Chasing the Santa Express - PM #1225

One of the fundamental flaws I have is when I get a new toy, I just want to play with it.  And with the gift of the trains in the last week I've found that new toy.  Today, a few friends and I chased the Santa Express.  The Express is pulled by the PM #1225, same as the Northern Express.  The Santa Express does not follow the entire route of the NE, maybe going 50% of the way.  However, it made it far enough out of Owasso to make our day very eventful.
We started the day in Owasso, checking out the museum where the SE started.  We were there early enough that we could chat with some of the volunteers getting the train and cars ready to go.  And what a show we saw.

Bob and Rohn

Yes, it was cold.  I used gloves most of the day.  For some reason when you wear gloves, the shutter release button moves its position.  I need to let Nikon know about this.
Close to an hour before the SE scheduled departure, the train yard came alive.  We weren't the only ones out for the day, not to ride the train but to photograph it.

No problem, you're not in my line........

Actually everyone out there was playing by the rules, no one was hurt by interfering in one of my shots.
The most interesting sight of the morning was 'fueling' of the #1225.  I never think of these things until, well, I see them.  The #1225 runs on coal.  Lots of coal.  The #1225 needs roughly a ton of coal for every 15 miles to generate the steam required to move the engine and its cargo.  It never occurred to me to ask, well - how is that coal loaded?  Had I asked the question, this would be the answer.  You get some help.

Loading coal on the #1225.

With the train fueled, an intricate ballet of machinery started.  The engine need to exit the yard ahead of the passenger cars.  While the engine and cars were moving around, the peanut gallery would offer guesses as to what would happen next - and we were never right.  We did know which directing the train would end up leaving Owasso, and with that information we were never out of place.

The A-Team

After the train left the yard and staged itself for the passengers, we took off for intersections of road and rail road.
Our first stop was at Carland, where Santa was waiting to meet the train.  I have some images from there, but nothing exciting.  But our second and last stop of the day was at an off the well worn track where a dirt road crossed the tracks.
For me, this was the location of the day.  All that was missing was some loose snow to complete the effect.  Other than that little item, perfect.
I have two shots that I really like.  The first on, which will be posted soon is a little more creative in that there is motion involved.
This one is a little more standard,  The whole series from this location is good, but this is the best of the bunch for me.  No phone poles.  Correct era passenger cars.  All the steam plum.  Headlight not blown.  Awesome.

ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/400 sec, 50 mm, Aperture Priority (EC -1)

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

I was sitting on the road on top of some light snow, with all the joys that brings.  All things considered this is probably one of the better shots I've taken.  The scene was right, the ISO was right, the shutter speed was right and the frame was right.  Very few times does that ever happen for me.