perhaps I can assemble a page about them,
but I need your help finding them. Let me know
where you spotted one. For this search, I'm lumping
trackless trolleys
in with the streetcars.
Note that rusty poles without a round ball at top or wooden insulators may simply
be old, and not streetcar leftovers, so I'm not seeking those, at least not until
there is a way to positively know they had previously supported streetcar power
lines.
February 2022 - Camera Search
I'm on the hunt for a used digicam from the 2010s that's good for train
photography. Is there a particular model you like? My ideal has a viewfinder,
lots of zoom, photo burst (hold down shutter button), an anti-blur mode for
moving trains, and a usb connection to computer for easy photo download.
I've tried a Sony HX200v, but it cannot do photo bursts. A Canon SX50 can do
bursts but they're somewhat sluggish, and available only in certain modes.
My Sony H5 fits the bill, but it's getting old and is on its last legs.
What camera model do you prefer when trackside?
Let me know. Note that "burst" is
not the same as continuous; the latter captures multiple photos, and generally
cannot take just one photo from a quick tap on the shutter button.
December 2021 - CSX Engine Finder
The CSX Engine Finder debuted this month,
and it's been popular. It's a computer-generated thumbnail image index
of the locomotives appearing in the tours. I'm considering spreading the
index across more than two pages so there will be fewer thumbnail images
per page. Good idea? Bad idea?
Let me know.
August 2021 - Help ID Photos
From time to time I find a photo in my collection for which I don't have
detailed location and/or date information. Perhaps you can help fill
in missing information. I'll put such pics on the
unknown photos page. Please
email me if you can help
better ID any pics there. Thanks in advance.
January 2021 - What's Next?
Among other things, COVID hampered exploration and photography, so I've
been relying on photos I'd gathered prior. The supply is running low,
so tell me what other railroad
areas and topics you'd like to see at this site, and I'll seek to obtain
new material.
May 2020 - Not a Railroad History Book
You're visiting this site for railroads, which means, like me, you are probably
also interested in systems, and science, too. If you've ever wanted an easy,
clear understanding of quantum physics, check out my new book
Reality's Prism: Quantum Physics Demystified
now availble at Amazon.
March 2020 - Improving Older Photos
Since 2019 I've been improving the visual quality of older photo scans,
thanks to better scanner, software, and skill. It's a slow, ongoing
process as I tackle only a few photos per week.
February 2019 - 1927-Dated Aerials Are Older
The group of aerial photos dated to 1927 by their source fails to
show the B&O's Fair of the Iron Horse that took place in Halethorpe
during 1927. The photos were taken over a period from autumn 1926
into early 1927. Apparently the Fairgrounds were not prepared until
later.
November 2018 - Northeast Corridor tour begins soon
Watch for a holiday site update to kick off expanded tour coverage of the
Pennsylvania Railroad / Amtrak Northeast Corridor in Maryland. From thousands of
photos gathered over many years from various sources, the best will be selected for
inclusion in a tour spanning 70 track miles. The approximately dozen new tour pages
scheduled for periodic release into 2019 will include hundreds of Amtrak and MARC
trains, PRR artifacts, area history, engineering marvels, and the like.
October 2017 - mid-month small updates
In addition to the near-monthly updates, I hope to do smaller
updates mid-month for awhile consisting of new photos I have
of widely scattered locations. Such might contain anything
from one photo to a few new items of note.
April 2017 - End of an Era
Since the mid 1800s various circuses have entertained in locations all
around the USA, moving from one town to the next via train.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the last of its kind,
decided that 2017 would be its final year of operation, ushering the end
of an era. One of RBBB's last stops would be Baltimore where during late
April the circus train would be stationed at its usual location, Mt. Clare
Yards, for one last time. This may be your last chance to see a circus
train. The photo at left was snapped April 23 from Washington Boulevard
in Morell Park southwest of downtown Baltimore. The yard is under more
security than usual so enjoy from afar via binoculars and zoom lens.
2016/2017 - page navigation, links
To the top and bottom of most tour pages I'm gradually adding "next" and
"previous" page navigation links. If you find a broken one please let me know.
