Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 50: April 24, 2006

[CMSTPP]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pawprivate

# 2 for me - I like having more to look at.

[#ditto] I also like looking at more. I like how the formation of the clouds in the back ground pops out behind the train.

James

[Pistol Pete]

# 1 has got to be the choice....there is something we don't see much anymore these days. A " CABOOSE " Not only is # 1 the picture of the week, but for the month and even the year.

[Anonymous]

I liked the CP shot because it showed an unconventional view of the engine.

Also, I'm a CP fan. [:D]

[broarthur]

I enjoyed both pictures once again, I voted for # 1.

[Anonymous]

When I saw the CP running longhood forward, that took me back to those SOUTHERN years of units running longhood forward.

Photo #1 is the winner!!!
LONGHOOD FOREVER!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I voted for #2 because its a train and I have to go catch a train.

[Rocket Man]

Congrats on #50 and thank you for this installment, it's weekly treat!

Both great photos. Love the color of #1! Grabs your attention. Love the blend of color in #2, FEC must have picked out "Florida Storm is a Brewin' Gray" for their locomotives. Also love the more tropical background as a change of pace. My vote goes for #2 as it is a classical shot with no obvious photo faux pas. I wonder if #1 would have won if only the point of view would have been closer to the ground to portray the scale better. Some have mentioned UP locos in the back??? Looks like UP but not quite. Any Florida rail pros out there that can clarify for us?

Keep them coming Mike and Erik!!!

[Anonymous]

I picked photo1 because it added a little spice to the typical "wedgie shot" of photo2 -- granted, photo2 was a good shot.

If I could change anything with photo1, though, would to pan slightly to the left to center the entire train in the shot -- but otherwise a very nice shot!

Nathan Chidester, Webmaster / the TrainPixs Network

[Tom Moran]

Happy Big Five-Oh guys...
CP red trumps FEC blue any day.
That's one beautiful Canadien, eh?

Tom Moran

[Anonymous]

I like your No 2 photo best being Canadian

[PRRK4s1361]

QUOTE: Originally posted by thefox
FEC is less common anyway. I see it's in front of two UP locos so either UP locos aren't local or vice versa. I'm guessing that the shot was from Florida from Mike's trip out East or Southeast. I could easily be wrong, especially since I don't even know exactly where he went.

To make a correction here, the two locos behind the GP40-2 are FEC SD40-2s.
Anyway the FEC pix does look rather commonplace (I usually would go with it) but the "in-your-face" look of that SD45 with the flared radiators does something to say "Look at me". And that ditch light...looks like it's winking at you. I wonder if it is really burnt out or simply not lit due to approaching a crossing where they blink back and forth. So I went with number 1. Also congrats on reaching the golden number 50; may there be 50 more or maybe 500 or 5,000 more. Keep up trhe great work. And we all know that you two guys are the best of buddies when it comes down to it. That's why you're always picking on each other.

[Anonymous]

Color always makes a better photo. Nice work

[Anonymous]

I just have to vote for No# 1 as Candian Pacific is my 2nd best favorite railroad. Nickel Plate is No# 1 with me. I'd sure appreciate any pictures that you guys could post of anything left of the old NKP!!

[zardoz]

Photo 1 could have been zoomed out a tad bit more, or perhaps the angle could have been increased a bit, showing more of the loco and the caboose. However, I did like the image for its uniqueness:a SD45 running long-hood forward, and a caboose bringing up the rear of this two-car (slightly overpowered) train.

Photo 2 seems as though it could have benefitted by the use of a polarizer. And if a polarizer WAS used, then the scene was incredibly hazy (image taken around noon, perhaps). The image had potential (clouds building, train coming around a curve), but some how did not quite achieve it.

Voted with my emotions for #1.

[Anonymous]

I liked photo # 2 because it gave me more of an idea of what was going on. It seemed with photo # 1 that there was a lot missing. I couldn't grasp the story of the photo. The colors were great but not the train itself. There is more to a train than just the locomotive.