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Biweekly photo competition, Trackside with Trains.com vol. 141, now live

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Biweekly photo competition, Trackside with Trains.com vol. 141, now live
Posted by Matt Quandt on Monday, June 21, 2010 12:11 PM

Ten train photographers entered this week's theme: "Broadside." This round marks the debut of Mike Roque, Ray Weart, and Tom Nanos to the Trackside competition. A few others have joined the contest recently. They'll be making their debuts in the coming weeks. Also, stay tuned for an exciting new element to Trackside!

View the selection and vote for your favorite.

-Matt Quandt Online Content Editor Kalmbach Publishing Co.

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Posted by samfp1943 on Monday, June 21, 2010 12:28 PM

OK!  What I have here is another conflicted set of choices.

Loved Mikes A&A photo { I'm still a sucker for steam!   That's my problem. Banged Head } .

Only complaint is he could he have gotten closer?

Not nose to nose, but somewhat closer than half a county away.Confused 

My vote went to Alex.

Southern power in any paint is what I grew up with, so I had to go with the O/T power in the 'Tux' paint.

 Only thing any better would have been if NS had turned them out in the apple green, white and gold stripping. But the current scheme is cool with me.  

 

 


 

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Posted by Modelcar on Monday, June 21, 2010 12:36 PM

.....For me it's between Andy and Tom.....Settled with Andy's rendition.  Sight showing an  Elevator and start of a town, but seems it didn't get to grow much.

Liked the variation of sights in the photo.

Tom's was a very nice photo as well....

Quentin

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, June 21, 2010 12:45 PM
Andy's, hands down. He had the "broadside" aspect nailed. I'm used to seeing similar broadsides on our line while headed out to DeKalb or Rochelle.

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)

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Posted by LVJJJ on Monday, June 21, 2010 5:00 PM

Salton Sea is just about my favorite place on earth, we've camped there and I've got some similar shots railfanning along the Sea, so gotta go with Elrond.  Wonderful lighting, Elrond caught the sun just right.  (If you want to see well preserved old travel trailers and cars and vehicles totally destroyed by salt water, check out Bombay Beach).

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Posted by LU-Trains on Monday, June 21, 2010 5:52 PM

 Well, here’s an idea . . . why don’t I print out all the pictures, throw them up in the air so that they collide with the ceiling fan going at full blast, and the one that comes closest to the fish aquarium on the other side of my studio gets to be the winner . . .!?! . . .

Sic-click . . chiga chiga chiga whiiiiiiine . . . whip, pup-pup-pup . . . Wheeee flutter flutter flutter . . .WHACK! CRACJ! WHIC-WHIC! SWACJK! . . . . dweegle, weegle . . . dweegle . . ...flutter....flutter . . . . . . . . ga-plunk . .. gurgle . . . . slurp....

And the survivor is Alex Mayes!

Anybody who has a better idea how to choose from this bunch of great pictures, I’m willing to listen . . .

A mile from the tracks, but I still hear the whistle! Cleveland, Tennessee

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Posted by LIRR Agent Retired on Monday, June 21, 2010 7:26 PM

I would like to vote for all of them, they are great.  Why don't you have a first, second and third choice instead of one.. I had a difficult time deciding.  Voted for the steam shot but the NS executive  train was a very close second.

Change at Jamaica
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Posted by jrhambone on Monday, June 21, 2010 7:27 PM

As is often the case with Trackside with Trains, decision is not readily forthcoming--since all the images are outstanding.  However being a sucker for covered wagons, Alex gets my vote.

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, June 21, 2010 8:48 PM

LU-Trains
Anybody who has a better idea how to choose from this bunch of great pictures, I’m willing to listen . . .

I like to consider how well the picture fits the stated theme.  In this case, Alex and Ray missed it completely by submitting 3/4 wedge shots, which takes them out of the running as far as I'm concerned.

For those who did follow the theme, Andy's was just too far away.  Drew and Dave did a pretty good job.  I found Matt's shot striking, and Elrond's entry was a close second.  That left Aaron, who's shot said broadside best for me.

LarryWhistling
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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...

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Posted by chad thomas on Monday, June 21, 2010 11:31 PM

 Though I often look at and admire the trackside photos Thumbs Up , but never vote because it's too tough to choose Sigh, I don't usually comment at all. But this time I must say...

What an awsome bunch of photos !!!!!!

 But, Elrond's Salton Sea shot gets me on a personal level, Because I lived on the back side of the mountains in the distance for 2 years back in 97'-98'.

