#1225 In Ashley

At the end of the Northern Express run is the village of Ashley, MI.  The Express will stop in a position to allow the passengers to disembark over a concrete, solid road.  When all the passengers have left the cars, the train will (very) move back to clear the intersection.
While this is in progress, all the photographers tried to get close to the engine, only to be held back by 'security'.  I overheard one photographer say that this was the first time this policy was enforced this year.  But was fun time and a chance to chat with fellow shutter bugs.
While moving in a reverse direction at a slow pace, there was steam everywhere.  Great visual.  Not so much for image file.
Talk about flat light.

ISO 1000, f/5, 1/1250 sec, 20 mm

NIKON D500 Ver.1.15/18.0-200.0 mm f/3.5-5.6

First, stuff on the right has to go.  The branches and the objects just in the clearing steam.  I'll take whatever I can to get some definition in the flat parts.
I have some options.  I could go B&W?  Single image HDR to get definition?  Paint?
If I go B&W, my go to set of filters are NIK - when it was free.  I use the Silver EFX Pro 2 and the one that caught me was based on the Film Noir presets.  I still like another preset used on a model train - but I don't want to get caught in a rut.  These steam trains remind me of days gone past and so B&W is a fit.

That looks good to me.  Looks like what I'd imagine Detroit or Saginaw looked like in the late 40's and early 50's.
I tried a single image HDR and what I liked most was a B&W take.  This image took it in that category.
But now that we have a painting option, how would that look?  Again, due to the whole rut thingie wanted to try other options/looks.
What wound up as the paint option started as a sketch search.  Although there are very elaborate paint options, I still think for my purposes less is more.  The Carland Elevator Paint is probably more that what I originally wanted to do, but in that shot it worked.  All of that subject was cold to me.  And that effect worked there.  This is different, it needs to be more 'real'.
So I wanted to go with more of a drawing look.

That pretty much nails what I was looking for as an option when nothing else works.  I like that  one all day long.  Looks like it belongs as a story board for a Spaghetti Western.  That's a far way from Michigan.
A few years ago, I introduced HDR to the photo club of which I am a dues paying member.  Caused a lot of ruckus.  I can laugh at it now.  I stress dues paying, so they couldn't kick me out.  It all worked out.
In January's club meeting, I'll show this and the Carland image.  That'll be fun!