Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 33: June 20, 2005

Posted by Bergie

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 1:52 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. 33.

Erik Bergstrom

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Posted by emmar

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 2:46 PM

Great photos this week guys! I can't decide which one to vote for. Can I vote for both?

Yes we call it the Dinky. Why? Well cause it's dinky! Proud to be the official train geek of Princeton University!

Posted by Chris Owens

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 9:47 PM

I liked Mike's Photo, because we have been seeing alot of photos like Eric's lately. Mikes photo is a nice change of pace.
Chris Owens

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 9:56 PM

Re: Mike's picture -- is that part of a woodie roller coaster in the background behind I-94?

Bob Larger

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 10:12 PM

Sorry Erik, I had to go with Mike this time.. too many shots of various consists at the same location has burned me out entirely for that shot.. Plus, I liked the reflections off the water in the concrete channel below .. it sort of underlined the photo.

Posted by kicksvette

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 10:12 PM

Come on Erik. How many times do we need the same angle of a train coming up the same grade? At least this time you managed to catch a green bulb for the line heading away..

Mike...What happend to your "big lumber"? This is a shot that you should have zoomed a bit more. Miller Park is no big deal. The CTA with Wrigley as a backdrop might have been a different story. But the shot you gave us is too much scene and not enough railroad, especially since you point out the unusual motive power combo. Show us more of the power. And I'm sure some people are confused by the concrete drainage ditch. First saw one of those in L.A. back about 69 or 70.

A somewhat disappointing week. Erik gets the vote for showing some train. Had Mike zoomed... it could have been different.

Posted by acelachaser

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 10:33 PM

I have to agree..although I like Mike's photo and the CP shots are quite repititious, I'm going with Erik's only cause I'm a fan of Canon's low light capabilities. Mike's shot would have been better if it was at a different angle showing the train's reflection in the water and a little more zoomed in.

When someone realizes that people don't like waiting at 2 a.m. for a train that's 2 hours late...then Amtrak will be in trouble

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 11:28 PM

I voted for Mike's, overall everything was in focus, the water in the river was very sharp, the power lines and the freeway signs were all in focus,

Posted by ValorStorm

on Mon, Jun 20 2005 11:54 PM

I went with Erik's.

Posted by 88gta350

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 12:07 AM

I wasn't thrilled with either shot, but I went with Mike's because it was something different than the usual semi-profile engine and intermodal shot we've been seeing lately. Plus the buziness of Mike's photo worked for me here, lots to study in that photo.

Dave M

Posted by Anonymous

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 2:17 AM

i pick the one with the wis ctl and un pac units, has more to offer than just double
stacks at some point in time. i am not familiar enough with railyard names at
distant locales, i would like the name of the city attached, otherwise to me it smacks
a bit of elitism. we can do without that.

crosstie@wowway.com alias theo sommerkamp, cols, oh

Posted by arcronet

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 3:02 AM

Both Pics are very good, the lighting on Eriks was well caught, but for mine Mikes had the Setting. Another Aussie suggested that you come downunder to see what we have.
There are apart from the old bulldogs & alcos, some pretty awesome consists in West Australia in the Iron ore district using some of your home lands Dash 9s & SD 70s to move consists upto 11/2 miles long of 100 tonne hoppers, also some large container freight trains travelling from Queensland in the North thru New South Wales, Victoria & South Australia to Northern Territory (GHAN TERRITORY) & Western Australia[;)]

Best Regards Rusty

Posted by Anonymous

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 6:46 AM

ERIK'S GOT MY VOTE THIS TIME! PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING, HIS EFFORT HAS MORE TO OFFER THAN MIKE'S IN THAT THE INTERPLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THE OVERALL MONOTONE OF MIKE'S PHOTO.

Posted by Anonymous

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 6:47 AM

Erics photo rocks! I love Cp and intermodels

Posted by Anonymous

on Tue, Jun 21 2005 7:03 AM

Both good but Mike's held my attention longer. How many times are we faced with
a potential shot but the scene is too busy with visual junk? Sometimes the challenge is
to compose that non-railway stuff to minimize its impact and I think Mike did that nicely.
At the same time you can crop the scene down to get just the locos and have a pure
railway shot.