Railfanning Photo Fun (Good Pics, Bad Pics, Funny Pics--post them here)

[Anonymous]

I Told Her, "Watch where you are driving errrr flying." But did she listen, noooooooooooooooo. [}:)] (In my best Ray Stevens' voice.) Too late, she impacted the pole. [:0]

Well we certainly take some odd photos at times. [:(] [^] [}:)] [;)]

If you have one a little out of the ordinary post it here in this thread. Hey, post some of your really bad ones if you want to do so. I have one or two I might post like that myself (yes, even I take some awful very bad photos at times [B)] [:(] [8] [V] [xx(] )

Come on now, don't be afraid. Show us some funny railfanning photos or some really bad shots you took. [:p]

No, I am not laughing AT you, I am laughing WITH you. [;)] [8D] [:D]

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/Bad%20Driving%20aww%20Flying/?action=view¤t=WitchOnPole.jpg

[adrianspeeder]

[Overmod]

Somebody explain to me what the witch did to the train crew to make them couple those two units nose-to-nose...

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Overmod

Somebody explain to me what the witch did to the train crew to make them couple those two units nose-to-nose...

Those two units were pushers on a loaded coal train. BNSF uses 2 to 4 units on the front end and 1 to 3 units on the rear end of a loaded coal train. Many times when they return all the units will be on the point.

This photo was taken from my parents farm at Bois D' Arc, Missouri. This was the former Frisco line from Kansas City to Springfield, Missouri.

Here is a train with tons of power on the front end. [;)]

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/BNSF/?action=view¤t=LotsOfEMDs-enh.bmp

[Anonymous]

I sure wi***hat I was there to see all that Pumpkin Power,WOW! Great photo's.
I want to see more. Keep'em a coming.
BNSFrailfan.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF railfan.

I sure wi***hat I was there to see all that Pumpkin Power,WOW! Great photo's.
I want to see more. Keep'em a coming.
BNSFrailfan.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/

Enjoy

[ajmiller]

Here's a good one I took at Gallitzin. I swear, I didn't see the sign in my view screen.

http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/triangle.jpg

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

Here's a good one I took at Gallitzin. I swear, I didn't see the sign in my view screen.

http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/triangle.jpg

Somehow I just don't see RailPictures taking that one. [;)]

Yes it is a good example of a bad photo. [:p]

I have one of two like that I can post too. [;)]

[ajmiller]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

Here's a good one I took at Gallitzin. I swear, I didn't see the sign in my view screen.

http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/triangle.jpg

Somehow I just don't see RailPictures taking that one. [;)]

Maybe if they had a 'What not to do' page.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

Here's a good one I took at Gallitzin. I swear, I didn't see the sign in my view screen.

http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/triangle.jpg

Somehow I just don't see RailPictures taking that one. [;)]

Maybe if they had a 'What not to do' page.

LOL. Ya for real!

[ajmiller]

Here's another view from Gallitzin, but in the other direction from the tunnels. The SD80MAC appears to be running the wrong way on track 3, but it's really pushing. The front of this train was lead by another SD80MAC and a GP38-2. What I wanted to point out though is the pink building in view above the locomotive. It's a place where people gather to, ... to ... to worship themselves? [}:)]
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/gallitzinathei80mac.jpg

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes



Well we certainly take some odd photos at times. [:(] [^] [}:)] [;)]

If you have one a little out of the ordinary post it here in this thread. Hey, post some of your really bad ones if you want to do so. I have one or two I might post like that myself (yes, even I take some awful very bad photos at times [B)] [:(] [8] [V] [xx(] )

Come on now, don't be afraid. Show us some funny railfanning photos or some really bad shots you took. [:p]

No, I am not laughing AT you, I am laughing WITH you. [;)] [8D] [:D]

Ok, I put 3 bad photos at my PhotoBucket site. Follow the link then look for the section Photo Goof. [B)] [8] [:0]

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/

[joesap1]

Under the category of "I wish I could have taken that"
One Saturday afternoon while driving home from the California Speedway I was cruising along Interstate 10. I passed the UP West Colton yard and saw something not common out here in Southern California.
It was a 3 unit consist with a UP locomotive in the lead, a Norfolk Southern in the middle, and a CSX engine in the rear. It was nice to see three Class I's getting along like bosum pals.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes



Well we certainly take some odd photos at times. [:(] [^] [}:)] [;)]

If you have one a little out of the ordinary post it here in this thread. Hey, post some of your really bad ones if you want to do so. I have one or two I might post like that myself (yes, even I take some awful very bad photos at times [B)] [:(] [8] [V] [xx(] )

Come on now, don't be afraid. Show us some funny railfanning photos or some really bad shots you took. [:p]

No, I am not laughing AT you, I am laughing WITH you. [;)] [8D] [:D]

Ok, I put 3 bad photos at my PhotoBucket site. Follow the link then look for the section Photo Goof. [B)] [8] [:0]

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/

Those are 'good' ones Jim;wish I could count all the 'bad' ones
for the'good' ones I've taken.(I would lose.)

[ajmiller]

Here's one I'll title: "The Joy of Auto Focus"
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/chainlink.jpg

I don't know why I took this pic, but the nice thing about a digital camera is that there's no additional expense in taking a crappy picture or two, or ten.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

Here's one I'll title: "The Joy of Auto Focus"
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/chainlink.jpg

I don't know why I took this pic, but the nice thing about a digital camera is that there's no additional expense in taking a crappy picture or two, or ten.

Andrew [:D]

I have a pic or two through a fence. But nothing like that. [;)]

[edblysard]

Hey AJ...
Nice fence...I love the way you brought the texture of the rust out!
And the color...so muted, subtle, but making a bold statement at the same time![:D]

Just when you figure you got the auto focus to work the way you want it to...

