Folks —
Trackside with Trains.com Vol. 116: Meets, is now live, with five of our 13 participants jumping in. You can read Vol. 116 here, and vote for your favorite shot here.
Thanks for participating, and enjoy!
Another great week! I went with Drew's photo, since it was by far the most creative use of the theme, and an interesting shot in addition. Andy was a close runner-up, with steam, 2nd generation diesels, a neat vantage point, and a sunny day combined into an excellent shot!
Andy's shot gets the award for "Best Use of a Unique Opportunity."
Drew gets the "Best Timing" award - and most novel approach to the theme, as well.
But Bergie's shot is the one I'd hang on my wall.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Drew's shot got my vote, and Bergie's was a very close second.
Dan
I must vote for Tom. He captured two lengthy trains in a spectacular landscape. He had the knowhow and equipment to optimze this opportunity.
....I voted for Tom Dannerman's shot.....But it was not an easy decision. Beautiful photos displayed by all {in my opinion}, this time....
I believe the large expanse of Tom's shot was producing a photo with just a bit of difference....Showing so much of the expanded scene. Reveling even the grade of the track as it assends the Crawford Hill.
Very similar as looking across Horseshoe near Altoona, Pa.
Photo nice and crisp in sharpness. {As were the others too}.
It really seemed to stand out to me as I enlarged the photo to check it out.
Quentin
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Another superb collection. Thechoice was difficult. Kudos to all.
I voted for Andy, with Drew a very close second.
CShaveRRIs that a third train in the background of Tom's shot, or just the hind end of one of the two "stars" of this show?
Carl....I'm not an expert on Crawford hill but we're looking at the ends of a "horseshoe" arrangement with the left side the up side. My opinion of the train on the right is also visible back in the distance to the distant right....no doubt, with pushers on the back.
Artistically, Tom's shot edges out the others, but for the pure gee-whiz at a meet (timing as mentioned above), I had to give Drew the nod. I liked both images very much.
Enjoyed Tom's vast panorama shot, but how many times do you see a criss-cross meet? Andy's shot is so unique, it got my vote this week.
A mile from the tracks, but I still hear the whistle! Cleveland, Tennessee
Steam. Diesel. Vantage point I'll never be able to utilize...
Andy!
Can there be a sixth choice... all of the above? I went with Drew because I thought his was most unique. Wish I would have thought of that shot while I lived in the Spring City! Great job to all.
Interesting and fun bunch of shots, voted for Kent cause some of them seemed "dark", meaning no vibrant colors, or the trains were long ways away. I thought Kent had the best lighting.
By definition only Andy, Tom, and Erik have "meet" shots as Drew's is a crossing and Kent's is an overtaking. All great shots, nonetheless. Andy's is the one I have to go with as being the most unique "meet" opportunity of freight and passenger, steam and diesel, as well as era's.
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Who in the world would not vote for a steam train meet? I guess that would be me, among others. Again this Trackside session the entries are excellent and decidedly hard to choose from. Drew got my vote because I could cast my ballot for only one photo.
Drew drew my vote. Others were too dark, or too long, or too far away for my liking. I always thought "meet" meant one facing another -- not passing. Nice photos though.
Good photos again!
Went with Drew because of it's uniqueness....it's also a very good shot.
I think a meet is a meet, regardless of it's geometric angle. I also think there will be objections to my theory.
Nice job all.
Larry in Wauwatosa
One normally thinks of 'meets' as involving two trains on parallel tracks moving in opposite directions, or one waiting on a siding for the other train to clear. Drew found a unique variation: the 90-degree 'meet' at a diamond crossing. His photo very nearly got my vote, but Andy's shot of Milwaukee 261 edged Drew. I've said it before, I'm a sucker for steam!
I voted for Andy's shot of the DM&E meeting the MILW 261. Meet shots always require a bit of timing and a large dose of dumb luck and I'd say that his view had both of those.
Lance
Very hard to choose between the photos this week. All great shots. I ended up voting for Tom's because of the fantastic views of the 3 trains (I assumed was another in the distance) and the scenery all added up to a fantastic shot. Drew's came a very close second. Well done all.
Can I split my vote and pick two photos? It was very close to a toss up between Andy and Tom. I picked Tom's shot because of the vast expanse of the Powder River basin.The meet between loaded and empty coal trains,plus the gons in the background ( Is that another train ?) really made a perfect photo.
A fantastic group of pictures this week. It was difficult to choose the picture I wanted to vote for and eventually wound up voting for Drew's shot only because of it's uniqueness. This was one time that I wish I was present to observe the pictures "live" as they were all very real and unusual circumstances where you had to be there at that moment to enjoy them. Cudos to all.
From the "totally cool train stuff" aspect, Andy's photo wins hands down...
From the artistic point of view, it was a toss up between Eric and Drew....
Drew won simply because his photo draws the eye in quick, and is full of the details that I like to see.
23 17 46 11
LWalesI voted for Andy's shot of the DM&E meeting the MILW 261. Meet shots always require a bit of timing and a large dose of dumb luck and I'd say that his view had both of those. Lance
Hey Lance, awesome avatar photo. Nicely done!
Bergie
...Several comments re: 3rd train in Tom's shot....I'm not a dispatching expert, but surely....another train would not be allowed to be as close as the one in the distance would appear to be.....?? It appears the route is just double track, so 2 trains that close....Don't think so. Believe 2 trains total.
Modelcar is correct. My photo shows only two trains. That is a pretty tight horseshoe curve there. It would help if you could see the photo larger, but you can just barely see the helpers (and the exhaust) of the loaded coal train in the last opening in the trees pretty much straight above the lead locomotive on the empty coal train.
Tough Choice! as usual!
Drew's was the most unique; Andy's was the most inclusive with all its contrasts. Tom's is absolutely beautiful - haven't I seen something like this before on Trackside?
OKAmtrak
As a rule, I don't have to spend much time choosing my favorite shot...but this week was different.
I really liked three of the five submissions...particularly the CP/CN diamond shot; but Andy's steam meet was simply too tantalyzing to resist.
Thanks to all for some unusually challenging photographic genius.
TJB / Nashville, TN
Very difficult. Have never gone against steam before. Had to go for Tom's today because of location. Have been near Crawford Hill 3 or 4 times but could never manage to get there. Came thru Nebr 12 days ago, saw the new tower at North Platte, quite impressive. I also assume that that is a huge horseshoe. Very beautiful pix. Can you see anything at the Hill without going to that big ranch, the name of which I forgot? Enjoyed all of the pix. Lit'l pea picker
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