Trackside with Erik and Mike, Vol. 67

[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. 

Read Trackside with Erik and Mike Volume 67

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

[emmar]

Yippee! Track side is back. Thanks Erik and Mike.

I went with Mike's pic this week because I love freight railroads and I think that  Amtrak locomotives are the ugliest things in the world. I guess that isn't real fair to Erik because the best picture is supposed to win. Oh well, better luck next week Erik.

[Willy2]

I also went with Mike's photo. I liked the nice sunny conditions that his photo showcased, compared to the dreary conditions from Bergie's photo. That's not saying Bergie's shot wasn't good, but there was just something better about Mike's.

[blhanel]

Another tough choice- I went with Mike's this time, but not because of the difference in weather conditions- I think I would've aimed a little more to the right to get more of the Amtrak consist in the picture, Erik.  Other than that it's a nice shot.

[CShaveRR]

Abstaining this week, at least until somebody points out something about the photos I've missed.  I usually go by gut feelings, but both of these shots had an equal but small supply of that.

Maybe I would prefer spring!

[kschmidt]

Erik,

Thanks for hanging out in the rain on Friday.  Like you said the day started out great with sun and nice temps, but it sure went downhill fast.  And of course waking up Saturday morning to crystal clear skies was a bit annoying.  But like you mentioned one can't always shoot only when the sun is out. 

I missed that final southbound CN train because I got lost in the subdivision after shooting #7. Great GPS system.  Plus there was another northbound CN train, but it was getting dark so I took off.  Hopefully next time the weather will cooperate and the railroads will also. 

Keith

[Mookie]

I went with Eric's - I like the looks of Amtrak!  So I am no photographer, but I know what I like!

Mookie

[Modelcar]

 

....I will judge each photo as equal in quality for the type of photo each is...{One has movement, and one more or less stationary}, so I have to go by content to make my vote....Erik's.

[zardoz]

Presuming that the photographers are looking for honest opinions.......

 

I think both images were, shall we say, less than spectacular, perhaps even less than great.  I did not vote for either, as I felt that both shots were dull (sorry, guys).

However, if Mike had submitted his image of the coal hoppers passing the silos, showing the entire train, and with the sun nearly directly behind the photographer, then I would have enthusiastically voted for that image.

[spokyone]

I like the reflection on the rails with Erik's pic. But went with Mike.

[PBenham]

Bergie, the Amshot won my vote, for what that's worth. The scene had a lot of character in it. Mike's UP shot is, well...

[cpprfld]

I went with Mike's photo. I am not a big fan of Amtrak, and I thought Mike's photo was a unique shot.

[CNW 6000]

I also think that Mike should have submitted the BNSF engine with the forever long train trailing off to the horizon.  That is a very neat shot.  I had to go with the UP shot, however.  To me the AMTRAK looked almost like it wasn't doing anything.  No very visible exhaust plume, there's raindrops...but it's not obviously doing much.  That train looks almost like it could have been parked there, idling.  Mike's shot to me seems to be what it purports: a train working for a living.  There's not much of the exhaust or other things I mentioned previously, but at a glance I'd think "Oh a local doing some switching, neat."  Just my

[Datafever]

Mike's was easily my favorite shot.  Why?  I don't know for sure, but to both of you. 

[edblysard]

I went with Mike this time around.

Both shots were good, both conveyed a message, but the natural bias from working at a switching terminal railroad made Mike's shot of a switch job working an industry a little more appealeing to me than the passenger train.

[Bergie]

I also think that Mike should have submitted the BNSF engine with the forever long train trailing off to the horizon.  That is a very neat shot.  I had to go with the UP shot, however.  To me the AMTRAK looked almost like it wasn't doing anything.  No very visible exhaust plume, there's raindrops...but it's not obviously doing much.  That train looks almost like it could have been parked there, idling.  Mike's shot to me seems to be what it purports: a train working for a living.  There's not much of the exhaust or other things I mentioned previously, but at a glance I'd think "Oh a local doing some switching, neat."  Just my

What's funny about your comments is that my Amtrak train was probably doing close to 70 MPH while Mike's train was probably parked there... or close to it. 

With little available light and a 70 mile per hour train, I guess it's hard to make it obvious that the train was doing something. I guess I should have gone with the blur shot. That would have made it obvious!

