Conrail in Walpole a long, long time ago

Young and stupid. Back when I was young and stupid, I didn't think of myself as young and stupid. I thought of myself as busy and harried. You could throw in passionate and focused too, those were words I liked a lot then. The trouble is when I look at the photographic evidence it becomes plain tha young and stupid was what I was. This first photograph taken in Walpole, Massachusetts is what we could Exhibit A.

It was a Sunday afternoon in January 1988 or 89. I lived in Medfield, Massachusetts, a few miles up the line from where this photo was taken. The great thing about Medfield was that you could hear the trains coming down from Framingham hitting all the grade crossings from somewhere up in Sherborn and then all the way through Medfield. It gave me plenty of time to get my camera and get out on the road. The down side was that I usually heard most of those trains at night, which is when I was home and also when most of them seemed to run, so I took a lot of headlights at night and satisfied myself with watching the diesels pass through the grade crossing down the street from my house.

The sun was still up, though setting fast, and I knew if I hurried I could get a daylight shot of a freight hitting the diamond at Walpole Junction. And, as the photograph shows, that is exactly what I got. You weren't young and stupid, I can hear you protesting. You got the shot. You were right where you needed to be. What is your problem?

Well, it is what happened next that I think convicts me. As you can see, the conductor is getting off the train. They were stopping at Walpole to switch the yard before heading off for Mansfield. After the conductor got off the train he called me over and introduced himself. He asked me if I would send him a copy of the photo. He said people were always photographing him but he didn't have a single picture of himself working and he wanted to give on to his kids. I readily agreed, not a problem, I said. He gave me his address, I tucked into my camera bag, took a few more shots and went home. The sun was pretty much gone, but I felt pretty good having actually talked to a crew member.

In those days, I did my own developing. I worked at a newspaper and a staff photographer taught me how to develop film. Reporters were supposed to take photos back then but the photographers didn't much like that idea because they felt it diminished what they did for a living. I think they were right. But if I was willing to get in there and learn the basics and do my own developing, they didn't seem to mind me as much. I got to use the darkroom on Sunday afternoons when no one was around. It was an arrangement that meant I didn't always get to my photos right away. Sometimes, there would be a couple of weeks from when I took a personal photo to when I developed it. I figure by now you can see where this is going.

I lost is address. I made a print back then and set it aside. But I couldn't find his address anywhere. It never occurred to me to just go down to the engine terminal in downtown Framingham and leave a copy with them. Instead, I put the photo on a shelf and went on with life. After all, I was harried and busy, and maybe a little passionate and focused too, but probably a better definition was overwhelmed and confused. Eventually, I did find the address, but then I couldn't find the photo. When I did find the photo, I had lost the address again. I did this a few more times and then just kind of gave up. (Although, it would be really great if any of you knew who this guy might be and I could get him a copy now. Of course, he'd probably be close to 80 if he was a day.)

I have always felt bad I let the guy down. And I can't look at this photo without giving myself a boot. (This isn't the original print by the way, it is a scanned negative, which has got a little scratched over the years -- more guilt.)

Anyway, I don't want to end this on a down note, so I will leave you with a couple of things I did right.

 
Here  is the lead unit of a four unit set taking the curve at Walpole Junction and heading to Boston on the MBTA's commuter line, which is still used by freights to Readville. The train was coasting along and I wanted to get out in front of it and take a few more shots, which I managed to do.

Here it is about to go under the bridge at Willett Street in Walpole. These were the best shots I could get and considering the angle of the sun and the speed of the train I think I did alright. I got the shots, I did it safely and I am sure a few Conrail fans out there are happy to see them. Also, I managed to include the MBTA's brand new signals in the background. I remember thinking at the time that Conrail units had a boxy sameness about them, but boy don't they look handsome in hindsight?