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Posted by Choo Choo Aussie on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 5:25 AM

I had no idea who to vote for this week.  All exellent photos.  However, I have a soft spot for retiring loco's so voted for Ray's.  Welcome to the new photographers.

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Posted by Bob Watt on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 8:12 AM

I agree with most of the preceeding writers that this is an awesome bunch of photos.  However, I eliminated two right off the bat as they are not actally broadside angles, i.e. perpendicular to the subject.  This eliminates Alex's fabulous NS F-unit shot, and also newcomer Ray Weart's interesting shot.  Sorry guys.

Of the remaining choices, I thought I had a winner in my mind with Aaron's shot.  For some reason I could just hear and feel the power of the locomotives as his fiance paced them.  Not only a great picture, but as close to multi-media as a two dimensional picture can get. Great job Aaron!

Then I saw Andy's picture.  Wow!  Talk about a juxtaposition between "now" and "then".  In one of the earlier comments, the writer thought this was a town that started, but never really developed.  I think it's a small town that is way past it's prime, and most of the buildings dating back to the 1800's have simply disintegrated.  What remains are structures that were built more recently, possibly in the first half of the 20th century.  I agree with Andy, the lighting is just perfect for this "has-been" town.  He got my vote, and as it is a true broadside I feel it deserves to place ahead of Alex's F's. 

Now, can we get next week's pictures posted tomorrow???? 

 

 

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Posted by loadmaster747 on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 9:45 AM

First, welcome to the new photographers!  I'm sure we'll see some interesting work from all of them.  For this week's competition, I had to make notes for myself: Ray and Alex, sorry but you seem to have confused "wedge" with "broadside".  Mike, too bad your steamer was running backwards.  Andy, the town confused the photo... is it a shot of a train with a town in it, or vice versa?  I found the sprinklers' position too high and distracting in Drew's photo. My notes had no negative comments for the remaining 5 competitors, so I reexamined each photo and decided that my vote would go to Matt, even though I usually don't favor shots of rapid transit... the unique backlighting, bridge and water just made the photo 'come together' for me.    

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Posted by CRSD50 on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 2:25 PM

I have to say that I liked all the images, enjoyed each one on its own merits, but at the same time, I didn't feel the excitement or mood that I've gotten in previous competitions.  Sorry everyone.

That said, I voted for Ray's as my favorite.  I think the combination of the snow and the night gave it the most "mood" out of all the shots.

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Posted by Sunnyland on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 7:38 PM

 This one was really tough, there were so many good ones.  But I had to vote for Alex's  F-unit, always one of my favorite engines. Seeing one reminds me of the trips taken with my parents when we traveled all over the US on Dad's Frisco pass.  Also, I've ridden RailCruiseAmerica trips when it ran from St. Louis, was sorry to see it leave our city.  Great job, guys, they were all terrific shots.

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Posted by CNW 6000 on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:27 AM

tree68

LU-Trains
Anybody who has a better idea how to choose from this bunch of great pictures, I’m willing to listen . . .

I like to consider how well the picture fits the stated theme.  In this case, Alex and Ray missed it completely by submitting 3/4 wedge shots, which takes them out of the running as far as I'm concerned.

For those who did follow the theme, Andy's was just too far away.  Drew and Dave did a pretty good job.  I found Matt's shot striking, and Elrond's entry was a close second.  That left Aaron, who's shot said broadside best for me.

First, welcome to the new photogs in the contest.  Some neat pictures.

Second, I have to echo what tree said.  Two of the shots had to be scratched 'cuz they weren't the right kind.  Nice as they were...they were the triangular pegs in the square hole.

Third, I voted the same way.  Nice job Aaron!

Dan

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Posted by drgw17 on Thursday, June 24, 2010 7:31 PM
Tom's shot (welcome aboard) got my vote this week. Full bias disclosure: I've made the same shot myself and understand Tom's attraction to the spot. I might have crouched a bit to get the train out of the center of the picture and give the tree a bit more play, but that's just me (everyone who put the train in the middle, please review Elrond's shot, which would otherwise have been my choice). Now then, as I vote, Alex and his F units are leading. OK class, do we need to review the meanings of "broadside" and "wedge"? Did Alex's shot, which I like otherwise, satisfy the assignment? Have we reverted to blindly looking at subject matter, and not to studying photography? All right, I'll be quiet now. Thanks to all for their contributions.
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Posted by Wabashbud on Saturday, June 26, 2010 8:37 AM

 I agree with Chad Thomas,  too much.Shock

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