Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 43: November 21, 2005

This week’s installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike is now live within the Railroading section on the Trains.com home page. Please read this week’s column and then vote for your favorite photo below. Click here to read Trackside with Erik and Mike Vol. 43.

I like no. 1the best but No. 2 is really enjoyable as well. I voted for number one as CN is one of my personal favorites and the shot over the freeway is really terrific.

Boy, this one was difficult for me to decide. I really like the fog effect in Photo #1…that is until I noticed the auto traffic. For some reason, that turned me off.

In Photo #2, the play with perspective and the vertical vs. horizontal lines of the elevators and the hoppers is really quite good. It conveys a real sense of controlled power. Both are excellent, but #2 wins by a nose!

I had to go with #1, it just jumps out at you. It was a difficult choice, both of the photos were GREAT!

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Chillicothe Corn Fest 2005

Regards,
Jim

Photo 1 is what I voted, because of the fog, and how it was shot over the bridge

photos 1 for shure, the fog did it for me

I voted for number 1. Nice to see the occassional mood shot.

Although both were good, I preferred #2 charging past the grain silos best. The fog picture was okay, but it would have been better without the heavy traffic below.

I had to go with number one. It is a great photo, especialy compared to the cloudy day wedgie- which is also nice.

This WAS a tough decision as I liked both photos very much. But I voted for #1 first because of the fog creating the mood shot, and second because it was of CN which has become one of my favorites. I think if the UP had been a grain train, I might have been swayed (pun intended). [^][:I]

I really enjoyed Photo 1, because it was different !, A good change-up. Meaning that the shot we usually take are almost always the same, passing on the doudle tracks, or out in the field. I like the different shots, in a city or clean bridge shots.
Chris Owens

Photo 1-creative, special, cool-looking. It got my vote.

Photo 1 has that little something different. It shows a train the way most of us see one in our other activities,like going out for Beer,going to work,or whatever. It had to be a grab shot, or a race like crazy to that spot shot. Besides, i’m tired of UP wedgies,espically when abuse of a telephoto is involved. Put another way, it’s pedestrian.

Photo one. Really dramtic effect, plus how it is stagged over a bridge in the early morning light too. Overall both were great, but 1 was just a bit better in my opinion.

Douglas

Photo #1. Tough choice though. I liked #2 because of the long lens cruch and the obvious “working hard” feel of the shot. However, #1 hits a soft spot because of the fog - love those type of shots. And, the 'ol Wheeling & Lake Erie crosses a similar spot here south of Pittsburgh (State Route 51 in Pleasant Hills). Always wanted to see what that shot would look like with a train and fog. Now I do!

I like #2 the best. It was a tough decision but after a while I thought #1 was just too busy. These are a couple of great shots guys, nice going.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

This was a hard, hard, hard choice this week. But, after much studying and deliberation, I went with photo 1. It is something new and different, uniquely composed and visually interesting with the road leading into the fog and the lighting play on the fog. To me number 2 was more of a standard wedgie.

By the way, to whoever owns photo number 2, it appears you have a speck of dust somewhere in your lens system. If you look to the very back of the coal train you will notice it.

Noah

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D] That’s a great description!!!

I also voted for #1. (Again, I believe I know which photo was whose… though that did not sway my voting! [;)]) The perspective, with the train crossing the bridge, the traffic, and the hills and trees in the distance gradually fading into the fog really make the shot! And that WC engine, though not a “real” WC engine, really looks sharp in this shot!

Of course, #2 is certainly not chopped meat! It is a beautiful shot of a railroad that I just don’t see enough of here in Wisconsin. I also liked the caption, “raking leaves…” [:)]

Keep up the good work guys! For a diversion, check out my album of an unpainted KCS SD70ACe, and on or after Thanksgiving (11/24), see my Engler Electric Marquee page!

Tough choice but the CN shot (#1) gets my vote. Great composition and great use of someting less than ideal lighting.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

No. 2 is a legend but no. 1 is a poem! The background trees really did it for me.