Bergie

[CNW 6000]

Sorry if I offended you senor Bergie!  I know that had to sound funny to read...it just looked like it could have been sitting still.  Photoskills props to you for making a 70mph train look like it's frozen in time.  My camera would have made one long AMTRAK colored blur!  Hats off to you!

[dknelson]

I had of course heard the entire sad report from Keith Schmidt about how the day deteriorated (weather wise that is) while the trains kept a'coming.   This is also the first negative thing I have heard Keith say about his new GPS toy.  

After agonizing internal debate .... I went with Mike's shot.  Amtrak is an every day event but getting the local switcher working Sheboygan takes some luck and persistency.  What a pity it is not C&NW green and yellow ....

Slightly OT -- my local camera store has good news and bad news.  Kodachrome slide developing will now be 1 week instead of the prior 3 weeks!   That's the good news.  The bad news is that Ektachrome/Fujichrome developing will now be no faster than Kodachrome -- one week rather than the three days it had been.

How much do those newfangled digital thingy cameras cost again?

Dave Nelson

[ANDREW50]

I like mike`s photo as I`m a sucker for a working train. Tells alot of what I think of Amtrack. Allthough Untold Pathetic isn`t much better in its workings.I could be wrong but I don`t think so!

[Anonymous]

Going against what I see the voting trend for the week is, I went with the Amtrak 3 engine shot,  although its a "normal" shot etc. the fact of 3 P42's all facing forward to me was a treat never see that around here even though the California Zepher comes through here twice daily as does the Coast Startlate err Starlite. both shots again excellent, I always look forward to your commentary's and the photos.  As they usually give me new ideas for shots to take here.

                                                                                   Rich

[StephenDx]

Went with Mike's pic as it captures a railroad at work.

No offence Erik, but another on the rails shot.

I am enjoying the column.

[StreatorDave]

Erik worked so hard to get such a good shot in such bad weather.  But to me it was just another AMTRAK shot.  I went with Mike's "working" train.  Both were of equal quality.  I guess I was in a "Forlorn" mood when  1st saw it.....

-Dave

[PBenham]

Bergie, the Amshot won my vote, for what that's worth. The scene had a lot of character in it. Mike's UP shot is, well...

Is getting my vote a jinx on whoever's shot I happen to vote for?

[Noah Hofrichter]

I went with Mike's this time again. I have to give Erik Credit for shooting in conditions I wouldn't have bothered to go out in, but the composition of the photo is rather lacking. Waaaay too much dead space on the left side of the photo, and you cut off the train on the other side. While Mike's has even more space around it yet, it has some interesting details in it. It also gives one an idea of how small the train is compared to the malt Factory. I really liked Mike's shot (and I liked most of the rest of the shots on your website of this train Mike! The bridge shot is especially impressive!)

Noah

[mandelswamp]

Mike, your shot was fine but it did not appeal to me.  Erik, I would have preferred voting for your first photo, the Amtrak/CP meet.  However, you still got my vote because I liked your Amtrak submittal much more than Mike's forlorn UP picture.  Perhaps it was because the Amtrak photo presents an upbeat railroad image compared to Mike's sad shot.

[Anonymous]

I like Mike's UP pic because w/ the buildings in the background that tower over the train, it makes it look small and makes the pic very interesting.

[Railfan1]

Hmmmmm..... I went with Mike's photo this time.

[espeefoamer]

I voted for Mike's shot.I liked how the train was completely overpowered by the size of the grain plant.The details of the plant and the train were interesting,too.There was nothing wrong about Erik's photo,the problem lay with the subject.The Empire Builder could have been any long distance Amtrak train in the Midwest.The Builder looks just like the Chief,which looks just like the Zephyr,which looks just like the City of New Orleans... It seems to me that Amtrak photos are too generic,no mater which train is the subject.I'm sure most modellers would also salivate over Mike's photo,as a source for a project.

[NYC]

I went with Mike's photo as I liked the appearance of the train emerging from within the grain silos.  I agree with many of the other comments that the BNSF photo was better than the one submitted, but to my liking you still won my vote.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer to have voted for Mike's shot of the empty Detriot Edison coal drag. The lighting on that shot is excellent. But instead he gives us a lowly GP with a few cars coming out from under an elevator? Sorry, I voted for Bergie's Amtrak shot. I like rainy day photos anyway.

GM&O forever!