“Fire” Photos that evoke fire and railroading

Mount Washington Cog Railway 0-2-2-0 No. 10, Kroflite, begins its abbreviated winter journey up New Hampshire's tallest peak as it digs into the first incline, right outside Marshfield Station, the base station for the railroad. The orange glow from the open firebox door helps silhouette the fireman's face and his shovel as he dumps another load of coal into the firebox. A worker sitting on the front end of the coach dangles a broom into the center cog track, keeping it clear of ice and snow buildup on this cold January day.

Jan. 6, 2008
Canon 30D
1/250 sec.
f/4
200 ISO
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens

Photograph by Christopher Blaszczyk

Lumps of coal fly off the fireman's shovel as Nevada Northern Railway 2-8-0 No. 93 makes its way up the grade to Keystone on a hot summer day. As part of the Nevada Northern's "Railroad Reality Week," I was given the opportunity to ride in the cab of No. 93 on one of the day's excursions.

July 26, 2013
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
1/500 sec.
f/2.8
ISO 200

Photograph by Thomas Downey

Sparks fly as a Hulcher Services contractor is in the process of cutting apart a truck that was damaged during the derailment of Florida East Coast Railway train No. 226 on Dec. 20, 2015. The derailment rendered the railroad unable to run through traffic for more than 18 hours as crews scrambled to clear the cars and rebuild the main line.

Dec. 20, 2015
Nikon D40X
1/200 sec.
f/5.6
ISO 1600
Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6

Photograph by Austin Strenecky