In North America - in fact for most of the world - standard railroad track has 4' 8-1/2" gauge {the inner distance between the two rails}. According to legend, this is because British wagons were of that width because they fit in ruts in Roman roads.

In some cases, US railroads are built to a narrower gauge {for example, plantation locomotives .... the locomotive originally used on Hawaiian plantations was built with 3' gauge}
Hawaiian Steam Locomotive in Connecticut - PentaxForums.com

The East Broad Top tracks - which were originally built to haul coal through the mountains of Pennsylvania - were also built to 3' gauge. After it was no longer needed to haul coal, the EBT was sold for scrap - but the new owner decided it actually had value carrying tourists. I took this picture in 1986. A few years later it was shut down .... as far as I know, docents still give occasional tours through their extensive shops, but no one has gotten around to finishing the job of scrapping it.

[angkymac]

Looks like it might be Fujichrome film. Narrow latitude like the lower ASA chromes and maybe a slight bit of softening due to grain size -- Maybe ASA 200? Grabbing all the greens the way Fujichrome liked to do.
Just guessing for the fun of going back to the '80s in my mind.
And actual steam hissing out!
Great capture of an historic moment that our kids won't get to see.
Angky.
PS. Curious about what camera and lens was used.

[reh321]

PS. Curious about what camera and lens was used.

Thank you for your comments.

Since this was film, EXIF is no help, so I had to dig back in my old records.
I took all pictures that day using Kodak 'KM' - Kodachrome 25 film - with my Pentax-A f/1.7 lens on my Pentax "Super Program".
From the look of the photographs, the weather was not good, but I was in mid-roll.
From DOF, I must have used f/8 or smaller, so the shutter speed must have been slower than I usually used for that kind of photo, but I don't think anything was moving [other than the amorphous steam}.

[angkymac]

Thank you for your comments.

Since this was film, EXIF is no help, so I had to dig back in my old records.
I took all pictures that day using Kodak 'KM' - Kodachrome 25 film - with my Pentax-A f/1.7 lens on my Pentax "Super Program".
From the look of the photographs, the weather was not good, but I was in mid-roll.
From DOF, I must have used f/8 or smaller, so the shutter speed must have been slower than I usually used for that kind of photo, but I don't think anything was moving [other than the amorphous steam}.

Thanks a lot!
It looks like I missed it on several points!
Kodachrome 25 was about the sharpest we could get, and highlighted reds, not greens. But, as you say, the weather was of a bluish nature.
So glad to see the Super Program with the 50mm SMC F1.7-A lens again! I wore mine out, but still have the lens. A very excellent camera, I thought.
Thanks for digging the info out. And thanks for the post.
Angky.

[reh321]

Kodachrome 25 was about the sharpest we could get, and highlighted reds, not greens. But, as you say, the weather was of a bluish nature.

usually I avoided cloudy weather - but sometimes when we traveled I couldn't. I'm fairly sure we didn't properly appreciate the effect of clouds.

So glad to see the Super Program with the 50mm SMC F1.7-A lens again! I wore mine out, but still have the lens. A very excellent camera, I thought.
Thanks for digging the info out. And thanks for the post.
Angky.

I got the "Super Program" after my "ME/SE" became damp at Niagara Falls and became unrepairable, so I had to dump the body - then used the "Super Program" for over twelve years - mostly with the "A" 50mm f/1.7. Recently I used that lens with my new K-30 and was surprised at how sharp it really was, but it has dried out in the last few years, and can no longer focus to infinity, so the few times I've used the "Super Program" recently, I've used it with the "M" 50mm f/2 that was kitted with the "ME/SE"; it is not as good a lens, but it is not a 'slouch' either.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Good looking old steam engine, well captured and interesting side story. Thanks for posting.

[saley]

Love old locos, and this is a handsome example. I thought initially white balance was off, but after reading posts understand. Used to use the same film eons ago.

[eaglem]

The old Steam Trains really do have a lot of character attached to them

[JimS_256]

Nice old photo. Thanks for the history. I was sorry to see it didn't make it as a tourist attraction and isn't still operating.

[reh321]

I was sorry to see it didn't make it as a tourist attraction and isn't still operating.

Where do you live?
There might be steam near you operating now.
I'm amazed how many operations manage to operate - even under the current regulations.

[JimS_256]

Where do you live?
There might be steam near you operating now.
I'm amazed how many operations manage to operate - even under the current regulations.

I live in Spokane, I know there are some around the state but not really close.

[reh321]

I live in Spokane, I know there are some around the state but not really close.

I forget how large distances are in the Western part of the US.
I had a summer internship once close to Oakland CA, and I was surprised how much I had to drive to get to Oregon.

There is operating steam in the state of Washington, but I believe most of it is close to Seattle.
Scenic Train Rides in Washington – Scenic Rail Excursions

[JimS_256]

There is operating steam in the state of Washington, but I believe most of it is close to Seattle.

The closest one to me is at the Silverwood theme park, a Porter from 1915. I've ridden it but that was years ago and I don't have any pictures.

[35mmfilmfan]

There are two within a bus-ride of me in Norfolk - The Bure Valley Railway, gauge 15 inches, and the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway, gauge 10.25 inches, reputedly the longest 10.25 " railway in the world. Both utilise the track beds of defunct standard (4'8 1/2") railways, closed during the late fifties / early sixties, and operate as tourist attractions during the summer.

[Heinrich Lohmann]

Very nice image, The White Pas and Yukon Route - Whitehorse, Yukon to Skagway Alaska - is also Narrow Gauge. I have a few images if you'd like tom see them I'll post them.