The photo isn’t marked with date or location, just “Kodak Paper” on the back but I’d wager the 1970s near Roseville, Ca., based on the signal tower, teh landscape and the weight of the rails there.
My brother Fred IV was taking prints in black and white a lot then and he even developed his own film, though I cannot recall him printing but maybe he did have an enlarger in his dark room/closet.
The subject matter is so simple here a small move – a local perhaps with lots of textures on the left edge with louvers and doors, handrails and the typical fuel streak on the tank.
What stands out is the head lamp – high mounted and large… not a large as some I have seen though.
The small point that I noticed when I lightened the image is the ever appreciated wave. I like to believe that workers had an appreciation for being appreciated by fans. That they understood the kid taking the photo was fascinated by the equipment and maybe even wanted to be them someday. Don’t tell me if its not true, you will ruin it. I can only relate when I was at the race track and kids would be taking photos and they would get some sort of acknowledgement from the workers there – drivers of course; but even worker bees.
Keep waiving to kids followers, we are all kids inside.
Fred's Slides 