Winter Steam on the Strasburg Rail Road
Автокөліктер мен көлік құралдары
A snow-blanketed Lancaster County, Pennsylvania provides the perfect contrast for a jet-black steam locomotive. With the Strasburg Rail Road operating weekends year-round, it affords us the opportunity to see what steam railroading was like in all kinds of weather. Persistent winds cause shifting snow drifts, ice-caked wheels, and frosted running gear. Low temperatures amplify the engine's exhaust, creating a enormous plumes that stretch hundreds of feet, sometimes even blocking out the sun. Short winter days give us vibrant sunset light and a chance to see trains run into the night. A big thanks to the Strasburg Rail Road crews for putting on such a consistently wonderful show, weekend after weekend, year round.
I highly recommend that you visit the Strasburg if you have not already. It's a great day no matter the weather!
www.strasburgrailroad.com
IMPORTANT NOTE: several shots in this video were taken on private property with permission. Do not trespass on private property!
OTHER TECHNICAL INFO:
This video primarily features Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 #475, wearing a Southern Pacific 6-chime whistle. Mid way through the video, you will see a couple of scenes of Canadian National 2-6-0 #89, wearing a Nathan 6-chime whistle. Both whistles sound similar, but they are different!
This video was photographed across three days; January 20 and 21, and February 17, 2024.
FUN FACT:
As I watched the wind sweep the snow across the fields of Lancaster County, I couldn't help but notice the way the snow changed shape, creating ridges and eye-catching drifts, accumulating along harvested corn stalk stubs and railroad tracks. The effect was so strong that the railroad had to plow the line each morning, even when no additional snow had fallen the previous day. I thought there might be a word for such a wind-snow formation. As it turns out, there is - according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Sastruga (plural; sastrugi) a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind -usually used in plural.
The more you know!
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Snow drifts
0:17 East Strasburg
1:51 Long Curve
3:05 Bridge
4:25 Graveyard
5:42 Groundhog Cut
7:34 Broadside at Esbenshade
9:11 Cresting the hill
10:27 Cherry Hill
12:04 Evening at Esbenshade
13:30 Sunset Sastrugi
13:48 Nighttime arrival
15:23 Credits
Пікірлер: 67
Joe thank you so much for your channel. My son is 2.5 years old and demands to watch your videos every day. We don’t own a television and he isn’t allowed to watch cartoons yet, but we let him watch one of your train videos each day. I just told him there’s a NEW train video and he is HYPED. We’re going to watch it now 😊
I swear this is the first video I've seen of Strasburg that really takes the time to display the Ferree-Carpenter graveyard. Kudos for that as well as some phenomenal camera work in general
O Winston Link would be proud Joe. Never stop with this.
That shot of 89 passing by with the sun is just perfect. It feels like it came from a movie or documentary. Nice work 👍
It's so good to see you back again, Joe! I'm just lost for words on how magical this production is. The time and money you put into these pieces of art is what makes us as your subscribers grateful. I can just imagine kids seeing this video 20 or 30 years in the future and think to themselves, "Wow, I wanna do that when I grow up." This is now my favorite winter steam production of all time, and if you haven't heard these words in a long time Joe, you truly are one of the biggest inspirations to us train lovers 🙏
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for this comment @aaronsmitterberg847. Comments like these motivate me to keep making these!
Every video you make is worth the wait. I don’t know how you do it. This is not railroad photography. It is cinematography.
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
Thanks, Tim!
This is the sort of stuff I aspire to create. Absolutely beautiful in all remarks. The panning was also extremely well done, especially with the shots at Esbenshade during the evening. Loved to see the consist just fade off into the sunset. Honestly this could and would qualify as a short film in my book. The microphone you used made that 6 chime sound magical. Thank you for another production, Joe. Have a great Easter.
that shot of 89 passing while trackside with the sun behind the plume. that is about as close to gold as I can imagine for railroad photo/videography.
Steaming in a winter wonderland! ❄️🚂
Not even halfway through and I'm already certain this is one of my favorite videos on this whole dumb site. Absolutely excellent work!
Cinematic gold. Glad I found your channel!!
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
Thank you, I am glad you did too! 🙂Stay tuned, there is more to come.
WOW!!! I've watched countless videos that you've made Joe and I think this is the best production I've ever seen on youtube… incredible! Kinda liking the 6 chime they had on 89. 💯🔥 I respect your work immensely and hope to meet or film alongside ya someday at rail-events! Thank you for this snowy masterpiece! ❄️
Somehow images of a cold landscape have left me feeling warmer. Excellent as always. Loved the effects of the dry snow billowing around like powdered sugar. Joe, your visuals are breathtaking, but something has to be said for your audio, as well. I appreciate your videos for the fact that they tell a story with no narration, only the well-recorded sounds of the subjects in the production. I know nothing about sound engineering, but I appreciated that throughout this video, the billowing and true whine of the wind in the almost desolate landscape could be heard without any undesirable distortion. Felt immersive, like I was really there. Thanks for the time you take to put out this quality content.
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for the comment! I like your description of the snow as "powdered sugar." That pretty much nails it! I probably spend as much time if not more on the audio as I do on the imagery, yet another reason it takes me a while to get these videos published. I am glad you notice and appreciate the care I put into the sound design!
Impressive quality! Breathtaking scenery and action!
Wow, just wow. I am in awe at tje winter landscape. That shot of 475s running gear covered in snow is art in itself. Very well done, Mr. Fusco
That’s what I call the best quality video I ever seen of Steam in the Snow. Well done Joe.
Excellent! Thank you Joe. 🚂 Have a blessed Easter.
