Hello, all - newbie here

[Skater]

Hello, everyone. New to the forums but not the site - I have three pictures in the db (http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?name=RJ%20Marquette), two of which have four-digit picture IDs! :)

I'm planning to buy a Nikon D70 in the new year. Please feel free to talk me into buying it today so I can use it over Christmas. ;) I currently use a Nikon N65, which I'm pretty happy with, but I think it's time to go digital, and Nikon has finally put out a digital SLR I can afford. I don't intend to retire my film camera, but I'm sure most everyone says that.

I'm interested in doing some pictures around the Northern Virginia area, and I'd like to accompany some NoVA photographers if they don't mind. I know what to do and all, I'd just like some moral support. Also, I know of a place that would be good to see Metrorail, VRE, Amtrak, and NS/CSX freights, I think.

--RJ

[dsktc]

R.J., you should consider joining the Virginia
RailFan Group on Yahoo:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/vrfe/

Dave

[Skater]

R.J., you should consider joining the Virginia
RailFan Group on Yahoo:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/vrfe/

Cool, thanks.

I bought the D70. Should be getting it Tuesday. :)

--RJ

[Skater]

R.J., you should consider joining the Virginia
RailFan Group on Yahoo:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/vrfe/

Geez, it's like trying to join the Stonecutters or something. Far too much work. I've been on plenty of lists that don't ask for my life story and haven't been spammed...

--RJ

[Lord Vader]

Heheheheh. Who keeps the metric system down? We do! We do! :lol:

Welcome aboard. In celebration of this momentous occasion, we're havin' ribs.



Geez, it's like trying to join the Stonecutters or something. Far too much work. I've been on plenty of lists that don't ask for my life story and haven't been spammed...

--RJ[/quote]

[E.M. Bell]

Welcome to RP!

Dont be so harsh towards groups that require a little info to let you join. There are far to many unmoderated yahoo groups that I have belonged to in the past that are cluttered with spam and so on. I maintain a very active group (NS Central Div) , and it to requires a person to give enough info to verify that they are not a spammer. The spam problem is bad enough without having to weed through a bunch of nonsense on a group just to get to what you want to read!! I see a large number of request to join my group that will have no info given, and those people never get in...its just protect the contributing members.

[Skater]

Well, I understand wanting to make sure a human is there. I run a site on roller skating with a forum, and I've had to set registrations to be "administrator approved" because twits kept registering solely to put in the URL of an adult site. Believe me, I understand.

I just wasn't expecting to need to know the milepost of the nearest rail line! And, the rail line closest to me happens to be Washington, DC's Metrorail, which doesn't have mileposts as far as I know. (A close second is the CSX (?) lines through Alexandria, VA, just south of the station.) And, yes, I do sit on my balcony and watch blue and yellow line trains as well as Amtrak, VRE, and CSX trains through Alexandria. :)

Are shots of Metro approved here? Of course, I'd probably end up in police custody if I tried to take one, but assuming I did avoid arrest...?

(Moderators, this thread was only tenously on-topic for this forum when it started - I accidentally put it in the wrong forum. Feel free to move if we've strayed too far. Sorry about that.)

Thanks.
--RJ

[ddavies]

VRFE is THE site for news in VA, it is just nice to know something about new members, rather than just an email address where you have no clue :)

It's nice to know where people live to get an idea of what they see.

You can go into the acrchives and review all the members who joined before you.

(I saw your data this morning :)

[Wade H. Massie]

"Are shots of Metro approved here? Of course, I'd probably end up in police custody if I tried to take one, but assuming I did avoid arrest...?"

I've seen a few DC Metro shots on RP before. They're not the most interesting rail subjects, but there are a few spots that might make a good photo. Have you ever taken any shots from your balcony? I'd like to see one of those!

-Wade

[Skater]

Have you ever taken any shots from your balcony? I'd like to see one of those!

I can catch the yellow line and trains just south of Alexandria station from my balcony - both require extreme zoom (probably 300mm for Metro, more for trains - but I only have a 300 mm lens).

Oddly enough, I haven't taken any with trains in them yet (either that, or I have and haven't yet scanned & categorized them). I'll take some if the weather clears up.

