Flanary-digital color LN130Nth-Strawberry Patch-1965
Down in the Boondocks
This is another digital colorization of one of my "vintage" black and white images. L&N Extra 130 North was running quite a bit faster than the posted 35 MPH speed limit through the "Strawberry Patch" just geographically west of Big Stone Gap, Va. This spot is just 50 or 60 yards past the Wise-Lee County line. The train originated in Loyall, Ky. to deliver coal loads to the Interstate at Dorchester Junction. After continuing into Norton to pick up a fresh set of train orders for the return, the crew stopped at Appalachia to retrieve two tracks of empty hoppers left there by the Interstate.
I vaguely recall this June 1965 image was not planned. At the last possible moment, I think my father gave me the keys to the family car (the 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 just visible on the right). I was driving like a fool to first catch up with this train and then get ahead in hopes of reaching this crossing before he did. I barely got there. With no time to park the car out of sight, I left it on the other side on the narrow "lane and a half" gravel road, then raced over the track to find a spot to stand. The head car was full of sand--but as the speed picked up, quite a bit of it was choosing to go airborne and stay in Virginia. The unidentified engineer is giving me a big wave as the rush of fresh air circulates through the cab of Alco RS-3 No. 130. Air conditioning? For a locomotive cab? You have GOT to be kidding!! Sure, it's 90 degrees and a high dew point to match but unbutton your shirt and enjoy nature.
My first thought would be to use Photoshop to remove the car---but that's even worse than colorizing the image and calling it a "photograph." Instead, the evidence of a hasty decision and nowhere to park out in the boondocks of Lee County remains.
Flanary-digital color LN130Nth-Strawberry Patch-1965
Down in the Boondocks
This is another digital colorization of one of my "vintage" black and white images. L&N Extra 130 North was running quite a bit faster than the posted 35 MPH speed limit through the "Strawberry Patch" just geographically west of Big Stone Gap, Va. This spot is just 50 or 60 yards past the Wise-Lee County line. The train originated in Loyall, Ky. to deliver coal loads to the Interstate at Dorchester Junction. After continuing into Norton to pick up a fresh set of train orders for the return, the crew stopped at Appalachia to retrieve two tracks of empty hoppers left there by the Interstate.
I vaguely recall this June 1965 image was not planned. At the last possible moment, I think my father gave me the keys to the family car (the 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 just visible on the right). I was driving like a fool to first catch up with this train and then get ahead in hopes of reaching this crossing before he did. I barely got there. With no time to park the car out of sight, I left it on the other side on the narrow "lane and a half" gravel road, then raced over the track to find a spot to stand. The head car was full of sand--but as the speed picked up, quite a bit of it was choosing to go airborne and stay in Virginia. The unidentified engineer is giving me a big wave as the rush of fresh air circulates through the cab of Alco RS-3 No. 130. Air conditioning? For a locomotive cab? You have GOT to be kidding!! Sure, it's 90 degrees and a high dew point to match but unbutton your shirt and enjoy nature.
My first thought would be to use Photoshop to remove the car---but that's even worse than colorizing the image and calling it a "photograph." Instead, the evidence of a hasty decision and nowhere to park out in the boondocks of Lee County remains.