Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 42: November 7, 2005

Posted by Bergie

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 1:57 PM

This week's installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike is now live within the Railroading section on the Trains.com home page. Please read this week's column and then vote for your favorite photo below. Click here to read Trackside with Erik and Mike Vol. 42.

Erik Bergstrom

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Posted by JoeKoh

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 4:07 PM

I like #2 showing the yard action.
stay safe
Joe

Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").

Posted by PBenham

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 4:10 PM

Well, any time we get an eastern carrier featured, it will get my vote and it beats the other shot on merit as well. The "horsehead" scheme is better, but oh, how NS has missed the boat on it's paint schemes! The best contemporary paint scheme is (and I hesitate to admit this) UP's Building America scheme, but it is not wearing very well.I observed an older SD70M that had had an overheated exhaust manifold, and the effect on that paint job wasn't somthing UP would approve of. They need to be able to keep the units "nice", somthing that is not always possible.

Posted by Chris Owens

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 5:04 PM

Both are excellent shots I love the NS Triple Crown train, but I voted for the Green and White of BN, sorry BNSF. or could it someday soon be the B(burlington),NS, F(fe) with the NS consumed in the Middle

Posted by tmcc man

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 5:22 PM

1, because i like NS, and I am about to purchase the Aristo Craft Trains G scale model of this exact train including the RoadRailers

Colin

from prr.railfan.net

Posted by mandelswamp

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 5:45 PM

Wow, two every good shots. Photo 2 is quite interesting because of all the yard information that can be derived from it. Photo 1 shows a great shot of a Norfork Southern (NS) Triple Crown RoadRailer train. Is it normal for the first RoadRailer behind the engine to have a slight tilt? Is it because the CoupleMate Rail Bogie brings the front of the trailer down more than the rail bogies that link two trailers? I voted for Photo 1 because I just ordered a DeLuxe Innovations N Scale Triple Crown RoadRailer 10 Pack to use on my layout. Right now I could use a Bachmann GP-50 in NS colors to pull the RoadRailers but I've been considering an Atlas GP-40-2 with the NS horse head paint scheme like in the photo or an Atlas Dash 8-40B in the same NS scheme as the GP-50. It appears that the locomotive in Photo 1 is a GE wide cab unit. Anyone know which one? The GP-50 and GP-40-2 have the NS paint scheme along the locomotive's sides where a series of white stripes lead into large white NS letters with Norfolk Southern in smaller lettering below the large NS letters. Does anyone know when the horse head was added to that paint scheme? I'm modeling 1989 and want to know if the horse head scheme existed then.

Posted by DICKK

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 6:13 PM

Voted for number 2. Not too often that a yard shot is even given consideration like this. Even though I am wearing a NS tee shirt right now and an NS fan, the unusual location swayed me. At least it is not a UP photo.

Posted by Rex Beistle

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 6:15 PM

I go for the NS photo although I am in BNSF country. I just like the looks of the photo.

Now who are 'Bert' & 'Ernie?' I thought this was all about Erick and Mike.

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 6:16 PM

Two great shots and for me, a difficult choice. Chose #2 becouse a shot similar to #1 is rather frequently seen and there is a lot of "meat" in #2.

projoem

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 6:49 PM

Sometimes it is very hard to vote for just one. Both seem to take interesting pictures of things I would like to see if there. Like trees and things of nature. So #1 got me vote this time.

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 7:05 PM

I had to go with #2. so tired of boring same old side shots of trains running down the line..even if all the cars are the same, it gets old fast.. #2 on the other hand, showed a side of railroading many never get to see. loads of different cars all crammed into small areas. I live close to Oakland Ca, and have the luxury of their yards, and also a short train trip up to Roseville Ca to see their 6 mile long yard.. I like the blind format also, lets us judge each shot on its merits alone and not who the shooter is.

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 7:08 PM

I liked photo #2 has a good feel to it looking down into the yard[angel][bow][oX)]ARG! >>>>>glennbob

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 7:39 PM

#1 is a traditional wedge but with and added feature that makes the shot . . . the contrails that compliment the wedge composition.

Chuck

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 7:59 PM

i like the photo of NS but love the one of BN. because my layout is BN and BNSF.

Posted by wcnut

on Mon, Nov 7 2005 8:05 PM

Very nice shots. Glad you changed the file names to make it true blind voting! #2 in my eye is the winner. #1 was nice, fall colors, blue sky which is odd for a Wisconsin fall(!), but a wedgie is a wedgie. #2 on the other hand had some very interesting movement to it. The way in which it was framed is almost zen rock garden like, if you know what I am referring to. Very interesting. And what luck to get a White Face up front!

Greg
"wcnut"