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Glad you liked it, likewise to you and your family. :-)
Outstanding production. The color grading must've taken months to perfect. This looks like a high budget production with multiple people on set, but I assume its just you out there. This is the best quality train content out there and it deserves more recognition!
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
Cullen, thank you for your kind words. I would say yes, it is "just me out there," but I am usually trackside with a few good friends. 🙂Aside from that, yes, I am running the camera(s) and audio gear myself. As for the color grading - oh gosh, this one was a lot of trial and error. I don't want to tell you how many times I rendered this one before I was happy with it. It was important to really nail it since most of the scenes featured so much WHITE - so nailing the white balance was just that much more sensitive. I am glad you noticed the care I put into it. I always appreciate your commentary.
@CullenTabaczynski
3 ай бұрын
@@fuscoproductions You nailed it. Not too sharp, and no color artifacts. Beautiful whites in the snow, clouds and especially the steam! The extra time spent really shows.
Spectacular work!
A cold brutal day for sure nice film 🎥
Wonderful footage! The quality is excellent and those 6 chime whistles on both the 475 and 89 sound great for the snow.
Phenomenal work Joe, you’ve outdone yourself once again!!! Glad to see another upload!! Always excited to get the notification from you!! Great work once again!!!
Now I’m wondering if we saw each other sometime on February 17! I was there to film for all of the trains (with, of course, 89) that day except the 4:00. Glad to see another banger!
Excellent video Joe! This has to be the best film of the line during the winter, if not any time of the year that I have ever seen. This makes me really excited for your work in the (hopefully) near future!
Remarkable video Joseph! I like the cinematic quality that you put into it. Also love that 6 chime whistle! 👍🚂
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Thank you! Yes, BOTH 6-chime whistles were nice. Hard to tell them apart at first, but they are different (475 vs 89 that is) ...
@railfan101
4 ай бұрын
@@fuscoproductions not sure which 6 chimes they are, but they do remind me of the ones used on the SP during the twilight years of steam.
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
@@railfan101 the one on 475 is an SP 6, and I believe - although I am not certain, the one on 89 is a Nathan?
@railfan101
4 ай бұрын
@@fuscoproductions I thought they sounded familiar. Thanks Joseph.
Great work as always, was a fun weekend!
Awesome work this really is truly an amazing video!! Keep up the good work!!
This is the most outstanding video of the Strasburg railroad that I have ever seen, thank you so much.
Nice captures of 475 and 89! Glad we both got to see them this past winter 👍
Fantastic work as always, sir! I hope to see more new ones as time goes on!
Absolutely fantastic work as always Joe!
Awesome video Joe!! Love the shots!! Keep up the amazing work!
Fantastic video, Joe! We could not have gotten better conditions, and they most certainly made for some fantastic and memorable days trackside. You can't beat steam in the snow.
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Thanks, Mark! It was a good 3 days at the ‘Burg. :-)
Simply *chefs kiss* perfect as always
Amazing!! Seeing these locomotives in the snow is always great! Keep up your amazing work!
This is probably the best video i ever seen! Great Job! 👍
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Thank you! It's hard to beat steam in the snow. 🙂
Joe, Your work never ceases to stun me. I always look forward to your uploads. I personally regard your content as the absolute pinnacle among all of the railroad genre here on youtube. I really look up to the creativity and uniqueness of your videos, along with the professionalism and beauty throughout each. This one is no exception. Some really really amazing shots through the whole thing. Very, very well done on another outstanding production! -Dan
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
@StrictlySteam - thank you! That's some high praise and I really appreciate it!
Fantastic video and enjoyed watching. Have a wonderful upcoming holiday weekend.(Steev)
best strasburg video ever
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Thank you!!! That’s high praise, there’s a lot of good Strasburg videos out there. :-) Funny enough, this is my first Strasburg video that I have posted on KZread in over a DECADE. Hard to believe that the last one I made was in 2012 when 90 was hauling revenue freight.
Another amazing production!
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it! Was it you who I spoke with at the roundhouse in Durango last December? Your username sounds familiar!
@SouthernKansasRailfan
4 ай бұрын
@@fuscoproductions Yes it was, it was a great time getting to meet you!
@SouthernKansasRailfan
4 ай бұрын
I was wondering, is there a filter in use on this video? I noticed what looked like some film grain in some of the shots, looked very good!@@fuscoproductions
@fuscoproductions
3 ай бұрын
@@SouthernKansasRailfan I applied a small amount of film grain across the board - However, there was plenty of grain in some of the low light shots anyway.
@SouthernKansasRailfan
3 ай бұрын
@@fuscoproductions Gotcha, it looks great though! Adds another layer with steam locomotives to really sell the past in my opinion.
Muy muy bueno.
Joe are you going to upload more videos because what’s taking you so long to upload?
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
Hey @mumumaaaah , that is the plan. It does take me a while to get the videos done, I like to take my time and life tends to get in the way. I do have several videos in the works, and they'll be posted when they're ready. :-)
@OldIronVideo
4 ай бұрын
That's kinda rude. Joe has always had a speratic upload schedule. These aren't your normal "shoot the clips on your phone and edit then on the way home" videos that most railfans do these videos are works of art
@fuscoproductions
4 ай бұрын
@@OldIronVideo thanks for the kind words! Yes - it takes me a while for a few reasons. First of all, KZread is not my full time job. Second, when I do post a video, I try to make it the best I can, so I do tend to take my time. I’d rather delay a video and “get it right” than rush it out the door. I do have several videos planned for this year, so stay tuned. Thanks again for watching. :-)