St. Louis **HEAVY PICS**

[LocoIndy76]

Went to St. Louis last week and went to see the Arch(I've seen before, but went with family who hadn't....)

What I had NEVER noticed was the track that runs just in front of Arch underground. There are a couple of openings to get pics though!!

The 1st BNSF 9915 i caught when I first got there... I heard it as we were walking to Arch. I believe it is a "helper"(pusher). I caugfht it as it dissappeared into tunnel. Ran down hill to catch picture... Didn't have time to set-up camera so pic isn't great color is BAD!!!

2nd is another BNSF with a CN that I missed as we were leaving the Arch :curse:

3rd I waited for but only had 3 shots left! ops: Still using film!!!! (have expensive camera and can't afford camparable Digital)

Here are a couple I got from top of Arch. It is a UP that just crossed over Mississippi. I have pics of it crossing bridge but haven't had developed yet. Here it is crossing I-70 into St. Louis. and to yard behind Busch Stadium

Here's a few more I got from tram as we passed railyard by Busch Stadium. Unfortunately some glare from windows of tram....

 

[CNWman]

There's a yellow/blue warbonet in the last pic! Nice catch! :thumb:

 

[LocoIndy76]

There's a yellow/blue warbonet in the last pic! Nice catch! :thumb:

Even though it isn't the best pic.... It is one of my favorites!!! Don't see many of them anymore!!!!!:thumb:

 

[Herc Driver]

I miss St Louis. Lived there for 12 years during college and after, including a stint at Scott AFB just across the river in Illinois. Funny thing...when we first hit school there, everyone said to stay away from Union Station. Everyone that hung out at the station was on the wrong side of the tracks - lots of trouble, murders, drug deals you name it. Then slowly and building by building, that whole downtown area was redeveloped and they brought back Union Station to it former glory - with the addition of a shopping mall and hotel where the tracks once were. Now it's a showcase and something everyone should see when they visit St Louis. Interestingly enough, those tracks under the Arch were placed there so that the stainless steel from Bethlehem Steel could arrive on the job site and be hoisted in place right from the flat car and onto the Arch.

 

[LocoIndy76]

Then slowly and building by building, that whole downtown area was redeveloped and they brought back Union Station to it former glory - with the addition of a shopping mall and hotel where the tracks once were. Now it's a showcase and something everyone should see when they visit St Louis. Interestingly enough, those tracks under the Arch were placed there so that the stainless steel from Bethlehem Steel could arrive on the job site and be hoisted in place right from the flat car and onto the Arch.

Awesome. That is cool information to know.

Union Station was really nice. We USED to have a Union Station here in Indianapolis, but it went downhill and closed. It's food court was ALMOST identical to St. Louis's!!!

 

[LoudMusic]

This is my favorite personal picture of the Arch, taken October `04.

And here is a good picture of the tracks showing how nearby they are and the tunnel system.

 

[leejax01]

Nice to see the different loco types together like that GP's and SD's and Dash's together. I don't feel bad running my different era locos together now.

 

[TruckLover]

AWESOME pics!! :thumb: :thumb:

 

[LocoIndy76]

LoudMusic:

AWESOME PICS!!!!

How did you get those pics???? The color is spectacular.. I never can get that kind of color through the windows.... Were they taken from outside?? How else did you get that downward angle from inside?

This is as low as I could take from the inside windows...... Same body of water though

 

[LoudMusic]

LoudMusic:

AWESOME PICS!!!!

How did you get those pics???? The color is spectacular.. I never can get that kind of color through the windows.... Were they taken from outside?? How else did you get that downward angle from inside?

This is as low as I could take from the inside windows...... Same body of water though

Thanks! I'm rather proud of the shadow picture

I use Photoshop to balance the colors. Image > Adjustments > Auto Levels. Sometimes I play with the colors manually. Sometimes I play with the Brightness / Contrast manually. Mostly I just hit the Auto Levels, though

As far as the angle, I did a lot of crawling around on the ledge. When you get the camera right up against the glass you'll get two things working in your favor. The first is reduction of glare because the camera will focus through the glass instead of on the glass. The second is you get greater control of what you're pointing the camera at. The Arch windows are pointed at the ground, you just have to smash yourself up in there

This is another one of my favorites. My wife, enjoying the view.

And here is a funny one so people can see what it's like up there. Butts-R-Us!

 

[LocoIndy76]

Very cool. I do get up close to the glass and TRY my best to get lens flush with glass, but my color is never that sharp when I shoot from up there... It's great outside, but when I get in there they get a duller tone to them... I'm probably not metering right or something.... Oh well. I need to get a digital so I can see as I take them. I'm using a Nikon F100 and I can't afford a Digital that compares to it....... Someday hopefully... A D80 or D200 would be VERY nice!!!!!

 

[LoudMusic]

I'm hoping to get a D80 this year to replace my N80. I don't think I put 30 rolls of film through that camera - a real shame because it's really nice.

Before I bought the N80 I got a 5MP Sony Cybershot. It's very small and light - good for the backpacking and extensive traveling that I do. The N80 was for B/W photography for darkroom time at a friends house - ended up not using it as much as I had hoped. And then he moved. And bought a D80.

I very much want a digital SLR - this Sony makes good images for the screen and basic laser prints, but we've had a few printed quite large and they look like poo, to me anyway. I want significantly higher resolution and much better image quality. Hopefully this year ...