This week, Drew Halverson and Cody Grivno square off in a battle of regional railroads.
Read Trackside with Trains.com Volume 92
Click here to vote then add your comments about this week’s photos here.
Erik
I could feel the sun and the warmth in both photos.
I could smell it in Drew’s.
Went with Drew.
Mook
I liked the composition and the setting of Drews more than Cody’s. Cody had a neat catch but somehow it didn’t shine through in that picture. I had to go with Drew.
…I voted for Drew’s photo. Both are a bit different…Tank car train / Multi engined train…and I like both photos.
Seems I like what the “tank car” train projects best in RR photo interest.
Both were good, but both could have been framed better (says he who doesn’t have to go public with his photos). Cody’s would have been better with a greater angle, further from the tracks so more of the train showed. The vertical format wasn’t helpful here. Drew should have waited a touch longer for the shot – forget the railfans on the side – for a closer shot with the station board.
I went with Drew, but it could have gone either way.
Wauatosa Gets my Vote! Great Shot.
I Voted for Cody’s shot. While it was pretty hard to pick between the two shots I felt that the sign in Drew’s took away from the shot. To me the sign seemed to dominate the shot…maybe it was just the angle, but it was pretty good as well.
It will be interesting to see if Drew’s lead continues.
First and foremost both shots are spectacular…however I do have to agree with edalsie: the vertical stance takes away from it. Drew got my vote and congrats on your KO. I’m sure certain parties won’t let Eric live that one down (especially Mike). Good railfanning to everyone.
This week I went with Drew. Good compisition and lighting from the sun. If he did wait longer as a couple people suggested he would have lost the long string of tank cars flowing out to the right behind the motive power.
Cody, although slightly more of an angle would have helped your shot I also know that trying to get that with Hwy 59 running along the tracks would have been next to impossible. I am interested in why you shoot with Provia. Fuji’s Velvia in my opinion seems to grab a bit more color.
Both are good shots…neither exceptional.
I chose the DM&E entry because it has a bit more substance (the slanting station sign in particular). Aside from that, the blue and yellow scheme hasn’t been seen much and will soon disappear.
The WSOC photo, while well composed and attractively balanced, doesn’t offer anything that reaches out and grabs my attention.
TJB
Nashville, TN
Cody’s W&S image said “railroading” much moreso than Drew’s. In Drew’s shot, all we can see is one unit, a few tank cars, a parking lot, and a big, crooked sign that dwarfs (size-wise) the train. Even pigeons would have been better.
I know that in Wauwatosa there aren’t many good photo ops, and Drew probably managed to get as good of a shot as possible in that city. But there are no handicap points allowed. The images must stand on their own, regardless of the situation and/or difficulties in getting them.
In Cody’s shot, we see 7 matching red & white units “cooking the corn” in rural America. Not much else to see, but at least the image portrays power. That did it for me.
Voted for Cody.
Having grown up in Wauwatosa, I had to go with Drew’s photograph. The string of ethanol tankers stretching into the distance is impressive.
Tom
Sorry Cody–I watch you on internet TV via Model Railroader every week. Great show. This is hard to say…but I think you probably need to cede “live” train photos to the “live train” guys. But you and the rest of the Model Railroader folks will never take a back seat to these Trains guys when it comes to Model Railroads. Look forward to this week’s installment of “Cody’s Office.”
I voted for Drew’s Wauwatosa DM&E photo. I liked the sign in the shot and the fact it was leaning appealed to me more than if it were brand new, upright, & pristine. It was nice seeing a uniform clean consist of tank cars for a change.
I have nothing against the WSOR. I think the WSOR has beautiful paint scheme. For what I know from Colorado, the WSOR looks and sounds like a great railroad. I understand that because of the location of the Trackside photographers in proximity to the WSOR lines, this is what they see in southern Wisconsin. But if I see another WSOR photo in the near future in this competition, I think I might puke! I love the Rock Island and I know it is possible that I may never see a Rock Island locomotive in this competition. (Unless #630, #652 or IANR #678 make it into Trackside) But if I saw the CRI&P every week in “Trackside” I would get tired of it as well.
As far as composition goes, I think Cody’s shot could have benefited from the photographic “rule of thirds” by not having the train and horizon splitting the middle of the frame. I think I would have preferred a horizontal composition, placing the train/horizon on the lower third line with the nose on the point wher the lower third line and the left third line intersect. I would take advantage of the brilliant blue sky against the red and silver of the locomotive. Yeah it looks like another wedgie shot but, I think it is still more appealing.
Thanks again to all at Trains.com for having this feature. It is a great way to armchair railfan when I don’t have time to go out to the tracks.[bow]
I had to go with Drew’s shot even though your 7 loco shot was more colorful Cody. For some reason (to my eyes anyway) with the engines dead center in the shot made the photo seem for lack of a better term “unbalanced” Maybe its due to not going on the “Rule of Thirds”. I dont know.
Sorry Drew, I think you might have walked back from the sign to keep it from overwhelming the train. It wasn’t the smoke or red locomotives.
wasn’t terribly impressed with either, but liked the all the loco’s in a line and the blue sky and wide open spaces of Cody’s.
I am a sucker for a lot of power.
It’s Cody for me.
Brad
OK Drew,I’m going with your shot again. I realize they were shot on different days, but this shot is only about 6 seconds East of your vol 91 shot. Not that it matters, only those of us who shoot around this area would know that.
I would like to dispute the person who thought there are no good locations in the Tosa area. If you win again this vol, may I suggest the Plank Road bridge with the CP under you & UP over you, pretty awesome if you can get a pair together.
Cody, I have to agree with the comment about vertical vs horizontal for this shot. I would like to have seen a little tighter shot to see all those engines better. Nice shot though.
Thanks again guys,
Larry in Wauwatosa
Larry, just to avoid any misunderstanding, please note that in my post I said “there weren’t many good spots for photos”; I did not say there were none. Ouch, I think I twisted my grammar bone.
And FWIW, I agree: the Plank bridge is a very cool place to photograph trains.