Your Favorite Shortline Shot or Why I can't Go to Owosso

[J Douglas Moore]

Here is my favorite shortline shot...........

PhotoID: 257828 Photograph © J Douglas Moore

Well, no I like this one better...........

PhotoID: 260049 Photograph © J Douglas Moore

And I have to work, can't buy a ticket right now, need to paint the house, mother-in-laws birthday, gotta change the air in my tires,...blah blah

[asis80]

Originally Posted by J Douglas Moore

gotta change the air in my tires,...blah blah

I didn't know.......air went bad?


but seriously

PhotoID: 275389 Photograph © Ben Sutton

And the reason, money. No matter how hard I try to save for months or weeks, it just ends up going to something I need it for.

Ben

[Darryl Rule]

Here is mine:

PhotoID: 219697 Photograph © Darryl Rule

And I'm not going to Owosso for 2 reasons:

1. WAYYYYYYYYY to much foam going to be there resulting in average photos full of people.

2. And most importantly, I picked Lerro's Berk charter instead. More fun and better photos.

Darryl

[Save The Wave]

My favorite SL shot

PhotoID: 211251 Photograph © Brian Wiggins

And no Owasso for me for the reason #1 listed by Darryl above. I don't do crowds.

[Dennis A. Livesey]

I'm going.

I can't wait.

Never been to such a big railfan shin-dig.

It's like the Super Bowl for this rail fan.

[Ed Mullan]

I wanna go to Owosso so bad..no funds! I'm not even sure I want to take a camera..this would be no doubt my ONLY chance to see 4449 in person..I'd like to talk to folks like Doyle McCormack, Rich Melvin, some of the crew members of the big steamers..and now..Dennis!
Oops..not take a camera? Not on my life!

Ed

[JimThias]

Probably this shot because this scene is no longer possible. Just a few months ago they finally ripped out the rails.

PhotoID: 189623 Photograph © Jim Thias

Or maybe this for the human element part of it, and also because it's a shot not possible any more:

PhotoID: 188121 Photograph © Jim Thias

And I will be going to Owosso. Not so much to take pics, but more so to meet people I've communicated with online via instant messenging or in this forum and others. There are quite a few photographers I'm looking forward to meeting as well. It's like a big convention for railfans/photographers...and I don't mind crowds as long as we all have a similar interest in common.


(and Saturday is my birthday)

[ssw9662]

PhotoID: Photograph ©

Even though I didn't get a lot of views or favorites with this photo, I always liked it for some reason.

PhotoID: Photograph ©

This one would probably be second for me. Although this shot has been done to death you still can't go wrong with the subject matter and the snow (well worth the 30 minutes it took for me to regain the feeling in my hands after the walk back to the car!).

Like most of the others I am stuck at home for financial reasons. Generally I wouldn't care about missing just another steam excursion, but 4449 has always been my favorite steam engine so I wish I could be out there. I'm trying to make the best of it though, namely by spending more time along my local shortlines.

[JimThias]

I like that second one, Austin...but I can't help but ask if you got a shot with the lead loco past that pole.

[Doug Wolfe]

Here is my contribution:

PhotoID: 267730 Photograph © Doug Wolfe

[Cyclonetrain]

PhotoID: 216864 Photograph © Glenn Davis

And I'm not going because I already saw 4449 and I don't need to be surrounded by a bunch of NERDS! I'm in it more for the photography not the rarity, honestly.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by Cyclonetrain

And I'm not going because I already saw 4449 and I don't need to be surrounded by a bunch of NERDS! I'm in it more for the photography not the rarity, honestly.

Dude...you took a picture of a train running down a street. YOU, my friend...ARE a nerd!

[jnohallman]

What counts as a shortline these days?

PhotoID: 246171 Photograph © Jonathan Hallman

And I am going, mostly for the chance to ride behind the 4449 (I'm on the Friday trip), though I'm hoping to get some decent photos despite the crowds. And hey, there's plenty of opportunities for railfanning on the way up to MI and back. I certainly hope to meet some of you while I'm up there too - is everyone wearing name tags?

Jon

[Chase55671]

I'd have to go with this shot of an Alco S2 on the BMRR..

PhotoID: 286561 Photograph © Chase55671

I'm not attending Trainfest because railfans and RP'ers in my area are not generous enough to let me tag along. *Cough Cough: Walter Scriptunas :Cough Cough*

In all seriousness, I don't feel like getting the same shot that everyone else will, although chasing 4449 back to Portland would be nice, although I am lacking the funds for that.

Chase

[J Douglas Moore]

Originally Posted by Chase55671

I'd have to go with this shot of an Alco S2 on the BMRR..



I'm not attending Trainfest because railfans and RP'ers in my area are not generous enough to let me tag along. *Cough Cough: Walter Scriptunas :Cough Cough*

In all seriousness, I don't feel like getting the same shot that everyone else will, although chasing 4449 back to Portland would be nice, although I am lacking the funds for that.

