I was sitting at the back end of a Budd M3 train, riding home from Brooklyn with a deadheading crew I had just done a photoshoot with on their last Atlantic Terminal westbound. I mentioned to the engineer that I was determined to capture as many Position Light signals as possible before they all go dark.

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The engineer quickly replied "Go to the east end of QUEENS. The RAS (Reduced Aspect Signals) are already in place and nearly ready to go."

 

That was a Saturday afternoon. Just under a week later, on Thursday, March 11, 2026, I was set up with my telephoto lens at Floral Park station, observing the backlit afternoon sky and the QUEENS Position Lights silhouetted by its glow. 

 

My goal was to document the entire rush hour and pray for a spectacular sendoff of a sunset.  I had my big guns with me - the telephoto, as mentioned before, for the signal bridge in the distance, and my new 17-50mm f/2.8 for when the light got nice and low.

 

The weather had been nice for the previous few days, so I didn't think to bring a jacket. Big mistake. The wind was oppressive, and since I had parked in Hicksville and taken the train to Floral Park, staying warm enough was a struggle. 

 

The light wasn't very exciting for the first hour or two, but around 5:30, the sun popped out and provided a warm, fiery glow for the backlit eastbounds and a golden spotlight on westbounds. The Main Line is an exciting place to be for rail action. I was able to capture plenty of meets and even some races in the evening light.

 

Just before dusk, the sun disappeared behind more clouds, bringing a somewhat disappointing finish to golden hour. Luckily, the remaining clear gaps between the clouds further above allowed reflections of sunlight to shimmer through and create colorful patterns above as twilight turned to darkness.

 

If I don't get another shot at photographing these signals before their demise, I'll still be more than content with this special evening.