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SL6 Class 4-6-2 : 85-C-0251 : (23 of 25)

Frustration

What was it like photographing Pacifics in China in 1984? Errrr, a bit like this most of the time. We always seemed to arrive at the end of a yard somewhere, just in time to see a Pacific hauled train go past before we could find any sort of position. Then we'd get some shots of QJs, JSs, even JFs but rarely RMs or SLs. Eventually, we'd be herded back onto the bus and, as we left, another Pacific would go past. We hardly ever seemed to be in the right place at the right time. At least on this occasion, we'd managed to get off the bus by the time Dashiqiao's SL 683 scuttled past with a Shenyang bound passenger at Hunhe, just north of Sujiatun yard on New Year's Day 1985. No more Pacifics were seen all afternoon. Incidentally, this is a colour picture in a colourless location in harsh light, not a black and white.

Taking into account the complete lack of scenic locations, the seeming impossibility of predicting passenger workings and worst of all, the obsession with squandering the best light of the day on a two hour lunch break, it hadn't been the most promising introduction to China. It's difficult to believe it now but we concluded that China had been an interesting experience but wasn't worth a second visit. How wrong we were.
PHOTO DATA FOR IMAGE 85-C-0251
camera : Canon F-1n
lens : 50mm f/1.8
focal length : 50 (50mm 35mm eq)
shutter : 1/250 sec
aperture : f/5.6
ISO : 64 ISO
original : 135 Kodachrome 64
SUBJECT DATA
Loco / Unit : SL.683
Train : NB passenger
Location : Hunhe
Line : Shenyang Area
Country : China
Date & Time : 01/01/1985 13:55
page : 1007
CS000 : 2022-08-03
GS000 : 2022-08-16
GK000 : 2022-11-06
IS000 : 2022-08-07
IK000 : 2022-08-07








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