The Art of A Railfan Photographer

                           by John Rust

John Rust is a most extraordinary Railfan photographer,
who takes the viewer out onto the tracks in all types of
weather in all four seasons and at any time of the day.
This allows him to create beautiful landscapes with
trains passing through them on snowy days, foggy days,
early morning and late evening for some of the most "moody,"
enchanting rail scenes that have been recorded

Nikon F4 80-200mm 2.8 zoom. Kodachrome 64 film. October 2003. Taken
about 50 feet west of the Mance Road crossing. The train is headed
downgrade east from Sand Patch. This shot is at full telephoto (200 mm).


October 2003 Nikon F4, with a 50mm 1.4 lense. Kodachrome 64. This shot
is taken at the river level (almost).


October 2003, Nikon F4, with the 80-200 mm zoom, probably midrange around
120 MM Kodachrome 64. Taken near Brackens, PA.


October 2003, same train as previous photo, but of the helpers pushing up
the rear. Kodachrome 64. The colors are very dull on this shot on the
engine due to its ageing paint. 200MM zoom shot.


Cumberland Maryland during a very bad blizzard in February of 93. The
snow was so bad that day the lines out of the city were closed, so this engine
was the only engine running around keeping switches open during the storm.
Most likely Kodachrome 200 film and the Nikon F4 at about 80mm.


Same day as previous photograph. Nikon F4 at about 200MM. This shot was
taken with me about 3 feet up to my knees/waist in snow. This was the
last eastbound that ran that day.


Nikon F4, Kodachrome 200. A very rainy early fall day. Around 8 a.m. So
not much light out yet, but the headlight of the engine reflects nicely on
the tracks. This is one of my favorite photographs as it really does
capture the mood of this rail line. Sunny day photographs have no place
on Sand Patch.


An interesting photograph with the Nikon F4 and 200MM zoom lense at full
zoom (200mm). You get all the lines of the telegraph poles and the
engine all pointing in one direction which draws your eye nicely. Again, and
early morning shot on a foggy day which brings out the mood very well.


Just west of Glencoe heading into Roddy's Sag. A very cold day. Shot
with the Nikon F4 200mm at around 140mm most likely. This highlights a
technique I use: I prefer zoom shots in mountain photography to eliminate as much
sky as possible. I very rarely shoot with a 50mm lense because too much sky
competes with the image you are taking.


Another early morning shot in low light in the lifting fog...taken with
the zoom lense.


A 50MM shot taken at Mance in the early a.m. A 50 mm lense was ok to use
here as I was up on a hill looking down so the sky could be eliminated
that way.


200MM zoom shot from the top of Sand Patch tunnel. Early morning, full zoom.


A zoom shot from across the valley, capturing a scene that is no longer
possible do to highway construction.


A zoom shot taken from atop Salisbury Viaduct looking down. 200MM on
Kodachrome 200.


Same location as above, again with a 200mm zoom.


200MM zoom shot on a cloudy fall day in the woods, on Kodachrome 200 film.