Amtrak's Illinois Zephyr Speeds Through Somonauk, Illinois on 10-25-09

Only 47 seconds 'cause it's moving right along.

Headed out semi-early Sunday in hopes of catching the usually on-time Illinois Zephyr on its morning run to Chicago. I was watching the ATCS Monitor and could see that it was making its stop in Mendota and would be quickly heading my way. So I decided to intercept it in Somonauk. I set up my stuff and did not have long to wait.

I like doing a Picture in Picture and a pan with the fast moving Amtraks. But I needed to get the pan swinging early and quick or else we wouldn't be seeing much as the train moves away.

About a minute later, an empty westbound coal train shoots by. If it had been much earlier it would have blocked the Amtrak.

Out early in hopes of getting some decent video to edit during the next few days. I've got an arthroscopic procedure scheduled this week on my knee so I'll be out of video shooting action for a bit. As it turned out, I did OK for the day, so I'll be dribbling out a few videos this week.

Primary camera: Canon HV30 30p
Secondary camera: Canon HV30 30p
Microphones: Azden ECZ 990
Edited in: Sony Vegas Studio Platinum 9.0

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• rail
• railroad
• train
• railfan
• Amtrak
• passenger
• Illinois
• Canon
• HV30
• HD

[Postal67]

WOW, glad we don't have really fast trains, the way that was rocking and rolling, at a 150mph it would fall off the track......

[basicbill1]

Yeah, the zoom compression makes it look worse than it is, I think.

Thanks for the comment.

Bill

[dieselburner]

Nice sequence on the cameras! At first I thought it might be coming from behind. Good one.

I didn't see the crew wave until I paused and rewinded a couple times. That was fun.

Definitely one of my favorites.

Good luck to you.

[basicbill1]

Yeah, you do have to look close in the zoomed PIP shot to see the double wave.

Thanks for the nice comment.

Bill

[mightytrains]

Nice video and lighting. The clouds have been killing me for an entire week while railfanning.

[basicbill1]

Thanks. Weather lately has not been helpful.

Bill

[MrZkr123]

thats why they need to redo the tracks so they can handle at least 110mph

[trainsmaniac2009]

I think that that is the problem. I think that you made it look worse than it is.

[basicbill1]

Thank you, sir.

Bill

[basicbill1]

Yeah, I noticed that, too. I wonder if the camera's telephoto compression makes it look worse than it is.

Thanks for the comment.

Bill