Chase

I hav not followed its progress, but am now starting to consider a chase on its way back to Portland. Anyone have a link for a schedule of return trip??

[jnohallman]

Originally Posted by J Douglas Moore

I hav not followed its progress, but am now starting to consider a chase on its way back to Portland. Anyone have a link for a schedule of return trip??

Try railserve.com for a start . . . look under the railfan events and excursions link.

Jon

[Joe the Photog]

PhotoID: Photograph ©

Because I love the retro paint.

I won't be going to Michigan because there's not enough money in my account and also off time would be hard to come by. I'd like to be there not only for this event but just to add a few more states to my States I've Been To list and also to catch some other things I've not seen yet on the way there, three and on the way back.

Maybe something else will come along in a better year.

[Andrew Blaszczyk (2)]

Originally Posted by Chase55671

In all seriousness, I don't feel like getting the same shot that everyone else will . . .

Chase

So don't stand next to everyone else and find your own shots. I've found that attending events like this as crazy and ridiculous as they are can be benificial to one's shooting style. After getting the same shot that everyone else does, walk around and try to find something different at a different time.

As for the favorite shortline (not including tourist lines) photo, its a toss up between:

PhotoID: 188480 Photograph © Andrew Blaszczyk (2)

PhotoID: 273147 Photograph © Andrew Blaszczyk (2)

PhotoID: 247877 Photograph © Andrew Blaszczyk (2)

[lock4244]

My two... and pretty much only SL on RP.

PhotoID: 245766 Photograph © Mike Lockwood

Yeah, already been used for a gallery recently.

PhotoID: 197327 Photograph © Mike Lockwood

Wish I'd have had more time on the A&M. Next time...

Not shooting the 4449 since I'll be in CO/WY/UT til August and I don't think it'll make it through there... least not when I'm there. No worrys, seeing UP AC4400's and BNSF GEVO's will be a thrill for me (for a day at least) and a nice break from CP red and CN orange & black. Oh, and then there is the scenery...

[Mgoldman]

I'll spare everyone my initial "shortline" selections - Wilmington and Western (That line is pretty short... ), New Hope - heck, I have a diesel shot, I'll throw it in, after all, they do run a freight business, and Strasburg - a 4½ mile shortline that has been in operation since 1832.

So here are my three:

New Hope and Ivyland

PhotoID: 264492 Photograph © Mitch Goldman

Twin Cities and Western

PhotoID: 236504 Photograph © Mitch Goldman

Black Mesa & Lake Powell

PhotoID: 234085 Photograph © Mitch Goldman

Need to get out and shoot some more shortlines...

/Mitch

As for Trainfest - go now, pay later : )
Some events you just can't pass up.
Where there's a steam engine, there's a way!

[KevinM]

Shortlines? They don't come much shorter than this:

PhotoID: 269212 Photograph © Kevin Madore

A million angles for every inch of its 3 mile length. Too bad they are diseaselizing.

Same here, except there are no evil diseasels:

PhotoID: 290111 Photograph © Kevin Madore

Even if the RP audience appears to be tired of it.

Not going to FoamerFest. I think Darryl pretty much summed up my excuses. Lots of expensive trips this year, and need to focus on the ones that are most likely to have environments conducive to good photography. While I enjoy being around trains and people who like trains, these trains are going to be too static for my tastes and the location really doesn't have the infrastructure to accommodate so many people.

[ssw9662]

Originally Posted by JimThias

I like that second one, Austin...but I can't help but ask if you got a shot with the lead loco past that pole.

I don't have any shots with the engine past the pole. I thought about walking up farther but there were other poles just out of the frame to the right and I only would have walked farther up if I was able to get a shot with all of the power unobstructed.

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by ssw9662

I don't have any shots with the engine past the pole. I thought about walking up farther but there were other poles just out of the frame to the right and I only would have walked farther up if I was able to get a shot with all of the power unobstructed.

Well, it wouldn't taken any walking...just a few more frames taken after that shot. You stopped shooting after that shot?

[JimThias]

Originally Posted by Chase55671

In all seriousness, I don't feel like getting the same shot that everyone else will, although chasing 4449 back to Portland would be nice, although I am lacking the funds for that.

Chase

Why wouldn't you just go because it's a frickin' HUGE trainfest??? Who cares about getting photos...this is like a huge railfan meet with a lot of interesting things to see. If there are photos to be taken, great! If not, there's so much to see that it'll be entertaining regardless of getting photos or not. I'm going for the experience, not the pictures.

[Darryl Rule]

It's a long ride from Philly to get no pictures on a trip. Besides, I am hoping to shoot 3 RS3s on a freight this weekend. Just as rare nowadays as any steamer. One trip to Michigan in a year is all I can afford.