Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 65... with Video!

[Bergie]

I just posted the latest installment of Trackside with Erik and Mike in our new section within the Railroad Reference area of TrainsMag.com. This week, there's a four minute video that highlights our latest adventure trackside.

Read Trackside with Erik and Mike Volume 65

Voting for Trackside with Erik and Mike now occures at the top of the Trackside with Erik and Mike section. Click here to vote.

Please add your comments regarding this week's photos here.

Thanks, Erik

[blhanel]

I went with Mike's shot this time.  Erik, I think your shot would've been better if the tunnel motor had been entirely in the shot as well.  As it is, it's almost like it was a distraction and not the main subject.  Both shots are excellent winter scenes, though.

[CShaveRR]

I like Mike's.

Brian took the words out of my mouth regarding that tunnel-motor.  Though I can foresee a time when a good-old SD40-2 will be just as interesting to get in a broadside view. 

Mike's shot is just more railroady.  If Erik's had been a pacing shot, that might have tipped the balance a little.

P.S.  You're both nuts for going out in this stuff!

[mikeyuhas]

P.S.  You're both nuts for going out in this stuff!

On that point we all agree!

[Modelcar]

 

Both appear lit about the same with the winter lower sun....and both are defined sharply....Really pretty close in quality to my eyes. 

Believe I must lean over to Eriks' photo this time....It almost looks like a silhouette type rendering but still has detail on engine's shaded side.....

[blhanel]

Oh, and another note- the video was great, except that Bergie didn't get in front of the camera as well.

[Railfan1]

Mike's shot got my vote this week.

[Railfan1]

Loved the video.

[Bergie]

I went with Mike's shot this time.  Erik, I think your shot would've been better if the tunnel motor had been entirely in the shot as well.  As it is, it's almost like it was a distraction and not the main subject.  Both shots are excellent winter scenes, though.

I'll try to share some other exposures next week. I went with this one because I liked the way the sun was coming from the front of the lead unit.

If memory serves me, I didn't get a shot that included the side shot of both units. That would have required walking up the road (and away from the warm car) about a 1/4 of a mile (since I don't have a fish-eye lens).

Bergie

[cherokee woman]

Gee whiz, guys, you mean we can't vote for Mike being knee deep in snow?!?!

I voted for Mike's pic this time.  But both had really good pics.  

[PBenham]

Mike's picture wins my vote in a landslide...oops... Avalanche! I've done what Mike has done in the video (great, BTW) far too many times. If you fellas can line up a sponsor, can video competition be over the horizon? Oh, yes sorry about the Bears-NOT!! Don't sweat the Pack OK--The Pats will be back !Packer fans had to like seeing the Bears fall. You also had to like Brett Farve in that NFL ad.!

[edblysard]

First off,

You guys are nuts...really stripped out nuts.

Not just a little rounded off at the edges, but full blown, stripped threads, all chewed up on the side nuts...

11 degrees outside with a good wind blowing?

And you're out videotaping trains?

 

Oh well, to each his own.

So, while sitting here on the back porch watching the possum raid the dog's bowl, I kept jumping back and forth...finally went with Mike's shot...just says "Trains" more that Erik's.

Now that that major decision is over with, I think I will get some iced tea and sit back, watch the sun set and enjoy the 70 degree evening down here in the swamp.

[CShaveRR]

Ed, I agree with you wholeheartedly, except for one thing.

There is no "good" wind at 11 degrees.

[asnjoe24]

First of all, congratulations to Erik and Mike for three years of Trackside! May you two have many more great columns!!

The extended post with accompanying video was quite the delight! Very nicely done, gentlemen! The only thing that could have made it better would to have seen Erik on camera also, rather than just hearing his voice.

My choice for this week's vote is Erik's side profile shot of the UP SD40-2 with the cloud obscured sun in the background. Once more, the atmosphere of the photo seems to appeal to me more than anything. Mike's shot of the lead former CNW Dash 9 also has great lighting to bring out that CNW paint scheme; nice to see that the UP has not fully repainted all of those units. There's kind of "rural" feel that the sunlight seems to evoke in Mike's photo that I like.

- Bryan

[LVJJJ]

Dang you guys, another tuff choice, but I prefer Erik's side-view sun shot.  I also prefer the old EMD's over the newer GE's.  I don't think Erik and Mike were that crazy to be out in the cold, it was 3 degrees above zero.  Larry of the NW

[Chris Owens]

I really enjoyed both, but Mike got my vote....................

[Poppa_Zit]

Typical Wisconsin weather -- 50 weeks of snow and two weeks of bad ice.

I liked both shots. Too bad I can't give a half-vote to each of you this time.

While cold, it looks like you guys still had fun. DAMHIKT, but quite often "stupid" is part of "fun". 

P.S. The video reveals Mike to be a real hambone. May I present him with this "Oscar!"

[gemotor]

Well, it's Mike's photo this time, although neither one inspired me much.  I like the subdued colors of the winter landscape in Mike's photo.  The train:  another wedgie.  Erik's photo is an almost there shot - had the sun been given a clearer window, the rays would have been outstanding.  As was, just the luck of the Dutch which is my frequent excuse.  Congratulations on three good years, men, looking forward to another good one.

