Six photographers, including one Trains magazine reader, submitted images to vol. 156 of Trackside with Trains. This round’s theme: Close clearance.
Hi, I always enjoy this feature but I was wondering if it would be possible, please, to post when the voting ends. I have an idea but I’m sure there are others who do not. Thanks very much. Keep bringing us this fun and interesting contest.
I went with Tom Nanos’s picture of Grafton & Upton. To me, close clearances are part of industrial leads and industrial switching.
This edition is going to be close! I had to go with Ken’s only because I’ve been on the fireman’s side on a two track main at midnight when a 65 mph passenger whipped around a curve on the adjacent track at us. Yeah, the railroad track bed is engineered for these kind of meets, but you don’t really know how closely, until you experience it first hand. Ken: dejevu!
As always, I vote for the shot that speaks to the theme without having to read the accompanying copy. Ken all the way.
This is one session in which I wish I could split my ticket. I’ve been in Ken’s, Tom’s, and Andy’s situations often enough to appreciate all of them. In the reader’s submission, I’ll bet he felt a bit of a breeze! Been there, too, but not by choice.
So, I voted purely based on the best memory of mine, and Andy got the nod. I recall several times having to inch our way past cars parked too close to the track. Fortunately, in most of the cases, it was to watch the Musical Fountain in Grand Haven, and the people were staying in their cars, so it was a relatively easy matter to tap on the window and ask them to move ahead a couple of feet.
…On this “close clearance” theme, I have to go with ken’s rendition of the double stack passing the train with the camera recording the scene.
This was a funny bunch of photos where the winner is chosen by the least amount of (literally) inches.
It seems to me that Tom wins with no room to spare!
Went with Tom’s picture as it said “close” to me. Ken’s was a “close” (heh hed) second and then Andy’s. I wouldn’t want to be hanging off the side of any of them. Well done.
Dave
They’re all good shots, but I thought Tom Nanos submission said it best…CLOSE CLEARANCE!#### Tom in Nashville
Went out to California on the Southwest Chief then back to Galesburg on the California Zephyr. It was a real thrill to be in the dining car when those piggyback trains went past you. Am a retired rail and I still wasn’t use to it. Close clearence is what it says and means. Never mentioned to my wife or the meal partners what could have happened if there was a derailment just then. Hate to think about it. Had a great time with Amtrak. Get a chance take a ride.
I voted for Ken’s double stack shot. Nice perspective, good theme, and anyone that has been around railroading knows that this is a dangerous situation because of any kind of loose equipment that might be dragging or hanging off the side, not to mention the movement of one train next to another. Nice shot Ken. And to the others all of you,nice shots also.
Unlike many of the others who vote I have never worked on a railroad and I don’t have the same experiences. I can only vote for what I see as a good photo. I like to read the comments of some who have had the experiences and I am envious. They don’t take too kindly to women even being too close to the trains around here. I made a mistake once of asking a retired engineer about women on the trains and he hasn’t spoken to me since. Have a safe and great New Year to all. Now for the voting.
I voted for Andy Cumming’s because in my way of thinking, parking a car close to the track like that with no regard for the yellow line is just plain stupid. If I could vote for two the other would have been for Ken Fitzgerald. Both photos depicted the theme well.
Tom’s picture did it for me. Good work all!
Don
So Choo Choo Aussie,
they don’t have women engineers or conductors in Australia? Most of the freight lines here do and Amtrak has a bunch.
One of the comments mentioned a “dangerous situation” and that flipped my switch turning on a light bulb saying that would be a good idea for a future theme.#### I never worked for a railroad, either, but have always enjoyed the atmosphere and had a lot of friends who were rail employees. My job involved a bit of celebrity status, and I managed to get cab and caboose trips arranged on several occasions.#### One other thing, I still dislike the practice of printing captions of the photos when they are posted for judging.#### Seems to me it would be better to just post and number the pictures (along with the theme)…and then after the voting had closed put up the photographer’s names and captions.#### My take is that the pictures should speak for themselves, and that knowing who took them or anything about them might influence voters… Actually, we KNOW this happens by reading reader comments posted after they’ve voted. Personally, I never read the captions before voting, and try to ignore the photographers…although I have no reason to prefer one over another.
Tom in Nashville
Thank you, thank you, Tom in TN! [bow] Myself and some others have said that before. I don’t see how it is seen as advantageous, or whatever, to post all that ‘up-front.’ I think it would be much better to let the photos speak for themselves. After all, isn’t that the point of the contest?! It’s not supposed to be a popularity contest, either personally or geographically. I have to admit, as hard as I try not to let it influence me, I think sometimes it does. I hope they will start doing this anonymously. Thank you.
Hi,
Had to go with Tom’s photo. For me, ‘close (side) clearance’ is part and parcel with brakemen going home alive after a run.
Indeed, a photo should speak for itself, isn’t that the point of the photo? Only Red Skelton ever got away with explaining his jokes. Photo’s are like jokes, if they’ve got to be explained…
My feelings as well, as I’ve said many times. And I really like the idea of blind voting. I’ve seen evidence before of what appears to be voting for a contributor, even though the picture itself barely addressed the theme (if at all).
So, how about it, Trains? Can we try that one of these times? Just put up the pictures with the theme and a number (or letter - I’m flexible) and see how the chips fall. After some predetermined time (“voting closes…”), you can let us know who actually took the pictures, and maybe include their blurbs at that time, too.