Had to vote for Alex's photo. The terrain added the touch to the tough GEVO in CSX colors.
Nice shots, too bad BNSF and CP just bad-ordered most of their GEVOs, something about exploding turbos.....
Randy Vos
"Ever have one of those days where you couldn't hit the ground with your hat??" - Waylon Jennings
"May the Lord take a liking to you and blow you up, real good" - SCTV
This was not an easy choice....in fact. a very difficult one....
I voted for Tom's photo.....it is "picture postcard" beautiful....
Each one, to my eyes, provided a great looking railroad photograph, and I can see how someone would have voted another way.
Quentin
I'd guess Tom Danneman's shot is the best of the group. I hope he zoomed in and took a shot of the locomotives alone as well, since that would have shown up the technical differences.
Tom's comment about the GEVO having a larger radiator is not technically correct.
The GEVO radiator is about the same size as that on an AC4400 or a Dash 9, thus the same as the other locomotives in the photo. The GEVO, however, has a quite separate air to air intercooler just forward of the radiator, with its own fans above it and its own intake below it. It is just that the two casings are the same width and height and next to eachother and appear to be one unit.
The intercooler takes the air from the turbocharger and cools it before it enters the engine, increasing its density. In the GEVO this is done by cooling it in a heat exchanger where air is drawn across the pipes containing the engine air by two high speed fans in the casing above. The intakes can be recognised by their different angle to the radiator intakes behind them.
The radiator itself is in the usual place for a GE with a big single fan below it which is the way GEs have been since the U25 (with a couple of twin fan exceptions, the C39-8 and AC6000 and maybe a couple of others).
The intercooler does help to cool the engine, but it isn't part of the radiator, and since it doesn't contain a liquid coolant, doesn't count as a radiator in normal terms. You could perhaps use the term "cooling group" as has been used in Europe.
The Dash 9 and AC4400 had intercoolers, but these used water to cool the air, and were much more compact. These in turn used the radiator to cool the water, increasing the load on the radiator. So using the air to air intercooler in the GEVO reduces the load on the radiator, which is about the same size as earlier units, and helps to acheive Tier II emissions standards.
Since this is the big change in GE locomotives connected with meeting Tier II regulations, it should be recognised, although since so many people, even in this thread, are apparently not interested in anything behind the cab, it isn't surprising that these newer locomotives are seen as boring. You can be bored (or not) anywhere if you wish to be.
Tom's photo is the only one that had the potential to show the important differences in the pre and post Tier II locomotives, but by concentrating on the admittedly elegant scenery, full advantage was not taken of this possibility. Thus the locomotive liveries were more noticeable than their physical differences. I would have, and I hope Tom did, zoom in to get a closely cropped image around the locomotives, in addition to the shot provided.
In case you haven't guessed, I like to be informed about the features of the locomotives, as well as the scenery in which they appear. Railfans are better informed about geography in general and the angle of the sun than the general public, and knowing their subject better can only help in getting better photographs.
M636C
I tend to agree with another poster that while all four show GEVOs, none speak strongly to that theme. So this time I voted strictly by the picture I like best, in this case Tom's.
John
selector Tom's image is the one that is clearly the most appealing to me.
Tom's image is the one that is clearly the most appealing to me.
Yes, am also strongly partial to locale, which is actually on MRL’s 4th subdivision bridge #50 (M/p 50.75±) crossing Beaver Creek, some 3¼ miles SE of Trout Creek, Montana. It’s on the former BN’s ex-NP main, relocated by the latter (c.1957 for the Noxon Rapids dam) from the previous alignment under the Clark Fork River in background. It was the scene of NP’s last Z-8 4-6-6-4 to run, #5140 was used-as a “ballast tamper” a year more-than half a century before Tom’s shot, and that structure w/the trio of 118 ft. spans’ a U.S.Army-Corps of Engineers’ design.
Partsman_ba Go to the voting page again - if you've already voted, it shows the results instead of allowing you to vote.
Go to the voting page again - if you've already voted, it shows the results instead of allowing you to vote.
Followed your instructions and it did just what I wanted! Thank S.
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All four photos were excellent and I would have been proud to be listed as the photographer of any one of them. I chose number 4 the Iowa Interstate because of the dramatic lighting. IMHO it was/is a real attention grabber.
loved Tom's "Calendar" shot, but went with Andy's going away, it's different with the colors kinda "sepiaed"
(Did have a hard time staying away from the Santa Fe diesel in Tom's pict tho)
henry6So how can you follow the results later in the vote?
The "A's" had it in this round. Loved Andy's going away shot, but Alex's terrain speaks to me, so he got my vote.
Tom's "wide open spaces" shot would look nice on a calendar, but it didn't do anything for me.
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...
I know when you vote here you can see the results with a click. So how can you follow the results later in the vote?
Tom's photo is certainly eyecatching, maybe even calendar-worthy, but since the theme is GEVOs, and only 1/3 of the locomotives in his shot qualify, I voted for Andy's Iowa photo instead. Although the telephoto effect foreshortened the units, the lighting and the view down the tracks through the tunnel of trees made Andy my winner this week.
Good shots again this vol. Voted for Tom's shot, outstanding!
Larry in Wauwatosa
Gotta go with Tom's great panorama shot. Loved the fact that there was an old plain Santa Fe in the middle. It was just a great calendar shot and hit the mark for me.
GE is running some hilarious commercials on the air and on the web from their locomotive division. Hopefully some of you have seen them. Bunch of big guys singing "love songs" to the loco. Brings a tear to the eye . . . well, not really. Just very funny.
A mile from the tracks, but I still hear the whistle! Cleveland, Tennessee
I liked Alex's view the best. Although not quite part of the contest--the older coal hoppers behind the new locomotive attracted me to that shot.
Lance
I was torn between Alex's photo and Tom's.I voted for Alex's before I changed my mind again,as I had several times before I voted.
I didn't feel that any of the shots did a particularly good job of showcasing the features of the GEVO units, but rather than abstain, I went for what I thought was the best composed and best appearing of the group.
After reviewing the voting, something tells me that others may have done the same thing.
Anyhow, Tom Danneman got my vote this time...and now I'll go see what the rest of you had to say.
TJB - Nashville, TN
To DadH......I believe it has something to do with You & Me ??
Minority's are the keyword nowadays... I voted for Alex' shot... at least with his I got an idea what a GEVO looks like frontwards and sidewards -- pretty scenic / lighting / effects be d.....d. As one of you sages stated.."it's hard to get excited about a GEVO since they look pretty much like any other wide-nosed GE locomotive" - how about adding "almost any other DIESEL".
By the bye.. I suppose that since you affeciandos know what GEVO means, you assume others do too...and I also assume you know what assume means??
DadH
Funny, Andy's picture has the crossing with no lights on. He probably took the picture at the right moment, of when the signals were changing back and forth and just got the moment of no lights. That's cool.
Andy's shot was pretty sweet. Seeing the heat blooms from the radiators & exhaust, the 'meaty' profile of the engines straining against the train, soft & warm afternoon sunlight through the trees...perfect.
Dan
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)
Not only was it a neat going-away shot, but he got three GEVOs, all IAIS, in one shot! Wins my vote...
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
Several perfect shots of GEVOs in nice scenery in the sunlight...or an outstanding and unique going away shot - which as a railroad photographer, I know is really hard to get right! I'll agree with Henry; Andy nailed it!
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