Hello!
This week, Trackside with Trains.com is joined by Trains magazine editor Jim Wrinn. See some of Jim’s recent photos, as well as our old buddy Mike Yuhas (including another less-than-impressive photo of Mike… on the ground… covered in snow).
Read Trackside with Trains.com Volume 87.
Click here to vote then add your comments about this week’s photos here.
Erik
Jim’s image of the sleek, modern Acela trainsets just didn’t move me emotionally. It just somehow doesn’t look or feel like ‘real’ railroading.
Mike’s very poignant shot of that lonely, little, lost wayfreight, out in the middle of nowhere, cold, dark, with snow piled on the front, exhaust smoke drifing away, spoke to me much more eloquently. (Plus the composition and lighting were excellent).
Voted for Mike.
I had a couple of thoughts as I was going through this.
Before I opened the story: “Mike’s going to go up against a Shay!”
After I read the story: “I’ll bet I know how WSOR 3801’s going to vote!”
Unfortunately for Mr. Wrinn, so am I. And so is my wife. To each of us, the WSOR shot was just more interesting. As always, photographic talent, composure, etc., don’t influence me too much, though the “sweet light” shot did something for Mike’s photo. Pat thought it wa a sunrise shot. But how cold would that have been?
An aside: the best shot I ever took, in my opinion, was with a Kodak Instamatic camera in 1970–caught a consist of F3s on GTW at Battle Creek, not too far from one of their brand-new SD40s. I got the red nose of the CN-lettered F3 in fantastic sweet light. Timing is everything! Color helps, too.
…Voted for the Acela photo…Just a little different.
I did so before I checked who the photographer was.
Just seem to like a photo that appears a bit different…Different perspective. And of course the Acela profile helps make that difference.
Never much liked bullet nose trains, love Mike’s picture with lots of snow on front of engine
S-P-E-E-D. Even if they are sitting still.
Mikes shot was nice, but there was too much dead space in the picture - a nice landscape with a train in it, versus a train in an interesting landscape.
I don’t think I could have said it better than “Zardoz”. Jim’s photo might have won with me any other day but Mike’s photo takes me right to my mind’s image of railroading! Mike that was a truly emotional photo for me.
On a side note… I may have some time to take a ride on Acela in April. Anyone out there have any tips that would enhance my experience???
Thanks in advance!
Rocket Man, try for a seat on the left side of the train, headed north out of DC. In case you’re into timing mileposts, that’s where you’ll find 'em.
I forgot to mention that, from an artistic standpoint, Jim’s shot out of the observation car was a knockout! If I were my wife, that would become a quilted wall-hanging!
This edition of Trackside with Trains.com was extremely tough to decide. I welcome Jim Wrinn to the photo competition and must commend him for his very nice pictures of the Washington DC Metro and the view from the southbound Crescent. The photo of the noses of 3 Amtrak Acela locomotives was quite nice but my impression of the cold, isolation and loneliness in Mike Yuhas’ picture of the northbound WSOR train made me vote for Mike instead. Perhaps it was the golden hour lightening that Mike took advantage of that tipped me to his picture.
Jim - Welcome to Trackside with Trains. You have a very unique perspective on railroading and incorporating the world in which trains travel. The pictures you took in the Washington Metro station and on the NYC car are photographically excellent. Of everything you shared with us today the shot of the NYC car with the flowers and track trailing off into the distance was my favorite.
Mike - Your ability to take a photo at the same location yet have it look different every time is amazing. Your shot of CN 6104 is truly the “Best of Show” if today’s edition of Trackside with Trains.
As far as voting is concerned, I really haven’t’ decided yet. Both entries have unique merits that draw me to them. I’m going to have to think about it for a while before I decide.
Jim you almost got me on this one, but Mike’s was just a touch better. I loved the shot out the rear observation window, but was disappointed that the flowers weren’t in focus as well.
Tough choices this time.
I found my first reaction to the Acela’s to be . . . why not mag-lev?? Let’s get it on and enter the 21st century.
Allen
I really enjoyed both Photo’s But I enjoyed the work local. (long days work)
I agree with Zardoz.
“Mike’s very poignant shot of that lonely, little, lost wayfreight, out in the middle of nowhere, cold, dark, with snow piled on the front, exhaust smoke drifing away, spoke to me much more eloquently.”
