Hello!
Trackside with Trains.com is back with a name that might be familiar to some of you. Matt Van Hattem, a Trains.com alumnus and current senior editor with Trains magazine, joins Mike Yuhas this week for another large edition (11 photos!).
Read Trackside with Trains.com Volume 86.
Click here to vote then add your comments about this week’s photos here.
Erik
Whooooops. Link fixed now. (Had the link for the story set up with the URL for this thread. Click it, and you’re right back here. Kinda like a dog chasing its tail.)
Need… more… coffeeeee…
[zzz] Bergie
I’m not a fan of traction, but cause there are two Chevys in the picture, got to go with Mike. Both photos are kinda mundane, but ok. Larry in Blaine
Mike, I preferred your shot because it depicts everything you think of when you hear the words “street running”. Trains and autos jockeying for position as they head towards their destination. Add in the snow and s-curve and it’s an excellent representation of the South Shore.
Matt, The low angle of your shot is very unique and not seen often in railroad photography. The lighting was well balanced; something that is hard to do when you’re in the train shed, yet have outside light also in the frame as you did on the right. However, there was nothing that jumped out to me and said, “I’m at the LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, IL.” If I had seen the Metra logo on the side of the car or a station sign that would allow me to identify where I was I probably would have voted differently.
Both photos appealed to me. Mike’s shot was very “South Shore-esque”. Matt’s use of the converging lines into the horizon point was very effective. After reading K5GBW’s comments though I was swayed to give Mike the nod this week. Having some identifying feature in Matt’s photo would have made it much more interesting.
1st off, Welcome to Trackside with Trains Matt. Now having said that, I have to tell you I went with Mike this time out, Although I liked your idea of the side of the transit railcar in the terminal along with the passengers. I felt that it wasnt “trainsy” enough. Now, had you posted the shot of the one zipping into the station it would have been another story entirely. Mike, your shot although grainy and somewhat lacking in contrast due to the lighting etc still spoke more of a train nature. Keep up the good work guys, Trackside is something I look forward to seeing in my email in-box.
Again I was compelled to vote for both shots, but I decided to vote for Matt’s photo as it depicts people and railroading instead of just an equipment shot.
I think we’re going to have a bloodbath on our hands this week. With something as familiar as Chicagoland (can say “been there, done that” to both situations shown), I have to go with the shot that affects me the most–or, if I get an effect from both shots, the one that’s more positive.
LaSalle Street is, unfortunately, the poorest excuse for dumping off Loop-bound commuters I can think of–little protection from the elements, a dinky waiting room reached by a circuitous walkway. Seeing a shot like Matt’s in anything less than perfect weather is a turn-off.
OTOH, I’ve been on those streets in Michigan City often, usually hoping I’ll encounter something. The weather looks familiar–not menacing, just something we’re used to. I know that my car and the train will both fit on the street. So this is great!
As usual, I’ve said nothing about quality, lighting, angles, or anything practical, so nobody needs to feel like he did a poor job.
I’ll have to agree with K5GBW on this one . . . it is a good concept, but the angle to the train is wrong. A shot with the crowds on the platform and the train arriving (a bit blurred perhaps) would be nice. The low angle was good. I’ve been at that station (without camera unfortunately) too many times while attending school out there.
But I’m going with the street running this week. Even the bulb out in the taillight adds a touch of interest (It doesn’t take much to interest me some days.).
Mike: Interesting view
Matt: Only interesting if Elvis is in there among the commuters.
I wish to welcome Matt Van Hattem to Trackside with Trains.com and want him to know that I very much liked his photo of the abandoned Erie branch. I wish you had a closer shot of the Susquehanna train. The photo presented is too much of houses and their Christmas decorations and too little of the train. I think a better train photo would have been captured if you waited until the Susie Q loco was passing the next street lamp seen in your current photo. Having taken the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) between Hicksville and Penn Station for many years, your commuter photos brought back fine memories. However, I think the one you selected for the contest was not particularly interesting. Mike Yuhas’ photo of the street-running South Shore/NICD train 505, however, is quite interesting. While I think Mike’s other photo of the train (the one wthout the cars) is an even better photograph because it provides an exceptionally nice view of most of the train, Mike’s entry truly outclassed Matt’s entry and grabbed my vote. Matt, if you want some non-conventional photos of NY Metro railroading, you need to visit the LIRR Hunters Point Avenue station (or the nearby elevated subway number 7 line station) when the Ringling Bros. Circus is performing in Madison Square Garden and its train is housed in the nearby Long Island City/Hunters Point freight yard. You can also get some interesting photos of Amtrak and NJ Transit equipment in the neighboring Queens yard.
It sure looks like a taillight is burned out – but that driver was actually signalling a right turn!
…Don’t really know what to say on this competition. I did vote {reluctantly}, for Matt’s rendition. I wasn’t fond of Mike’s drab, dark Winter street scene of the commuter train. Guess I’m complaining of the subject as opposed of the camera work.
But…I liked at least two of Matt’s others presented in the group much better than the one he selected…The abandoned line in the woods and the night scene with train, traffic and Christmas lights.
I thought the Interurban scenes were great. But the real knockout for me was the night-time shot of the crossing at Butler NJ with the Christmas lights. That would do a December calendar proud !!!
A question, though - being from Omaha, NE, I am not familiar with New Jersey (never been there - I know - my loss), but why the tunnel motor?
Lanny Munson
Well, as much as I love street running, the METRA shot composition was unbearable! Great job to both of you![tup]
Voting looks like a landslide sofar. Too bad, because I thought Matt had a really good pic.
I admit I did vote for Mikes, but it’s more of a nostalgia thing than any thing else. Takes me back to the Milwaukere North Shore days. Almost looks like S. 5th Street. Brings tears to my eyes remembering all the North Shore, streetcar & trolley bus pics I shot…all lost somewhere.
Thanks for another good volume
Larry in Wauwatosa
I liked the Matt’s sister Melynda’s shot of the SusieQ and Matt’s portrait of the abandoned line the best. Either of them would have got my vote.
Alas, the station shot was lacking in identifying characteristics. The street running seen was done so nice, I can imagine the puckering (rails will know what I mean) those engineers probably get each time they run the street.
Vote goes to Mike.
Sorry to say I could not vote on either one
Personally I wouldn’t have submitted either one: passenger rail in general bores me. Almost as remarkable as a city bus. Electric traction isn’t exciting to me and is aesthetically unappealing IMO as well.
That being said Mike’s shot was certainly different and had a unique mix of transportation modes. It grabbed me from an interest stand point and thus I voted for it.
I have to agree with what I’ve read here, for the most part. Matt, I really liked your Market St. shot - interesting lighting, action, good composition. I even liked your 34th St. shot, although more depth of field would have helped (and given you a slower shutter to smear those moving objects!) But your LaSalle shot? Drab, depressing, not much going on there.
Mike, I liked your shot as far as the action and the subjects (even though your head end is almost dead center), but it is too drab as well. Did you try bringing your levels up? See what I came up with:
It may not be a realistic portrayal of the day’s tone, but it makes one much less likely to fall into seasonal affective disorder, don’t you think?