FL9

Friday night on May 2nd I was on the way back to our motel room in north Austin when I decided to swing my McNeil to see the new Captal Metro light rail overpass I had heard about.  Even though it was dark, a Capital Metro security guard was present along with two local railfans in front of the landmark post office, so I joined the group for conversation.  The new overpass just south of the diamond certainly changes the character of the scene, but should make for some interesting shots.  I was tired and thinking about leaving when the signals changed shortly after 9:00pm and the radio spoke of the approach of a late Amtrak 21.  At first I thought I would just watch the train go by, but the lights of the Austin White Lime Company stirred my interest, so I got out the 5D and cranked my ASA up to 1600.  Propping myself on my SUV’s passenger side mirror, I squeezed off this shot an instant before the glow of the headlight on the left turned into a blindiing beam as the leading P42 crested the small hill heading down to the diamond.

Satisfied with my train picture without a train in physical view, I bid my farewells and headed off to the motel and welcome sleep.