By serendipity I've found SOO line 1003 on a gorgeous fall day.
It's heading south, toward Horicon, WI.
I'd like to shoot it when it crosses Hwy. 151, a four lane divided highway with a 65 mph speed limit.
For cars, of course, not the WSOR.
The sun is on the wrong side, so I try to follow Hwy.26 south and loop around.
Except there's no loop.
I have no shotgun driver and no GPS (who needs that anyway?.....)
So I whip it 'round and rush back north, flooring it.
As I come to the entrance ramp to 151, the train approaches, already !@#$!
I race toward the crossing and throw the truck...you know that story.
The one with the ditch.
And you know the part with the two-legged tripod, too.
From part 1.
Anyway, a marginal shot into the sun results, but it's a steam train crossing a divided highway. So it's included for posterity.
I decide to follow the train a bit further south.
A photo run-by. I stay way back since this ain't my party.
At least I have enough time to fix the tripod.
Canada geese fly overhead, northbound.
Crazy world.
The train blasts through, and back, and through again.
After that, some more pedal flooring.
Unnecessarily, since the train stops somewhere for a while for some reason.
Then it comes roaring past.
Cinders rain in my hair. Lots of cinders. Good thing they have been blasted so high up into the sky that they're cold by the time they come back down.
Then a bit more chase, and a last parting shot.
I crouch right next to the car, seeking shelter from the wind.
The hot exhaust clicks and clacks as it cools down, something I had not considered.
It adds texture, shall we say?
The caboose disappears into the bushes, the train is almost in Horicon.
It's time to head back home.
I stop to get a slice of pizza for my wife. I had one for lunch and don't want to offer her my leftovers.
Seems to become a theme that I have fuzzpizza.
As I pull out of the gas station I floor it some more.
And then pass a truck that had pulled out into the road.
He was kind enough to leave room for passing. Floored.
Back on 151 toward Madison, 4 lane divided highway, 65 mph.
Finally I can give the car a break and roll along on cruise control. A Mustang with a couple of women comes in on an entrance ramp and pulls up next to me on the right. Just as they're next to my window and about to pass me, I loose traction.
Or at least drive. That for driving, at least.
For whatever reason my car slows down.
I have the window open and can't hear anything, but a glance at the dashboard shoots the blood pressure through the roof: The tachometer reads 6000 RPM !!! This is gotta be up at the rev limiter and well beyond redline. And that on a 4 liter V-6 with 220,000 miles on it!
The cruise control is trying to keep the car going with the transmission essentially disconnected!
I hit the brake and slow down even more.
The girls next to me do that, too.
Rats, I can't pull into the right lane, nor can I pass them...!?
Eventually maybe they get the idea that I'm not stalking them, but that something is wrong. No not with me, the car, of course. I am able to get into the right lane behind them and promptly fall back even more.
My wounded vehicle limps, I get slower and slower.....no more flooring for a while.
An old, ugly, probably electrical transmission problem I've had before has reared its ugly head again. Really good. Or really bad, as that may be.
All in all 'twas a great day, though.
And at I made it home after all.
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nice to finally see her stretch her leggs! have not seen that since the 1522.great stuff!
rt2000us 1 year ago
@rt2000us Thank you!
MILW753 1 year ago
Hee Hee Hee - gotta wonder what the folks in the car were thinking at the RR crossing ... :P
ChooChooMike 4 years ago 4
That really would be neat to know... :)
MILW753 4 years ago