Mini Challenge #166: Steel Rail Still Ain't Heard the News

billseye · June 5, 2013

Welcome to Mini-Challenge #166! The theme of this challenge will be Steel Rail Still Ain't Heard the News.

My grandfather (1898-1997) was a railroad man. Worked for Union Pacific. Recently I've been spending time on Amtrak doing weekend commuting. Perhaps it's time to dig up your railroad images and join in on MC #166. No restrictions... trains, rails, conductors, engineers - anything related to the steel rail. Extra credit (maybe just extra satisfaction) for reference to a train song in your title!

This challenge starts now and will close at 11:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Sunday, June 16, 2013. (Continuing the recent trend to shorten the time frame for the mini to about ten days instead of two weeks.)

OUR UN-OFFICIAL GENERAL RULES
1. Have fun sharing and seeing what others share!
2. The host supplies a topic and YOU POST 1-3 IMAGES. The host judges the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and is not eligible to enter. The 1st place winner becomes the next host, chooses the next topic and becomes the next judge.
3. Any photo you’ve taken is eligible, regardless of when taken or camera used.
4. Any amount of post-processing is allowed. However, it is helpful if you list your camera and lens along with your photo.
5. You may comment on other contestant's images. If you want someone to leave you some critique or criticism, just ask within your post.
6. The winner has up to three days (72 hours) to begin a new mini-challenge, or the honor goes to the #2 finisher and so forth.

Guidelines:
1. Enter 1-3 photos and put them in a single post.
2. Either embed your image in the thread or, if you must, supply a link to it. Keep in mind, however, most people don't want to click to open photos hosted elsewhere (i.e. on your website).
3. Also try and resize your photos prior to posting so they're sized appropriately for viewing without having to scroll (~800 pixels on the longest side works best.)
4. Give each image you enter a title.
5. Enjoy discussion with members about their images, don't let this just be an entry thread!
6. When quoting a post, change the IMG urls to a 200x200 size picture so it is clear your post is feedback and not another entry. (See here for help).
7. Don't be hesitant; share 'em and enter!

Mini-Challenge pointers:
1. Upon winning a mini-challenge round, your first step is coming up with a new theme and starting a new thread using the same format as others have used.
2. Make sure to notify the admin of this thread to update the main thread links with your entry thread.
3. Feel free to watch the thread as it grows or wait to the end time and look at all the entries all at once.
4. After the time/date has passed, then officially close the thread with a single post notifying everyone of the fact.
5. After you're finished judging, start a new thread (again using the prior formats) and post your Winner and runners-up. It is important to have runners up in case the winner does not show within the 72-hour window.
6. PM the winner with this info above and let them know they have 72 hours to set up the next mini-challenge.
7. If the winner does not show/start the next mini-challenge after 72 hours, notify the next runner-up and post a message on the Winner thread of the fact.
8. Remember, if you're the Winner, you run the next mini challenge!

A few samples to stoke the creative fires...

20120101_Grape%20Day%20Park_017-20_HDR-L.jpg

KevXman · June 5, 2013

Great theme Bill (congrats on the win in the previous mini). Can't wait to see what everyone has to offer. I have a few that I am particularly proud of (2 of which are just snap shots taken with a Casio pocket camera) so I guess I'll get the ball rolling.

Station to Station by David Bowie

I Know You Rider by The Grateful Dead

...and 1 that you have seen before...

Blue Train by John Coltrane

Thanks for looking.
— Kevin

CHANDLERJA · June 5, 2013

1. This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore

2. The City Of New Orleans

3. Long Black Train

Alans Grin · June 5, 2013

1) "High Speed Train" by R.E.M.

2)"Raising Steam" by Jethro Tull

3) "Milk Train" by (Jefferson Airplane(Long John Silver(Papa John Creach/Roger Spotts)1972))

Nice theme, good luck everyone

Alan.

billseye · June 6, 2013

Cool stuff showing up here! I'm channelling grandpa Leo. He'd have dug this stuff!

Here's a couple more for inspiration. Both taken with iPhone and processed on iPhone or iPad:

Amtrak Blues by Alberta Hunter

Coming into Los Angeles

Earache · June 6, 2013

Fun one Bill... sounds like you'll be writin' your own, sad, "Train Song" soon ;-)

"Little Red Caboose" (traditional) by Buckwheat Zydeco
End%20of%20the%20Line-XL.jpg

"Mail Train Blues" by Sippie Wallace
Mail%20Car%202-XL.jpg

"Right Track Wrong Train" by Cyndi Lauper
The%20Yards-XL.jpg

billseye · June 6, 2013

A List of Train Songs on Wikipedia

I had no idea....

ShootingStar · June 6, 2013

Already some amazing pictures!
Went back thourgh mines and have absolutely no photos of trains...

And no time to get one.

So this round I will just watch and enjoy.

