Trackside with Trains.com, volume 127, is live. This week’s theme: “Off the beaten path.”
View and vote, then come back to share your comments.
All were nice, but Alex included a bridge in his. The bridge is a fixed span, but it swung my vote.
If its a GE 70 tonner, then it must be off the beaten path! Dave Lustig got my vote. Others were the usual great photography though.
Andy got my vote - a single locomotive with a single car on an overgrown branch line - clearly off the “beaten path” of a railroad mainline.
Drew’s submission is the one I’d hang on my wall, though - a novel picture of a familiar subject (two, actually, since I feed the birds and routinely see cardinals outside my window).
All the photographers did a very good job with the theme. I started to vote for Steve Crise’s photo, until I saw Mr. Lustig’s. That one got my vote. My next choice would be Andy’s photo. [tup] to all of you!
Drew, FTW.
I really liked all of the photos this time, although for different reasons for each photo.
Drew’s was really different with the red bird as the subject in focus.
Steve’s was most interesting from the technical perspective and the difficulty in getting a shot like that exposed so nicely.
Andy’s almost made it, but due to the ground foliage, I couldn’t tell if that shot was taken on class 6 trackage or excepted track.
Alex’s was unique and very nice due to the odd combination of power, fancy dome car, freight cars, and small bridge–most interesting!
However, the one that got my vote was the one that actually included the ‘beaten path’ in the photo. Good one, Dave.
Really love those 70 tonners, true classics. But Alex’s shot of the SLRG got my vote. Ironically, 8537, a sister to the loco pictured, left here eastbound on the AZER this morning. It passed one of the same dome cars sitting on a siding, part of the Copper Spike tourist train that runs Thursday thru Sunday.
Alex:The last time looked at a Colorado map Antonito was still in Colorado
Colin
Well, I suppose action in the “operation room” of a steamer certainly qualifies as “Off the beaten path”…but along with that I love the photo. It really does look too clean in there to be “for real” back in the days, but it’s a steam engine, and is certainly off the beaten path from the norm.
Drew’s concentration to draw the Cardinal in focus is really great…
All photos were great…but we must choose just one. So it’s Steve’s this time.
Not a loser in the bunch! My vote went to Drew. That cardinal on the track certainly said “Off the beaten path” as did the train being out of focus. Took a lot of guts to use that picture!
It is hard to vote against steam and thanks to Steve for the fine shot and the tutorial. I just don’t get connection to theme.
Gary
When I hear off the beaten path, I think desolate. To me. nothing says desolate like a GE 70T loco pulling a few freight cars across an open prarie. David Lustig’s photo got my vote. [:)]
For the first time since this feature began, I almost opted not to vote…but finally wound up clicking the dot for Alex Mayes shot.
None of the photos screamed out “vote for me”…and probably the only reason I chose Alex’ submission was because of the unorthodox consist in a truly “off the beaten path” locale.
TJB - Nashville, TN
All good photos and very hard to choose. I eventually got it down to three. David, Andy and Alex. All three said out back and I almost had to throw them in a hat to pick just one. I eventually went with David’s. David’s photo is very similar to the Australian outback. I think that that is what drew me to it in the end. Good work everyone.
Is the voting poll missing for this week - November 30, 2009??
Andy’s taken along former route of No.'s 11 & 22 “The Sioux” W-of Madison’s clearly an “off the beaten path” scene. As a secondary main of sorts it once carried F-3 4-6-2 led varnish and L-2 2-8-2 powered freights between Madison and Prairie du Chien (also across the floating bridge over the “Father of Waters” to/from Marquette, Iowa), and was always a bucolic route. It became even more-so in the latter 20th century’s era of black 'n orange 1st generation SD’s and MP-15’s in the latter 1970’s.
Drew’s view is more along the lines of a “back to nature” theme, and the others along shortines were fine examples of motive power and consists but didn’t emphasize being more than what was illustrated.
I picked Drew’s shot, mainly because I am in it. Hard to see, but I am on the train.