This photo was taken in May of 1982 of train 27 working between Whittier and Portage, on the Whittier Division. After suffering with my old Minolta thru college and beyond I was finally able to upgrade to a new Nikon FE in the spring of 1982. My capable Nikon FE served me faithfully until I switched to digital in 2008. My Nikon FE has been retired to a place of honor in a bookcase in my living room (behind a string of N Scale ARR F Units and a Milwaukee Road Little Joe).

This was in the first sequence of shots I took with my new camera. As I've been editing this image I've had fun reliving the irrational exuberance of these first shots. My favorite locomotive of that time is the 1802. In contrast to most locomotives that are members of a class of engines, the 1802 was an individual. It was unique, reliable workhorse that served the railway for many years.

It often served on the Whittier Shuttle. The Whittier Shuttle ran on Sundays after church. Photographing the Shuttle was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. This was the first of many encounters with the 1802.