July 2016 - trainweb site outage
Various trainweb-hosted sites such as these B&O Photo Tours were inaccessible
or showing outdated content during mid-July 2016. As of late-July I've
re-posted the latest version of the B&O Photo Tours, and expect the
near-monthly content updates to resume by August 1st.
February 2015 - MD DNR Plan Will Remove B&O History at Ilchester
In preparation for the removal of Bloede Dam, the Maryland Dept. Of Natural
Resources plans to reroute sewer lines in the vicinity from their current location
to underneath Grist Mill Trail. Part of the trail follows the original alignment
of the B&O railroad that was constructed with stone stringers circa 1830. This
is one of few surviving locations that preserves the original history of such
construction techniques. The sewer work will cause excavation in this area.
Summer 2014, Mt. Airy Rails to Trails
Volunteer work during the summer of 2014 has opened part of the B&O's Mt. Airy Loop
to foot traffic. A caboose restoration project is next, and a trail to Sykesville
is under consideration.
Postscript: as of June 2016 the refurbished caboose has returned to Mt. Airy.
February 28, 2014, B&O's 187th Anniversary
From the link, on this day "in 1827, Baltimore chartered the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
The first line opened in 1830, providing service to Ellicott's Mills (now Ellicott City).
The B&O was the first railroad to carry passengers and freight."
1941 photo
October 2012, Hurricane Sandy
As Hurricane Sandy descends on the mid-atlantic region, and phases with the
polar jet stream, a monster hybrid "Frankenstorm" is anticipated to spread
heavy rains, snows and strong winds over a large area. Since widespread power
outages are expected, I have posted the November site update a few days early.
Rain in the Patapsco River watershed is forecasted to be in the same range as
that from another tropical system, Agnes, which destroyed miles of the Old Main
Line track in 1972. If you decide to venture near the river, please keep safety
a priority. Postscript: Sandy came ashore north of Maryland and caused $50 billion
in damages mainly in New Jersey and New York.
November 2011, Passing of David Hiteshew, Sr.
It is with sadness that I note the passing this month of David Hiteshew, Sr.,
a generous and frequent contributor of photos to this site. I consider it
good fortune to have met David, a personable man with an infectious enthusiasm
for people... a man who loved central Maryland, its history and the railroad.
His son Dave wrote:
"He scoured your pages throughout the last years of his life, and it would be
an understatement to say they helped give him some determination, goals, and
enjoyment (or said another way - an interesting project to keep him physically
and mentally active). Both of us had always liked the Patapsco State Park, and
trains, but we never really put it all together until we started reading through
your site. He talked about it to everyone he met!"
Many of the photos at this B&O site were snapped by Mr. Hiteshew, so it is
fitting to include one of the man, seen here enjoying a trackside moment just
a few months prior. His memory survives through his sharing with all of
us the trains and hikes and history he loved so much.
May 2011, National Train Day
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amtrak.
Autumn/Winter 2010/11 - image upgrading
Where possible, I am remastering the full size images to be larger, and
attempting to improve their color balance and brightness/contrast. Most
images that were 700x525 pixels are being enlarged to 1067x800 or 1200x800.
This upgrade project is progressing in small steps and will extend into
Spring 2011.
July 1, 2010 - Metropolitan Branch Topo maps added
No acceptable substitute from maptech's defunct topo maps was found, so the
large maps will take their place. As part of this,
large maps of the Metropolitan Branch from Washington, DC to Harper's Ferry, WV
have been added.
July 22, 2008 - Topo map links not working
The topographic maps linked from this site began failing in June 2008
due to problems at maptech.com, the provider of the maps.
September 28, 2007 - From Craig Hinners:
The non-profit Granite Historical Society is raising funds by offering
a 2007 Christmas ornament that depicts the B&O's Woodstock Station.
See more at http://www.granitehistory.org
September 20, 2006 - From Walt Mather:
We're looking for apprentices and experienced coal-firing firemen and
deck hands to man the Steam Tug BALTIMORE.
