Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 20: November 22, 2004

[Anonymous]

I voted for Erik's photo. I'm not quite sure why I liked it best, but perhaps because it was a somewhat older unit and I'm a bit partial to CP.

[kolechovski]

Both are very nice action shots, and so similar, that I am not surprised that my vote for Erik just put him in the lead...63-62. Why did I vote for Erik's? Well, his is of traditional power (which looks better than the widecabs IMHO), and CP's nice red paint just gives me that feeling I can;'t describe.

edit-and I forgot to mention the sight of the bell...also very nice, and hardly seen these days!

[FThunder11]

I thought the UP photo looked better

[walthuston]

Erik gets my vote. Both had sharp subject matter, however, the Usually Parked can never win over almost any road. Erik's photo said "speed" to me...and a snoot...what can I say.

Walt

[mrunyan]

Yes the UP is better lit and you see more of it, but if it's a pacing shot, the weeds in the forground give a much better sense of motion, you can almost feel the wind. If you just want to see the UP take a static shot.

[jjlamkin]

This was a tough one, voted on Mike's because it was so clear looking. Sorry, Erik the UP Loco just jumps out at you.

Jim

[zardoz]

Eric's photo somehow conveyed the image of motion much better; my guess is that it was due to the forground objects being closer to the camera, hence more blurred. And the CP unit looks much more aggressive, again implying speed. That "all-too-common, run-of-the-mill, see-them-on-every-street-corner AC4400" looks faded and washed-out.

I, myself, am impressed how level these shots are, considering that they were hand held and in a moving vehicle!!

Regarding the safety issue, I think both gentlemen explained themselves quite well, and I do not feel they placed anyone in jeopardy.

If only someone holding a camera was the worst we have to worry about on the roads!

[mandelswamp]

Considering that both shots were taken from a moving car while pacing alongside the locomotive, the pictures were pretty good. Too bad neither of them filled more of the frame, as they most likely would have if the shoot had been from a stationary camera. So my assessment of the pictures is that both are FAIR making it a tough choice. I went with Erik's picture over Mike's simply because I favor CP over UP.

[Anonymous]

I voted for Erik this time around. I like the engine style a little better, the bell as mentioned above is a nice detail.

This week was very tough, you both got nice action shots under less than ideal conditions[;)][:-,].


I think this round was by far the hardest for me to pick. Usually I go with a gut reaction and can decide quite quickly. I spent quite awhile looking at both before finding a couple things that turned me to Eriks.

[Anonymous]

Not much to choose from.. both are similar. Living at a location where Canadian Pacific is common, I voted for the Union Pacific. To me it's a littledifferent.

[wcfan4ever]

I like the sun on the UP shot. The CP is a little dark. Both shots are great ones! Hard to get shots like that and it takes skill.

[techguy57]

Went with Erik's based upon content rather than composition. It better captures the sense of motion and the grime and darkened sky help illustrate the workhorse quality of the engine.

Plus it never hurts to see a snoot nose SD-40!

This vote's gonna be close!

Mike

[dougfeinstein]

Tough choice. I went with Mike's because it was front lit, revealing more detail, esp.
the DASH 9's trucks. But Mike's had a nice sense of motion, along with very crisp resolution. Enough to make me want to buy a digital! Drive safely, boys. And get back
to work!

[wcnut]

I voted for Erik's shot this week because of statements already stated... sense of motion, dirty work horse, snoot nose, etc. Also, the gray sky makes me home sick for a good Wisconsin November!!!

Greg "wcnut"
Trapped in Connecticut

[UPTRAIN]

I chose the UP photo, I see more of those around here so I can relate to it more, knowhutimean?