They won't be RP quality, but they'll be fun nonetheless.

--RJ

P.S. I have taken a number of shots of the area in general several times over the last 2.5 years. Some of those are pretty nice, but you'd never notice the rail lines. :)

[Skater]

I've seen a few DC Metro shots on RP before. They're not the most interesting rail subjects, but there are a few spots that might make a good photo. Have you ever taken any shots from your balcony? I'd like to see one of those!

Your wishes have been answered. I took these through the glass of my balcony (I'm not feeling well and don't want to go outside even though it's like 60 degrees). I set the camera to focus on the middle of the picture, and the only thing I did to the pictures was resize them and run "Unsharp Mask" on 'em. Some of them came out pretty well considering that the closest part of that track is about 3/5ths of a mile from here, and the Eisenhower Station is about 7/10ths of a mile (I just measured it on my NoVA map).

http://rjmarq.org/Metro

Anyone want to lend me a 500mm or 1000mm zoom? ;)

--RJ

[cmherndon]

Anyone want to lend me a 500mm or 1000mm zoom? :wink:

Well, just be sure there's not a cloud around for 50 miles if you do come across one. :lol:

[VRE Man]

R.J., you should consider joining the Virginia
RailFan Group on Yahoo:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/vrfe/

Geez, it's like trying to join the Stonecutters or something. Far too much work. I've been on plenty of lists that don't ask for my life story and haven't been spammed...

--RJ


RJ,


Personally the moderator of VRFE is a very close friend of mine & I helped him create VRFE several years ago. The requested information is small & helps prevent unwanted bots, spam etc. It also brings you into one of the BEST Groups for the surrounding Northern Virginia, Maryland & DC Area.

VRFE provides the best source (besides TO) for local fans to know whats going on around the entire area. Being in Fredericksburg these days VRFE provides me plenty of local fans that enjoy this hobby as much as I do.

Please think about it, you won't be disappointed...


Take Care,

Jason Breakiron
Fredericksburg, Va

[VRE Man]

I've seen a few DC Metro shots on RP before. They're not the most interesting rail subjects, but there are a few spots that might make a good photo. Have you ever taken any shots from your balcony? I'd like to see one of those!

Your wishes have been answered. I took these through the glass of my balcony (I'm not feeling well and don't want to go outside even though it's like 60 degrees). I set the camera to focus on the middle of the picture, and the only thing I did to the pictures was resize them and run "Unsharp Mask" on 'em. Some of them came out pretty well considering that the closest part of that track is about 3/5ths of a mile from here, and the Eisenhower Station is about 7/10ths of a mile (I just measured it on my NoVA map).

http://rjmarq.org/Metro

Anyone want to lend me a 500mm or 1000mm zoom? ;)

--RJ




Ahhhh You live on the Route 1 Corridor I see. Nice distance shot of the Huntington Metro station next to the AMC Theaters there.

If you drive down along Eisenhower you can catch numerous photo ops of the CSX Ex-RF&P mainline & the NS Washington Line. I grew up off of Edsall Road in Springfield & my grandfather (who got me into trains as a kid) had a large property in front of the old Peoples Drug/ Computer Learning Center Complex.

Grandpap & I sat many times alongside the tracks where Vulcan now resides. That was back when the Van Dorn Intermodal Terminal was double the size it is now & there was no overpass for Van Dorn Street.

Ahh I wish I was a kid again lol,

Take Care,

Jason Breakiron
Fredericksburg, Va

[Skater]

Ahhhh You live on the Route 1 Corridor I see. Nice distance shot of the Huntington Metro station next to the AMC Theaters there.

That's Eisenhower Ave, not Huntington.

If you drive down along Eisenhower you can catch numerous photo ops of the CSX Ex-RF&P mainline & the NS Washington Line. I grew up off of Edsall Road in Springfield & my grandfather (who got me into trains as a kid) had a large property in front of the old Peoples Drug/ Computer Learning Center Complex.

I've wanted to spend some time on that road next to the tracks, just off Franconia (I can't remember the name of it right now). One time I saw a large tow truck moving a freight car into that complex via a spur there - of course, no camera on me when it happened. :)

Please think about it, you won't be disappointed...

I joined about a week ago. :)

--RJ