I loved the way my old Cannon F series manual focus worked...split screen, you turned the focus ring till the images lined up, it was quick and easy.

My digital Minolta uses the soft focus/fuzzy screen systen, you focus till the image gets sharp...not as easy as the split screen, on moving objects almost impossible.

Hey, if we all had a dollar for every "fence detail" photo, we could all by new cameras....

Ed

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajmiller

Here's one I'll title: "The Joy of Auto Focus"
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/chainlink.jpg

I don't know why I took this pic, but the nice thing about a digital camera is that there's no additional expense in taking a crappy picture or two, or ten.

That's a pretty good screw up. In fact, had you not told me it was an autofocus issue, I would have never known that it wasn't intentional. The shot could be symbolic of the seperation between you and the railroad. Or it could be an artsy fartsy look at an interesting, rusty, textured chain link. At any rate, I wish my screw ups looked like that!

Chris
Denver, CO

[ajmiller]

I had been eating lunch at the time the train showed up, and I rushed to take the pic through the fence. I don't think I looked at the view screen carefully. I got a better one by standing on a snow pile near my car. The location was the Amtrak station in Altoona, and I was in a parking lot on the north side of the tracks. I think the train was the Three Rivers and it was eastbound.
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/altoonaamtk91a.jpg
As you can see, it's in focus, but not much better quality with all the foreground clutter.
It was a rather lousy day for pictures, but I'd had the camera for only 3 months at the time and I felt obligated to take pictures of every train I saw.

To my surprise, I found the same train about an hour later, 2 miles northeast of Altoona where I took this much better picture, although cropped from the original.
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pinecroftamtk91b.jpg

Apparently the train was stopped at a signal so that it could cross over to the the westbound track. It must have needed to stop at the next station which is at Tyrone Pa. I think all the stations on the Pittsburgh line are on the north side of the tracks which means that eastbound passenger trains have to cross over to make stops.

Anyway, I followed up that nice picture with this gem:
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pinecroftamtk91c.jpg

Oh well. Can't win em all.

But don't think that all my pics are this bad. I have gotten a few on RailPictures. Most of them I took recently, but I hope to get some of my older good ones up there at some point.
see for my pics:
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=3158

[Modelcar]

AJ....before I looked at your description of where you were located for the "wire fence" photo I thought to myself..."that must be Altoona as I noticed the museum type rail cars beyond the tracks and I've boarded Amtrak there at that station and it sure seemed familiar.....

[Anonymous]

I did not take the following photo, one of the guys in the Model Railroader Coffee Shop posted the link. I must say, it is kind of funny. [:0]

http://www.railimages.com/gallery/johnbreen/acr

[locomutt]

That was good Jim,since that's a take off on one of 'Their' slogans.

[Anonymous]

OK, I have added the reflective crossbucks to my PhotoBucket website. I have linked that pic to my sig line too. [8D]

[edblysard]

AJ,
Sometimes, taking a photograph on a slightly overcast day works to your advantage.
In your second photo, http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pinecroftamtk91c.jpg
note how there are no hard shadows, the light is evenly reflected on both sides of the train, and you can see a great deal of detail on the undersides of the tankcars to the left.
On a bright day, one side of the train would be in shadow, obscuring details.
You can even see the ballast under the train clearly, along with track detail that would have been lost on a bright day.

And doing people portraits on a slightly overcast day is great, use a zoom and shoot from a litter farther away to blur background details, zoom in on their face, and your subject dosnt have to squint in the bright sun, most of the colors are softer also, and, if you need to, you can manipulate them later with the computer.
The lack of hard shadows will make older people look a little younger, hide a few wrinkles, and with younger people, it softens the angles in the face, cheek bone and eyes...hair texture shows up great.

Ed

Ed

[ajmiller]

You must mean
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pinecroftamtk91b.jpg

http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/pinecroftamtk91c.jpg is the bad one where the train ran out of my field of view before I could get the shot.

I put links to these pics and some better ones I've taken at
http://www.esm.psu.edu/~ajmiller/trainpics/

I'll put more up there at some point. I'm still trying to decide how to organize them.

[edblysard]

Yup,
my bad....
Ed

[Anonymous]

Well I have another one or two I can add.

Check out this link:

http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/Photo%20Goofs/


Now don't laugh too hard. [:I] [:o)] [8)] [:X] [^] [:p] [:)] [:D]

[Anonymous]

I have added a few more goofs today.


http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/Patched%20Unit%20%20Maybe/

I was trying to photograph the second unit since I thought it was a "patched" unit. However as the train grew closer the last shot is blurred because of the speed of the train. [:(]


http://photobucket.com/albums/v222/JimHwood/SPpatchUPregular-goof/

"Hey Jim, nice signal tower." "Yeah, I know." [:(!] [:(] [V]
Murphy's Law strikes again. [:(] [:(!] [:(] AND this was the day I got poison ivy too.

This day was definately a "Bummer for a railfan" day. [V] [:(] [:(!]

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=12978

[Anonymous]

Funny Union pacific spoff pic, non specific[:D]
i have done similar to a train engine'
Union Pacific
Building America one siding at a time!![:D]

[TrainFreak409]

I am going to resurrect this thread, as I have a contribution that I forgot I had...



Anyone notice what that sign says? I asked my Mom to stand next to RG311 so I could get the "LORAM" word, and I didn't even notice the sign. My Mom really loved that picture when she saw it.[:I]

It's a good thing we had permission to be around the RailGrinder.[:D]