Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 43: November 21, 2005

[UPTRAIN]

I had to go with number 2, but that was JUST for the roadname, lol. The one over the highway was awesome, but the unit featured...eww...maybe an actual WC or a regular CN, but that's an ugly scheme when it's messed up with wet noodles and sub marks.

[mandelswamp]

Gee, another pair of photos that make it difficult to select a winner. Photo 2 was excellent and it had much that I value in a rail photo - locomotive and consist plus a view of an industry that is being served. Even though I favor the CN over UP, the UP photo would have won because Photo 1 only shows the locomotive. Yet there is something about the fog aspect of the photo and the background traffic that grabbed my attention from the start. So I went with my initial gut instinct and voted for Photo 1.

A Happy, Healthy, and Safe Thanksgiving to both Erik and Mike and to all the readers in the forum!

Now if we can only get a train theme float or balloon into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, that would really be something!

[fish1467]

Tough choice as I thought they were both great photos. I decided to vote for #1, because of the fog effect. As noted by another poster the auto traffic kind of turned me off also. Too bad there wasn't a water fall in the background :-)

[Anonymous]

I voted for #2 although I`m a Canuk and proud of it, what I got out of #2 was the brute power being shown. IMHO And a Happy Thanksgiving to all are American friends and stay safe.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,
First post for me!!!

I had to vote for #1,,,,,,,,,Just because it was different( ie, NOT a 3/4 view roster shot)!!!
The loco almost seems as if it were jumping out to shout "BOO",,, but yet blends the railroad into the fabric of the surrounding community!!

Trevor

[88gta350]

I love the setting for photo 1 and the fog gives it a great look, but the cars in the background makes it too cluttered for me. Photo 2 is much more of the classic train photo and has a great fall look about it. If the train in photo 1 had been traversing a river instead of a freeway, it would have won my vote hands down, but as it is I'll have to go with photo 2.

[wcnut]

I voted for Abbott... I mean #1! Ooo, this name thing could get interesting! Anyway, lots of interesting things going on in #1, but most of all, I like the horizontal layering of the train and trees. A nice change of pace. I could have done without the signs poking up in the bottom right, but then you would have lost some of the bridge pier, so no points off there. #2 was good, and just being a fan of grain elevators et al, it was hard not to vote for it... now if the shot was from the head house, then you might have had something! Gobble gobble to all, out.

Greg
"wcnut"

[trainboyH16-44]

I loved the mood in the first shot, and the second is just a good wedge shot, and for railpictures frequenters, I'm sure we've seen enough of that! (no flaming)
Matthew

[gannbb1]

Loved #1 but the view under the bridge distracts from the excellent picture above.

Voted for #2. It tells the story of a railroad at work moving grain. The hoppers, the elevator., etc.

Being an old signal/communications man, I liked the pole line and its wires appearing to come out of the pix and righr over the viewer's. head

[jfpaul]

it was a tough one, but I finally went with 1, I liked the fog, even if the traffic was detracting, it also just made me iffy for a second because the fog is yellow from the sun (hopefully not the cars) then there is just my general disdane for UP, although CN is climbing on that same list. Fist Wisconsin Central (which the unit in photo #1 used to be), then the DM&IR, (I hear the new DM&IR/CN repaints are coming out from the paint shops)

[lhtalbot]

Well, this is getting tougher. I really like both shots. I finally went with #1 because it is so different. Some people objected to the road traffic, but I think that adds to picture. The sky is fantastic. Very well done. # 2 is also very good. The moody sky works well. I know without reading all the comments,someone will object to the utility pole. But I like it.
Nice work guys!! This is very enjoyable.

Larry in Wauwatosa

[JCS319]

This had to be one of the toughest choices yet. I voted for #1 because it was a new and different kind of photo, but in most any other week, I would have voted for #2 - what a great angle on that. Keep up the excellent work.

[Anonymous]

Loved No 1 with the bridge,fog ,traffic. I get alot of bridge ,fog and traffic but no trains. Al

[brilondon]

I really liked Number 1 due to the composition with the fog and the standard cab CN unit running over the bridge.

[broarthur]

Man, I thought the last one was tough! Iliked the different degrees of lighting in picture one alot. But picture two with it's coal cars as far as you can see and the grey of the sky and the switch track and the silos in the back ground reminded me what trains are all about . All the work that can be done by them. Again, I must say that both pictures are excellent, but I had to chose one and that photo was #2. Thank You for all of your hard work.