Steam Locomotive at Cumbres Pass station.

[Sailor Don]

Difficult shot because the sun was on the wrong angle. The direction of the light is poor, so some of the detail of the steam locomotive is lost, but I still think it is an interesting photo. (Or maybe it's just my love for steam locomotives. :) )

http://users3.ev1.net/~sailord/IMG_2863_sm.jpg

[roanjohn]

You should've streered left a bit, get that whole train in the frame.

I like the sort-a panoramic crop........Might need a few level adjustments and some sharpening of some sort.

Great shot.

Ro1

[Leighow]

Its a beauty. Belmondo will love it too!

[Sailor Don]

I wasn't thinking too clearly when I framed the photo at Cumbres station. I really should have captured the very front of the locomotive. But up there at 10,000 ft. in Cumbres Pass, the oxygen doesn't get to the brain so easily. Mistakes are easy to make. :oops:

I'm fortunate I didn't pass out from lack of oxygen while riding my "scooter" and chasing the train. :)

http://users3.ev1.net/~sailord/IMG_2916_sm2.jpg

[im2postal]

I'm not a fan of the subject, but you make it interesting. Getting the whole train and accentuating the locomotive the way you did works very well. I watch many of the masters. They seem to make something that would seem mundane to the rest of us exciting. You got the nack!

Robbie Simmons :D

[Belmondo]

Well, I'm a fan of the subject, and I'm particularly fond of the old Denver & Rio Grande Western Narrow Gauge rolling stock. This is one leg of a narrow-gauge empire that operated will into the 1950s. When the parent road decided to abandon the 3-foot gauge operation, there were some farsighted individuals who decided to preserve as much of the old trackage and equipment as possible, and we ultimately ended up with two tourist lines---the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (http://www.cumbrestoltec.com/) and the Durango & Silverton (http://www.durangotrain.com/) .

As to the photo, it has a lot of the elements of classic railroad 'portrait' photography. One little known but often sought-after element in a photo of a steam locomotive is the positioning of the side rods (the main rod that connects the drive wheels). For some reason, it has always been considered desirable to capture the locomotive when the rods are at their lowermost position. I suppose it had something to do with making the engine look taller (i.e. more massive).

Lovely photo, especially for a train fan.