Leo is an inspection engineer for the firm at which I work. When he found out that I was a landscape painter, he suggested that I check out this bridge and its location in Salem County, New Jersey, as an ideal painting spot. Salem is about a two-hour drive from where I live, and Leo's directions were a tad sparse ("go over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, take 295 South to Route 40, and take a left at the Acme supermarket...") but I found the exact spot.

It was a beautiful fall day, one of the last days of the year that I was able to paint outside. While I painted, some locals came by and I learned from them that this railroad bridge is on one of the oldest freight lines in the country. The line runs from New England to Florida, and this particular bridge is a popular site amongst train aficionados. I had just seen The Station Agent the night before (great movie!), so all of this felt particularly relevant.