For me, this week’s contest was an easy choice, I thought Erik’s photo captured the power of railroading and his capture of the end of the train was a nice touch. Mike’s photo was pleasant but the lack of contrast between the plant growth and the empty cars I felt made the picture less desirable for my vote.
Mike, hats off! Beautiful shot! Everything in your shot says winner to me this week! Erik’s shot is not a bad shot either, I do like the low angle. However, I am just taken by every element in Mike’s. An added bonus is the ex-CNW on point. I am glad UP let the nose bell ring!
Greg “wcnut”
I had to go with Eric’s photo. I’m going to be “starting” my first layout & beiing blessed with a basement that is 12 foot by 30 foot I am going to have a few differrent areas in it. The below grade aspect shows me what I need to do with the track when I do that area. I have been planning my layout for almost 2 years and I think I finally have a working foot print of what I want. I’ll keep everyonoe posted iin the fall as to what is happening. Larry
Both are nice…but I voted for Mike’s this week. Erik’s had that nice loco consist and the exhaust, as well as being able to see towards the back of teh train, but Mike scored a few more points with his neat loco consist, as well as the fact you sually don’t see Conrail and Up together. Add teh special train, the neat lighting, and the winter scenery, and he gets my vote again.
Meself voted for Mike ast the licht frae the sun creates a stronger image. Eric’s wast guid but the licht’en was wee bit aff. I think a polarizer would hae enhanced it wee bit more.
Both shots where good but I would have to go with Eriks photo this week. Here is a photo of the two different spikes, the larger one for the winter when it is frozen and the regular type of spike.
Both of the photos are excellent. To me because the subject is “Trains” Eriks photo has great impact of the loco’s.
I really like Mikes photo of a general train scene and has a good photo that i could look at on a wall for a long time.
Congrat’s to you both.
Happy Railroading and photogrphy.
Mike,
Great shot with the sun and all. What is the model type of the Conrail locomotive?
Mike
e-mail- germ6@sbcglobal.net
Even though Erik’s picture was of the traditional side shot; featuring a Heritage G.E. in the lead; the Elephant style configuration made this shot the best
Mike’s shot was one of the best I’ve seen in any of the contests. The lighting was good, the engines clear (liked the color contrast), the different types of rail cars, the train perfectly centered in the picture, the sun hitting the snow … it just seemed like the pefect shot.
Again I’ll say that the quality of the shots are so much better than when you started these contests.
Mike, I love the sun shot. I picked it because of the ex-CNW 40-2 leading and the ex-Conrail unit trailing heading into the sun. That setting sun just adds everything to the photo.
I went with Erik’s photo. Love the exhaust! The whole picture in general convey the power of railroding!
I love Erik’s photo,it is much better than mike’s photo.I like the brute power that is portrayed in Erik’s photo and the composition is better.This week the chioce was obviuse.
On the crossing work, since this is my former territory, if you look closely, the rails on each side of the joint are different sizes. It is also very close to the edge of the crossing. This makes for a continual maintenance issue. Compromise joint next to a crossing. You can’t tamp the track without removing the crossing planks which is a lot of work and a comp joint always seems to get pounded harder by trains anyway. Worst of both worlds.
As was noted by an earlier poster, the shims being put in are because the track bed is frozen and the tie can’t be brought up to the rail. The crew just has to remember to come back as soon as the ballast thaws and get these shims out and tamp the tie.
I liked Mike’s shot a little better, though both are excellent.
steve14
Former Assistant Division Manager Engineering, Gateway Division and Former Manager Projects–US for CP, now Chief Engineer Maintenance and Construction Caltrain.
Mike’s train picture wins over Eric’s “roster shot”
I voted for Eric! I like the look of the BRUTE POWER of the BNSF (My favorite).
The shot shows the real power on today’s rails. I could almost hear the engines as they were winding up. Great Photo Eric!
WOW, talk about nip and tuck. This week was very tough to decide, both photo’s are very good. However, since Eric chose to shoot BNSF and I live just off BNSF’s mainline through Southern Iowa I had to vote for him this week. Keep up the good work guys. I kinda like having a tough time deciding.
Robert
I thought both pics. looked really sharp, but had to go with the UP/Conrail mix…John
Nice one eric! BNSF just so happens to be my favorite, nice angle by the way!!!
Two equally good photos and equally different reasons, I think, for voting the way I did. With the BNSF train the evidence of hard working units is obvious. The color quality of the shot is great and with the rear of the train in view it adds some necessary perspective to the shot so as not to make it just another engine shot. The U.P. shot of the welded rail train has a completely different quality to it. It is more serene; laid back, imparting a lazy late afternoon feeling to the whole shot. The snow tells you about the time of year and the obvious temperature. But my whole reason for going with this shot as the winner is the surrounding trees and more importantly the shrubbery and grass in the foreground. It gives a distinct feel of what a model railroader tries to accomplish in their modeling. If it wasn’t for the sun and the engines realism this would look just like a model railroad shot. That feeling of ‘is this real or is it a model’ is what sold me on this picture as the winner this week. Dale Trongale [^]