Comments on: Everything is covered in ice, the trees are white, the Dover flour mill (Now owned by P&H) continues to churn out product, and to the left is the former Grand River Railway head office building, now preserved and used by an advertising agency. T72 has 51 cars in tow and the motive power growls as they have accelerated into high notch for the 2.5% grade. It was 9 years ago I last did this shot.. and one can see it’s growing in and getting difficult!

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Mon, 11 May 2020 23:10:00 +0000

Thank you John – the GRR has fascinated me for some time, how I wish i could have seen them under the Juice!

The grade crossing is still there, all fenced in though on both sides of the ROW, and the 1908 Powerhouse still stands too. The former GRR HQ was for sale last September too but it’s in really nice shape.

Hard to believe there were so many stations around.. you can hardly imagine a station alongside King St.

Interestingly enough I tried to do this photo this year, it’s very grown in and I could not find a suitable brush free angle. Harder and harder.. I need to even higher and I don’t have a means to without getting permission from someone who lives in the apartment building

(or a Drone, but I don’t care for Drones)

By: railwayguy

railwayguy — Mon, 11 May 2020 14:21:22 +0000

Hi Stephen, great photo location, and great picture ! Where you are standing shows up in my movies , b&w Kodak 116 pictures of motors beginning to grind up “Preston Hill”. There was no problem when the interurban cars were running, to stand on the Preston Station platform which offered a good view of the GRR Shops, no permission required. There was (still there ?) a small road crossing the GRR track at the north end of the Speed River trestle leading to a park from which you could walk toward the Shops. I never remember ever having to visit the GRR head office for permission to take photos. Usually a request to whichever shop employee was wandering around did the trick, at least into the early ‘60’s, always with a growl of “watch yourself and stay off the equipment “.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:55:20 +0000

Arnold can appreciate this as he is a regular shooter of Medium Format – but I liken my camera to that of a Medium Format camera in a 35mm sensor – I can zoom in on the ice pack on the front porch of the lead locomotive and almost read the fine details on it. But I have the same restrictions as medium format (higher shutter speeds required to freeze everything)

By: awmooney

awmooney — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:25:42 +0000

And this image is ultra sharp. Put me down for NOT being a fan of drones. Would never consider one.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:17:11 +0000

Absolutely. But the image quality will be garbage by comparison to what I took – 36 megapixels, great glass, tack sharp.

Drones also have nasty wide angle distortion that has to be corrected and inferior sensor capabilities.

While it doesn’t matter for the Internet I don’t shoot for the Internet, I shoot the best quality I can get my hands on for stills.

By: dhaisell

dhaisell — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 00:58:17 +0000

Might be a tad easier with a drone!

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 02:40:08 +0000

Uhm I just want to say…. it’s not easy to do, and if you have a fear of heights…..don’t attempt it.

But I let the cat out of the bag by posting my shot from 2007 a number of years back. But trees grow and grow.. and grow..

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 01:43:20 +0000

Me too, Marcus. I was wondering if he was slipping someone a twenty, and then getting to climb something.

By: Marcus Stevens

Marcus Stevens — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 01:37:38 +0000

Nice angle, didn’t know it was possible.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 01:23:33 +0000

Thank you Arnold.