That Central New York feeling

 

A quick photo here and there can really sometimes get my mind to wander.  One of the whole goals of modeling railroading on the Onondaga Cutoff is to evoke my own memories along the Chicago Line, not just in the immediate Syracuse or DeWitt areas but also out west of town on the high iron - the 60-mph freight trains and 79mph passenger trains of my youth.  It was huge, exciting, hopeful and awesome to see it in real life.

This image takes me right back trackside out west of Syracuse.  We could be in Weedsport, or Warners, perhaps Memphis or Jordan - the long hills of the Finger Lakes region are a comfort to my memory and this railroad runs right through it.  

Sure, it's just a grab shot, a tight scene on what is a tight model railroad.  We wish we had more space.  We all do!  But an image like this takes that frustration away, and suddenly the illusion for a moment is complete: we are right there, trackside in Central New York. 

More scenes like this will come with time and the illusion will improve.  Therapy in a hobby all rolled into one - hard to beat that!  

The Grab Shot

 Sometimes, there's just a shot that catches the eye, and it's one that can really draw a viewer in.  

One of the amazing strengths today of scenic materials and the availability of photo backdrops is the ability to create a scene that truly can 'take you there.'  Here we have a westbound manifest train climbing towards the summit of Clark Hill on the Onondaga Cutoff, in a scene about 12" deep.  

It's similar to thousands and thousands of railfan grab shots - shots of interesting cars or loads, one that the photographer didn't necessarily plan but are worthy in the photographer's collection for the content alone.  This car is indeed worthy of note for the cooperation involved in its creation ( https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/2022/03/fillin-in-gaps.html ) and also as it was selected by Tony Koester for a recent 'Trains of Thought' column in Model Railroader magazine.

Each of those facts is itself a dream come true, and moments like these live on in memory.  The hobby these days is full of opportunity, perhaps more so than ever.  Just like a grab shot of a passing train, any moment can be worth remembering.