My most difficult train shot

I WANTED THIS SHOT! (Photo by BobbaLew.)

—The April 2019 entry of MY calendar is two Norfolk Southern freights passing “Ledges.”
First of all, the train on Track Three (rightmost) is going away. The locomotives are a helper-set, and are pushing westbound up The Hill (Allegheny Mountain). The train on Track One is eastbound downhill.
“Ledges” is not extraordinary, but is my most difficult train-shooting location. It’s a rock outcropping overlooking the railroad.
It’s out in the middle of nowhere. You park yer car in woods below the railroad-grade. To get there you use a shooting-range dirt-track that tunnels under the tracks.
From parking you hike up a narrow ATV-track — my brother drove his 4-wheel-drive suburban up it. Bouncy-bouncy; parting the path-side shrubbery. The trail is strewn with rocks waiting to puncture oil-pans.
I probably could get my SUV (all-wheel-drive) up it, but I use my feet. Climbing it doesn’t take me outta breath; but I used to run, and never smoked. The biggest challenge is not falling. My balance is minimal, and loose footing is everywhere. I grab stuff beside the path.
To get to the “Ledges” overlook, one has to wiggle a tiny drainage-wash down from the ATV-track.
If it were raining or cloudy I’d pass. But the lighting was fabulous: sun out, blue sky, and not a cloud in the sky.
My aquacise instructor counseled I skip it; but I wanted this picture! Never again might I see light so perfect. “Ledges” is morning-light looking up The Hill, and it was morning.
I had to be extremely careful. I was alone without nearby help. If I fell and broke something, I had my cellphone. But help would have a hard time finding me.
I had to crawl part of that drainage-wash. By now my aquacise instructor woulda been a nattering nabob of negativism. Never again might I see light so perfect, plus I keep getting older.
I made “Ledges” without falling, and hung out there at least two hours.
Finally a “double,” one up passing one down. Not exactly what I hoped for, but close. Better woulda been an eastbound approaching downhill on One, passing a westbound climbing on Three.
Next was getting back down without falling. Again, engage extreme concentration. Again, crawl part of the drainage-wash.
Returned to my parked car below-grade, I iPhone photographed and texted that to my aquacise instructor. “Made it!” I crowed; “Toy not with the master!”
I doubt you’ll see this “Ledges” view again in my train-calendar. “Ledges” is my hardest photo location, and I ain’t young. I probably could still do it, but “Ledges” isn’t extraordinary.
“Hey Frank, some dude is up on the rocks takin’ pictures. You’ll be an Internet sensation tonight!”

• I do aquatic balance training in the Canandaigua YMCA’s swimming-pool, two hours per week — plus a third hour on my own. My “aquacise instructor” is the class leader.
• RE: “Hey Frank,” etc........ —That’s a lead helper-locomotive engineer talking via radio to the rear helpers. I heard that on my railroad-radio scanner.