No. 404: Salt Springs Road

No. 404: Salt Springs Road, watercolor and ink, by Tom Wills, February 2018.

Trains make a lonesome sound. That's because they're so damned loud that they scare most everything else away.

These hammerheads are heading across the Salt Springs Road railroad bridge, just off of Interstate 680 on Youngstown's West Side. They were photographed in February 2018 by my neighbor and work colleague, journalist Joe Gorman, who is unafraid of noise and bad weather.
I had been looking for something else to paint, and got his blessing to interpret his photograph in watercolors and ink.

Joe Gorman's photo, and the first wash of watercolors.

Actually these are General Electric AC4400CW diesel locomotives, among the most powerful in the world, built between 1995 and 2004.  Union Pacific had the most at 1,338 followed by CSX Transportation at 615.  This particular bridge over the Mahoning River is a CSX rail line.

India ink on the bridge, roughing in the locomotives and fog.

The painting is rather bleak because February is itself yucky. There was fog over the water, the sky was overcast and all of the water plants along the banks had gone dormant for the winter.  The big challenge with this piece was to recreate that fog over the flowing Mahoning River.
It's alive in the middle but dormant all around.

Before the final details and highlights.

As to why two locomotives from the western United States would be on another railroad's bridge in Ohio in February, there are a couple theories: They could be on loan because CSX and Union Pacific share similar power plants, and CSX may be changing its fleet.
Or, they simply could be in between places, having hauled freight here and awaiting their ticket to ride back home.

This painting is available for $220. Contact willstom01@gmail.com