Claire

Makeroftoys · June 6, 2013

I have to pick just three? Awwwww. . . .

here goes:

Chasing Wild Trains (Kim Carnes)

The Last Steam Engine Train (the Kinks)

Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull, among others)

I might change some of these as I dig into the ol' archives. . .

grandmaR · June 6, 2013

ShootingStar wrote: »

Already some amazing pictures!
Went back thourgh mines and have absolutely no photos of trains...
And no time to get one.

So this round I will just watch and enjoy.

Claire

How can you go through them that fast?

I am on my way to a cruise (flew from BWI to Houston yesterday and flying to Orlando Friday and getting on the ship Sat) so I will look and hope I get done looking before time expires.

DonRicklin · June 6, 2013

Here is my three! Wish I could post more!

I added the fancy labels!

1) The EcoTrain!

2) Defunct industrial trestle spur in a cul-de-sac.

3) CSX jet engine for snow removal!

Don

grandmaR · June 6, 2013

I thought you might be interested in these two photos which are NOT my entries because I didn't take them.

This one is me (the taller one- age 10) and my sister in Wyoming at the Union Pacific yards where we went with my great uncle who was a retired engineer. This was taken by my dad in 1948
M1490-%252000460001-34.JPG

And this one - also taken by my dad is of the President of the Torch Club in 1953 - I think in NJ

I got 40 or so train photos, but I will post the others in another thread in case anyone is interested. These are my entries.

1966 Calico ghost town

Germany 2009

Alaska 2010

TravelnLass · June 6, 2013

Been a bit busy here lately and regret that I've not been able to participate in the recent MCs. But tuning in this morning, I rummaged around my archives and...

I honestly think these are the ONLY two train pics I have!

1) "Happy Go Lucky Local" by Duke Ellington
(Costa Rica, ~ 1990)

2) "Slow Train to Dawn" (Matt Johnson) by The The
(China, 1991)

Well o.k., I guess this 3rd one would qualify for the train theme as well - my young daughters hunkered down one morning at (yet another) train depot somewhere in Europe, circa... way back in '79. (uh, gee - do ya think I could be arrested for child abuse?)

3) "Morning Train" by Peter Paul & Mary, Sensational Nightingales

DsrtVW · June 7, 2013

"Slow Moving Freight Train" by Hugh Moffatt

"Smoke Along the Track" by Stonewall Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris
Virginia%20%26%20Truckee1-XL.jpg

"Old Train 29" (Traditional) by Geoff Muldaur
Train%20to%20town-XL.jpg

Thanks for the list

sdways01 · June 8, 2013

Entries
I have others, but here are my 3 entries.

Mt. Washington steam cog starting out in the morning

Conway Scenic RR in Crawford Notch during peak foliage

Amtrak coming into town

kentwaller · June 8, 2013

light at the end of the tunnel

destination victoria station
IMG_9741%20-1-L.jpg

lightning express

TiaCreations · June 10, 2013

This is my first time posting! Perfect subject for me right now. Grandson is visiting and he loves trains.

Sorry, Tried uploading pics but all failed and once got an error message stating security reasons?

billseye · June 10, 2013

TiaCreations wrote: »

This is my first time posting! Perfect subject for me right now. Grandson is visiting and he loves trains.

Sorry, Tried uploading pics but all failed and once got an error message stating security reasons?

Check out this link for FAQ on posting... You will need another location to post on the web and then link to that location. I don't think you can upload directly to the forum.

If you don't have a web home for posting, look at Flickr or 500px for free sites. I don't think linking from Facebook works.

billseye · June 10, 2013

Okay everyone... MC #166 ends in less than a week. Next Sunday at 11:00 p.m. west coast time. All Aboard!

Cambyses · June 11, 2013

1- Anaheim Great Train Expo

2- Snoqualmie, Washington - 1

3- Snoqualmie, Washington - 2

brancaleone · June 11, 2013

Old 7 takes a breath..and more
#1 - Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company
http://www.travelingtoitaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/DSC_7002.jpg

#2 Got ot the top now a well deserved rest
http://www.travelingtoitaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/DSC_7001.jpg

#Summer Travel Fares
http://www.travelingtoitaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/DSC_7823.jpg

brancaleone · June 11, 2013

#1 Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific Railway

#2 Got to the top now a well deserved rest

#3 Summer Travel Fares

ShootingStar · June 13, 2013

I found 2
HI

My last post was saying I did not have any picture. However, i found 1 in my iPhone and added 1 last weekend, also with my iPhone. They are far from being winning shots but I hope they will make you smile. They are about the mishaps of technology...

1. That is a very believable temperature for Karlsruhe... (btw 47 in Celsius is roughly 117 in Fahrenheit)

2. When the system went down, I wonder how long they searched for a solution because these displays must have been hidden deep in a storage area (note: this was taken last weekend in Stuttgart).

Claire

PedalGirl · June 13, 2013

I don't have a whole lot of train photos... I'll have to look and see if I can find some. But, here's one I took from the train window on the way home from work yesterday.

1.