Please visit us at http://bayheritage.org/
January 4, 2006 - From the B&O Railroad Museum:
"Over the course of the last year, the Museum has been in negotiation with the Howard County
Department of Recreation and Parks and The Honorable James N. Robey, County Executive, to assume
the management of the Historic Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station in Ellicott City, Maryland. Our
proposal was accepted by the Howard County Council on December 5, 2005.
"The Museum will temporarily close the historic station beginning February 2006 to refurbish its
rooms and install exhibits. We will present its Grand Re-Opening Celebration on March 10-12, 2006."
December 1, 2005 - I received the following from Charlie Murphy:
Greeting: Unfortunately MARC and CSX have decided to end passenger services at the St. Denis stop. I saw
your pictures(very nice images) and thought you might be interested. I'm trying to get a lot of support to stop
them from closing this historic station. If you or any of your friends are interested in helping stop MARC
please join us at:
Subject: Public Hearing
Date and Time: Dec. 14, 2005, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Place: Dorsey Marc Station Rt. 100, Dorsey, MD
Add?l. Info: The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) proposes to discontinue service to Jessup and St.
Denis, MD. Marc Train Stations.
Contact: Glenn Litsinger, (410) 767-8358
Please help us save St Denis Station
Thank you, Charlie Murphy
Return to main page
Copyright Notice
like the date/time when you swap in fresh AA batteries, but many camera servicers can install
a fresh internal battery.
Top Quality Camera - Sony RX-10 IV. Pros: low-light ability is remarkable, yielding
best high-ISO photos I've seen. Solar eclipse and moon photos at right were generated hand held,
point and shoot, no filters (click for larger versions). Fastest autofocus I've experienced.
25x optical zoom is ideal. Ready for next photo in under
0.1 sec. Does not have the H5's "high speed shutter" mode, but sports mode is similar. Sports
mode defaults to 20 photos per sec, which is overkill for a slow train, but you can reduce
that to 3 photos per second, which leaves enough time to release the shutter button after just
one photo if that's all you want. Full automatic prefers long exposures that blur trains, but
you can tell it to favor higher ISOs: I suggest ISO Auto Min of 1/500 for slow trains, 1/1000
for fast. Virtually no color fringing. The RX-10 III is very similar.
Cons: default automatic settings blur moving trains, but can be tweaked as
described here. At least twice as heavy as the cameras above. Higher priced than ones above.
Clear Image Zoom feature has trouble choosing proper exposure and focus. Forcing higher ISOs
makes automatic mode favor opening the lens wide, which reults in a shallow depth of field,
but you can compensate by using Aperture priority mode and forcing a smaller aperture than
the preferred F stop 4. Can't access photos via older Windows versions (XP).
Plethora of configuration options would overwhelm a beginner.
Though Baltimore's streetcar system was shuttered during the 1960s, one estimate
says about 400 of its power poles are still standing. Most such poles have a
round ball at top, as in the photo at right, and many have bits of cabling and wooden
insulators still attached, as in the photo at left.
Watch for a holiday site update to kick off expanded tour coverage of the
Pennsylvania Railroad / Amtrak Northeast Corridor in Maryland. From thousands of
photos gathered over many years from various sources, the best will be selected for
inclusion in a tour spanning 70 track miles. The approximately dozen new tour pages
scheduled for periodic release into 2019 will include hundreds of Amtrak and MARC
trains, PRR artifacts, area history, engineering marvels, and the like.
Since the mid 1800s various circuses have entertained in locations all
around the USA, moving from one town to the next via train.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the last of its kind,
decided that 2017 would be its final year of operation, ushering the end
of an era. One of RBBB's last stops would be Baltimore where during late
April the circus train would be stationed at its usual location, Mt. Clare
Yards, for one last time. This may be your last chance to see a circus
train. The photo at left was snapped April 23 from Washington Boulevard
in Morell Park southwest of downtown Baltimore. The yard is under more
security than usual so enjoy from afar via binoculars and zoom lens.
"He scoured your pages throughout the last years of his life, and it would be
an understatement to say they helped give him some determination, goals, and
enjoyment (or said another way - an interesting project to keep him physically
and mentally active). Both of us had always liked the Patapsco State Park, and
trains, but we never really put it all together until we started reading through
your site. He talked about it to everyone he met!"
