Here are a few trains Sunday, June 13, 2010 at Union Station in Little Rock, Arkansas. Today was another test of my new 24-720mm zoom lens (30X) and also using Photoshop Elements 8 to resize these images for the web using their Baseline Optimized Huffman Encoding setting to make the images a smaller file size so they should be quicker to load while obtaining a good quality. I used the new Fujifilm HS10 Finepix digital camera, but will still be using my Panasonic Lumix G1 for most of my photos in the future.

Included today:
1) GMTX 2156
2) NS 9540
3) UP 2056, 3827, 5034, 8575, 1539, 1540, 4544, 2263
4) UP/SP 2047
5) MKT green hopper 527
6) B&O/Chessie System yellow hopper 602908 with the Chessie Cat. Could not see reporting marks. Anyone know?
7) Killdeer bird on tracks
8) Rock Island blue boxcar HS 75290
9) Dark blue Golden West boxcar lettered SSW 62688, freshly painted
10) Chessie System boxcar CSXT 166613
11) Columbus & Greenville Boxcars HS 30971 and 30955

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LEFT-Here is my 24mm wide angle shot looking down the tracks in front of Union Station. Note the signal bridge in the distant center. RIGHT-Now here is my shot of the signal bridge using the 720mm zoom setting, or 30X magnification of the previous photo. My main reason for getting this super-zoom lens camera is to photograph birds in the Cache River Wildlife Refuge and other places in Arkansas. This camera also has a 'Super Macro' setting whereby I can take photos of objects as close as 1cm, which is almost like having the lens touch the surface.


LEFT-UP 2056 looking into the sun, 9:27 a.m. RIGHT-UP 2056 and UP/SP 2047.


LEFT-MKT 527 green hopper. RIGHT-UP 3827 using the full 30X zoom, 959 a.m. I hand-held the camera and I've so far have had good luck with the built-in stabilization feature of the lens.


LEFT-UP 3827 and 5034, 9:27 a.m. RIGHT-NS 9540.


LEFT-B&O 602908-Chessie System yellow hopper with Chessie. I don't remember seeing any of these before with both B&O and Chessie System still visible on the car. Not sure who the car's owner is, I only see the number and the faded B&O above it. RIGHT-I think this is a Killdeer bird.


LEFT-UP 8575 northbound at 10:25 a.m. RIGHT-UP 8575.


LEFT-A relatively rare blue Rock Island boxcar, HS 75290. RIGHT-SSW 62668 GoldenWest boxcar. Whoever owns this car painted it a dark blue and also repainted the Golden West Service name on it. Too bad the graffiti has been put on it.


LEFT-CSXT 166613 with the Chessie Cat. RIGHT-UP 1539 and 1540 heading south at 10:48 a.m.


LEFT-The train has a green board to Gurdon, Arkansas. RIGHT-The Arkansas River looking south, taken from our Arkansas Railroad Club meeting place in Little Rock.


LEFT-All red at CPX346, named "Amtrak Sta." on the north/east side of Union Station, commonly called "North UD" by the crew and dispatchers. RIGHT-UP 4544, 2263 and GMTX 2156, 3:50 p.m. June 13, southbound.


LEFT-Crossing over from UP Main 1 to Main 2. RIGHT-Heading into the sun at 3:51 p.m.


LEFT-Columbus & Greenville boxcar HS 30971. RIGHT-Columbus & Greenville boxcar HS 30955.

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