The photo of the Acela reminds me of looking at the Stanley Steamer in the museum located in the basement of The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO. The Acela isn’t working, it is just sitting and doing nothing. The Stanley Steam car in the museum isn’t working either - both are out of their environment and doing nothing. Yes, the Acela is in a railroad station, but it is doing nothing and there is nothing in the image that has to do with the work that locomotives are built to do.
The WSOR locomotive and its crew are in their environment, and the photograph talks to me about the uncompromising nature of wintertime railroading. This image causes me to think of long ago D&RG railroaders in Gunnison, Colorado - where the temperature just a few weeks ago was minus 38 degrees F.
From Northern Colorado - USA
The Acela’s (Acelii?[:D]) {Acelae: thanks CopCarSS!} looked to me like some kind of ‘toy’. That picture just didn’t impress me. Having never seen one in person, that picture didn’t make me go “Wow, I’ve gotta see/ride that thing!” If you had caught one at speed, perhaps, that might be a bit different.
The WSOR shot…well 'nuff has been said about it. [8D] It got my vote.
I think the name “Acela” is a bit of imagineering, and probably doesn’t have to play by the rules of Latin pluralization. Still, if it were Latin derived, it would probably be a member of the first declension. As such, the nominative plural would be “Acelae.” I think you’re safe with “Acelas,” though, Dan! [;)]
I liked both shots this week, but Mike’s was a nice “trainscape” in the words of the late Gary J. Benson, so it got my vote.
Is it just me and my advancing age (and failing eyesight), or are Mike’s night shots getting darker and darker–to the point of being hard to interpret? That, plus the fact I like passenger trains, sends my vote to the boss. Thanks for the series; I’ve enjoyed it from the start.
I like Jim’s shot out the tail of Hickory Creek almost as much as your WSOR shot.
His first Metro shot was well lit and captured the formal elegance of the station (typical of most older underground stations) with the centered shot.
I liked both better than the Acela nose shot.
Jim, your “Acela times 3” photo just might show the future of passenger railroading in America. I am a firm believer in electrified, high-speed passenger rail similar to the existing Northeast Corridor as a replacement for airline travel. Out to a distance of about 300 miles from a hub like Chicago, timewise there is no significant difference between the two, and even diesel-powered it uses less fuel per passenger mile. Having said that, I have to admit that I voted for Mike’s snow-covered freight photo. As a lifelong Midwesterner, I sympathize with him facing the hazards of the season to bring us his submissions, as well as the train crew “driftbusting” on their run. At least they didn’t have to bring out the wedge plow this time! As I write this, the upper Midwest is bracing for yet another possible 6-9’’ of the white stuff, so you might be able to catch some action shots of this rarely-seen equipment in use. Good luck and good shooting!
Nice to have Trains Editor Jim Wrinn along for the ride on this week’s edition!
I think the best thing about Jim’s shot is how the three Acelas are lined up so well. With the reflection of the overhead station lights, it almost looks like they’re units straight out of the shop! I’ve never had the pleasure of viewing the Acelas up close (the closest I’ve ever gotten to them is running them on MSTS) and Jim’s shot gives a pleasant image of what it must be like.
Mike’s shot has a few extra details that seem to draw the appeal in me. Admittedly, the snow build-up in front of the lead engine is a bit distracting for me, but the lighting is superb and strongly evokes a quaint rural feel, almost Holiday-like. If it weren’t for the snow, I would recommend putting the shot on a Christmas card. It is also a short local train, something I am more used to seeing and thus can relate with more. For that reason, I would have to choose Mike’s shot this week (actually, I like Mike’s shot of the UP Sheboygan Turn even better than this one; wish he’d chosen that one for the vote).
Awesome to hear also that a fellow forum member is at the throttle of the engine in Mike’s shot!
I’d have to agree with many of the others here. If Jim had borrowed a small plane and gotten a good pacing shot of the Acelas, it would be a winning shot. But with three of them lined up there and sitting pretty in the undecorated part of the station, it just doesn’t call to me.
Mike’s shot on the other hand…as others have said, is a decent scenery shot with an interesting train in it. Given that i’ve been out in that sort of cold here in Michigan recently, I’ve given Mike my sympathetic vote.
Now, if he had used a long lens to get up tighter to the front with the loco-berg and the people inside the cab, THAT could have been an interesting picture.