Steve Sloan's Video Blog

I made some error when I set up my project and captured this video. I have not yet figured it out, but I will.On November 21, 2008 Modesto and Empire Traction 70 Tonners are hard at work between Modesto and Empire, California. These little General Electric locomotives are over 50-years old. Their days are numbered because their replacements were coming as these videos were shot.

Part 3 of 3The last of my three part coverage of the Spirit of Washington on June 8, 2007. This is the train on its former route between Renton and Woodinville, Washington. This provides an overview of all three short videos with special coverage of the return of the day's lunch charter and the dinner train on the spectacular trestle near Bellevue. This also features the Oriskany Strings song, The Train Don't Run Here Anymore.

Fourth of July 2007 Party Yesterday we went to our friends Tyler and Mary's house where we had wine and great food with them and other friends [photos.] That was a lot of fun. After the movie we went to a nearby park and saw an impressive fireworks show. I shot video of the fireworks and edited it into the film you see here. This film is also posted on YouTube.

Last weekend we went to the aquarium I was very impressed. I created this short movie that contains some of my impressions. It is available above in Quicktime format or it can be viewed here on YouTube.

Spirit of Washington Train, Part Two On June 8, 2007 I shot video of the Spirit of Washington, a dinner train, that runs from Renton to Woodinville, Washington. It uses rare locomotives called F-units. The track it runs on is due to be removed for a highway project and it only has about a month left to run. They ran two Spirit trains on June 8, including a lunch charter train for employees of T-mobile. The Quicktime movie above is the train after it left Renton. This video focuses on the train in Woodinville, Washington. This follows part one, previously released.

I am in Yakima, which looks amazingly like Barstow Except, it does not have as many trains as Barstow. Yesterday I had a great day of train chasing. I shot the Spirit of Washington, a dinner train, that runs from Renton to Woodinville, Washington. It uses rare locomotives called F-units. The track it runs on is due to be removed for a highway project and it only has about a month left to run. They ran two Spirit trains yesterday, including a lunch charter train for employees of T-mobile. The Quicktime movie above is the train leaving Renton, followed by the also soon to be retired freight train.

Meet at Mott, May 31, 2007These two Northbound Union Pacific freights met today at Mott siding, just on the former SP Shasta line. As the trains met clouds rolled in from an approaching thunder storm. I am heading north and this seven minute Track Warrants video is the first for this trip. I am on the road! This was Quicktime Video shot less than five hours ago and edited in a campground near Ashland on my laptop and posted using a nearby open wireless network.

SP Finales, 1985, Farewell to Commutes and U-BoatsIn the Summer of 1985 SP power stopped being used on the peninsula commute trains. Meanwhile, across the bay, some of SP's last U-boats were being scrapped. This video, converted from super-eight Kodachrome movies, captures that period. As these movies were silent, this video includes the song "What I'm Missing" by Everyday Jones.

"Scab Trains" of Altamont Pass In May of 1985 the Southern Pacific Railroad was preparing for a possible union strike. To train its management crews to operate trains in the absence of union crews, the SP conducted management training on the embargoed SP rail line over Altamont Pass. The union train crews called these the scab trains. It was SP's last use of this famous line.

My older son's are now grown men with families of their own. This video, taken from family movies and told from their mother's perspective, shows the world when they were little as told to the music of Heather Sullivan.

International Stack Train on Tehachapi On April 29, 2006 this double stack train was seen going over the Tehachapi mountains with locomotives from Canada, the US and Mexico. This power set contained BNSF, CN and Ferromex power. This train with its unusual power set is shown here at Bealville and Caliente California.

The Bill Darrough Story As shown at Winterail 2007 The photos in this show were taken by Bill Darrough and/or are from the collection of Bill and Jack Darrough. This is an amazing collection of photographs. In a conversation with Bill Darrough's brother Jack in August of 1988 Jack said, "Bill died in 1942, he was 22 years-old. He suffered from severe teenage acne and they had treated it with massive doses of radiation, which at the time was thought harmless. The radiation cleared his acne but Bill died of cancer." According to Jack, he and Bill came from a railroad family. The members of a railroaders family were then given passes and could travel free on the nation's passenger trains. The period that Bill lived in was near the climax of the era of steam railroading in this country. Jack said Bill would pack two suitcases, one with film and the other with sandwiches and the young man would go on trips alone photographing trains. In my opinion had he lived he would have been one of the greatest railroad photographers of the twentieth century. It is an amazing story and so my son Ken and I are trying to tell it. This 20 minute quicktime seven video breaks my rules for this podcast. Generally, I plan to keep these videos to less than 15 minutes in length. I would like to have as many of these videos as I can short enough to be viewed on a coffee break.

Stacks and Steel at BealvilleBealville East 01, April 29, 2006This 11.5 minute Quicktime Seven video shows a steel and a stack train climbing east out of Bealville, CA last Spring. Hard working BNSF action is captured in this video.

UP Train at BealvilleThis was shot on March 24, 2007 from a hill I have been photographing from for probably 30 years. It has great light and I love the way the shadows stretch out in the afternoon behind the train. I especially love the green grass and how it blows in the wind. The clicking sound you hear is the lens cap flapping in the wind. Yes, I learned to secure it better. Listen especially for the birds in this video. They are loving the Spring too! Technorati Tags: Trains, Railroads, Railroading, Tehachapi, UP, train video, ssloansjca

Train approaching Tunnel Two in TehachapisI have been coming to the Tehachapi Mountains to photograph trains for many years. This video was shot in a location I have been trying to catch a train in for awhile. It requires just the right light, a train at just the right time and is best this time of year when the hills are green. Saturday evening, March 24, 2007 the timing was right on!As well as shooting this video, I shot the train on Kodachrome 25 slide film, my last roll of Kodachrome perhaps ever. I edited the video at my room in the Motel 6 in Mojave, CA as other trains rolled by. I asked for, and got, this motel room in their little used wing facing tracks. I even opened the window so you can hear the trains really well. It sounds like they are running right through the room. Too cool! This is my favorite motel in the world!Technorati Tags: Trains, Railroads, Railroading, Tehachapi, BNSF, train video, ssloansjca

Santa Fe, Near Collier, CA, 1983 In the summer of 1983 I borrowed a VHS tape deck and a camera and went out and shot some video. It was the first video I ever shot and the beginning of the end of my film making for about 20 years. After sitting around about 24 years this early tape is in pretty bad shape. But, here is one clip that is barely salvaged. This is the face of railroading not so long ago.

Jeff comments on 1983 train Jeff Sloan, then five, comments on the train in the previous post. Like the previous post this Video is in Quick Time 7 format, download free viewer.

Mojave West 01, April 30, 2006This short video shows several trains in and around Mojave, CA last Spring. Both UP and BNSF action is captured in this video.

The Best Moment of Your Entire LifeWhen I gave this assignment to my class I told them I would also do the assignment. So, here is my video. It was actually not an easy assignment and I put a lot of thought into it.This features MadisonMadison is my two year-old granddaughter.