ACH Photos

10/16/2026

Beast of the East: I had an absolute BLAST at Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's fall railfan weekend. It's still incredible to me that this year you can (and I did) drive to see UP Big Boy, N&W 611, R&N 2102 and WM 1309 all from Virginia. I loved this spot, a nice hike in and a comfortable place to read my Railfan & Railroad Magazine while I waited for them to round the mountain. A fine day spent trackside indeed.

10/06/2026

As a native New Englander, this time of year always makes me nostalgic for home as I see all of the spectacular fall foliage photos. Gateway in 2018 is the last time I can remember the leaves being as good as they seem this year. Knowing this is the shot I wanted, I skipped a few of the classics down in the valley to make sure I was in position. Boy am I glad I did, as it remains one of the best foliage shots I have taken on the railroad. Maybe next fall it will be time to venture back north and spend some time up in Notch country. Conway Scenic never disappoints.

10/01/2026

The High We're Always Chasing: It was about 0500 when I rolled out of Alexandria with my coffee and the turnpike troubadours echoing through the speakers. I found myself watching the sun come up over the mountains as I made my way out to Cumberland for Western Maryland Scenic Railroad's railfan weekend. For those who don't do this, it's hard to describe the unbelievable joy and sense of accomplishment you feel when it all comes together for the right shot as it did for me here. The schedule on Saturday was perfect with basically 8 trains running (4 up to Helmstetters and 4 back down) with steam on one side and diesels taking it back down the mountain. This was my first time seeing 561 in the circus scheme pulling trains, and it looked amazing heading down into Cumberland. I probably hiked 5-6 miles this day, and had an absolute blast chasing trains up and down the mountain. Hats off to the folks at the WM, this is one that should be on everyone's calendar.

09/29/2026

CSX 250: On a beautiful early fall afternoon, CSXT i031 had a special pairing taking the train south on the RF&P. Both of CSX's 250th units were up front, making for a beautiful scene as they highballed through Slater's lane in Alexandria. In the far background is the D.C. skyline with the Capitol building's distinctive dome as a highlight.

09/09/2026

As an 80's kid, the heyday of great Boston railroading was already over by the time I was watching T trains fly down the commuter rail tracks as a kid. All I had was the incredible historical images of the Boston and Maine to show me what things used to look like. But last week, that all changed, as the MBTA placed their newly wrapped locomotive 1072 into service. This stunning locomotive in the "McGinnis" scheme looks so incredible it's hard to believe it's real. On a gorgeous evening last week, I was able to grab it on an inbound train, completing my set of MBTA heritage locomotives. "The T" as it's known to all of us from my homeland has assembled an incredible set of heritage locomotives, easily my favorite fleet of any of the commuter roads.

08/30/2026

Classic New Haven: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail system is comprised of many lines from the heritage railroads from the region, one of the most notable being the New Haven. As the rays of a beautiful late August evening wash over the canal, the T's New Haven heritage unit is right at home taking the Cape Flyer back to Boston. The New Haven ran 'cape codder' trains, and it's certainly wild that in 2026 you can get this photo resembling 'home rails.' I'm certainly biased, but firmly believe that the T now has the best passenger heritage fleet in the country. Super grateful for all my buddies who helped me navigate the chases yesterday. Thanks, fellas.

08/25/2026

New England: In 2026, the MBTA has placed into service a number of heritage units in schemes of the predecessor railroads which encompass the modern MBTA system. On a gorgeous summer morning, the picturesque and aptly named town of "Manchester By The Sea" is bathed in the early morning light as the Boston and Maine heritage unit takes a train into town. The 1030 is right at home on the Gloucester branch which belonged to the B&M. The vintage drawbridge was constructed by the railroad in 1944 to provide access to the inner harbor. What a simply surreal scene to photograph in 2026, and I'm grateful for the help I've had from friends while I'm home to get shots like this one.

08/15/2026

When Is The Next Train To Boston: On a crystal clear evening deep in the north woods, the historic Maine Central Crawford Notch depot sits illuminated under the beautiful evening sky. The core of the Milky Way was illuminated as a few leftover meteors from the Perseid shower streaked through the sky. I was in awe of the wonderment of this incredible sight, and after seeing enough shots that have made me extremely jealous over the years, I am so glad I saddled up to get my own. After a few attempts earlier during the week were scuttled by weather, last night was finally clear enough to get what I wanted.

08/03/2026

What an incredible honor!! Thank you to BNSF Railway, I cannot believe it.

Congratulations to 🏆📸 Adam Horgan, whose stunning photograph of a BNSF train rolling along the shores of Del Mar, California, earned first place in this year's Summer Photo Contest.

With more than 400 entries, the 2026 contest was our largest yet. View all this year's winning photos and honorable mentions in the latest Rail Talk article:

https://tinyurl.com/2zfbjdvs

07/22/2026

Excited For P42s: Back in February I made a trip to Culpepper, VA and spent the day photographing trains. When I got there, I learned Amtrak's Crescent had dual P42's, which in today's day and age on long distance trains, is pretty rare. It still feels weird getting excited about P42s, but I know from the previous generations that one day, all of a sudden, the familiar just disappears. While not my original target here, man was I stoked to get this bonus.