November 2011 President’s Report

Photography! The experts say a picture is worth a thousand words. Our newsletters convey a tremendous amount of information, as we stated last month, but are enhanced by the photographs included throughout our issues. During a visit to the Museum guests will see our history and the history of railroading presented on the walls with many photographs. Many Museum members share their photographic talents with photos they have captured and display them for us. Ed Blackman, Dan Foley, and Pete McLachlan are some of our regular contributors. On Wednesday evenings these same individuals plus Carl Liba, Ron Smith, Steve Gould, Al Baker, and many others share their collective histories with our guests. Many of us have toured the country and world through the photographs (and videos) our members have shared.

In 2004 we celebrated our anniversary, which included a night photo shoot. The 1455 had been moved by the railroad out to the tracks north of the station and about 8:00 at night the Police Department closed White Street while about 25 photographers set their tripods, opened their lenses, and exposed film while multiple flashes were triggered to capture the locomotive in front of our station building.

Fast forward to November 5^th 2011. Again featured as a focal point for another night photo shoot, the 1455 was the highlight of the evening. In conjunction with the Candlewood Camera Club, the DRM hosted another night photo shoot. New lighting techniques, tripods, digital and film cameras, and models resulted in a productive evening of neat night pictures. Inside and outside of the RDC, RPO, Forge and outside the Crane and, yes, the venerable 1455 steam Loco, approximately 15 photographers shot away. Collectively probably 2000 photos were taken. Jim Teer, Bob Pitcher, Pete McLachlan, Mark Freedman, Tom Peterson, et al., were live models who posed motionless for the many photographers to get their shots. Props, costumes, smoke bombs and some surprises gave the evening a feeling of stepping back into a historical past.

A high level of cooperation, participation, experimentation, and creativity resulted in an event, although short, that was successful and fun. Look forward to another night shoot in the spring and to a display within the Museum of the creative and productive efforts of our photographers. The photos can write a book!

On behalf of the Danbury Railway Museum, Wade W. Roese