[Noah Hofrichter]

Definately a very tough choice this time! Both shots were pretty good considering the lighting and whether, but In the end though I had to go with Mike's. While Erik's was creative, it just didn't really seem to work quite right, although I understand the mood you were going for. I had to go with the good old train shot, especially since it had the unpatched CNW leading!

I'm amazed you guys were able to chase as far as you did on the Adams line. I know at least up near Adams and Dolton where I usually go chasing is basically impossible because the railroad cuts diagonal across the state and all of the roads are perfectly North-South or East-West. Usually up there you set up for one shot and then forget about it after that!

I really, really liked the videos too guys! You'll definately have to do things like that more often.

Noah

[freightcarguy]

Nice video, and kudos to you for putting up with the cold to shoot it.   Winter railfanning makes you appreciate what the crews go through!  One suggestion - like 90% of railfans, you shut off the camcorder after the power passed, thereby missing the real interesting part of the train, which is the freight car consist!  I would understand if it were a unit coal train with 110 identical cars, but those were mixed freights with lots of interesting cars!  Maybe next time you can leave the camcorder run for the entire train.  Remember, the railroads wouldn't stay in business very long if all they did is run light power back and forth, even if it is one of the last units in CNW paint.

[lhtalbot]

Once again, two good pictures. I went with Mike's as it seems a little more interesting.

What camera did you use for the video? I tried to tell from the shot of Mike doing his commentary, but could not.

I have been skunked on the Adams more than once. Glad the weather was nicer when I was out there. Definitely need a scanner out there, but my old relic is on it's last legs.

Larry in Wauwatosa

[Datafever]

Wow.  I had no idea that I was voting for the underdog this week.  I thought that Erik did an excellent job in capturing the highlights of the backlit train.  Technically, it just seems to me that Erik's shot was much more difficult.

[CNW 6000]

Seriously...no doubt here.  Snow+WI+CNW?  WINNER!

[fuzzybroken]

I really liked Erik's shot this time!  Getting the sun into the photo was a really neat touch, and the see-through T-2 grilles were also cool -- as was (and is!) the weather!!!

Bergie, you need to do a little editing on your article... (Shinny?  Sounds painful...)  I already asked Mike about the Helm unit, did you get a shot of the unit by itself?  I think it's a GP38-2, FWIW, I believe 3804 from the blurred video of it going by, but a shot by itself would be nice...  And finally, the link to Click here to comment on this week's photos in our reader forum. goes to Trains.com, not the forum!!!

Anyways, guys, glad you braved the cold, awesome video and pictures!

[senshi]

I have to go with Mike this time.  And I will admit it is complete and utterly a biased vote, an unpatched CNW dash 9 in the lead just wins for me.

Long live the Northwestern.

[dknelson]

First off,

You guys are nuts...really stripped out nuts.

Not just a little rounded off at the edges, but full blown, stripped threads, all chewed up on the side nuts...

Yes they are nuts and I say that as someone who has met both of them.  If the Red Green Show featured trains it would closely resemble this video.  

But ... what about well known Milwaukee railfan Jerry Krug who was also out there that same day?  Jerry is not nuts.   He is an accountant and no more nuts than any other accountant.

And what about this week?  It is 20 degrees COLDER than what the guys were experiencing last week, and also windier.  Maybe they should go to the Mitchell Park Domes horticulture park and shoot the nice garden railroad that is set up there....

Dave Nelson

[Bergie]

Nice video, and kudos to you for putting up with the cold to shoot it.   Winter railfanning makes you appreciate what the crews go through!  One suggestion - like 90% of railfans, you shut off the camcorder after the power passed, thereby missing the real interesting part of the train, which is the freight car consist!  I would understand if it were a unit coal train with 110 identical cars, but those were mixed freights with lots of interesting cars!  Maybe next time you can leave the camcorder run for the entire train.  Remember, the railroads wouldn't stay in business very long if all they did is run light power back and forth, even if it is one of the last units in CNW paint.

...And we wouldn't stay in business very long if I showed the entire video I shot, which did indeed span the entire train. You see, since that video is hosted (i.e. it costs money to show it), I need to be mindful of the length. Thus, 4 minutes instead of 24.

Thanks for reading!  Bergie

[zardoz]

11 degrees outside with a good wind blowing?

And you're out videotaping trains?

I can just imagine what the train crews thought......

[krugcpa]

Hi Dave,

Thank you for the compliment...was it a compliment?

What's nuts is getting paid to chase trains. I am jealous of Erik and Mike.

What was great is that these two are as irreverent and fun in person, together, as in the style that they convey in their column and now on video.

Here's a link to a shot I took on that chase:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=641037

Enjoying my fifteen minutes - oops - seconds of fame(?),

Jerry

[mikeyuhas]

What's nuts is getting paid to chase trains. I am jealous of Erik and Mike.

Jerry,

You can be jealous all you want... but Erik and I weren't getting paid to chase trains, freeze our tocheses off, or delight in each others (and your) company. No, this was vacation time for both of us*.

Next time I'm out shooting trains during working hours I'll be sure to pack a copy of my signed yellow Kalmbach Publishing Co. vacation slip to prove it! 

* Well, at least it was for me. I'm not certain about Bergie.