Can anyone guess?

[2slim]

http://home.attbi.com/~twalton8todd/coal4.jpg

Is this Matt Huston photo.......a model........or prototype. You decide..... graemlins/097.gif

2slim :D

[Telegrapher]

Although I don't see any snow on the engines but that doesn't mean anything. It sure looks like a prototype to me. :confused: graemlins/wah.gif

[Nick]

The lack of rust on the locomotives makes me think model, but I'm still not sure. :confused:

[slimjim]

I know, I know but will keep quiet.

[BoxcabE50]

Models. Very nicely done!

graemlins/clappy.gif

BoxcabE50

[Robin Matthysen]

There is something not quite real about that snow so I say it looks like a fairly large scale model. My guess is O scale as those locos look so good.

[7600EM_1]

I may be mistaken but those look to be Athearn diesels! :D a SD-45 and a.... ummm GP-38-2... But I know thats scale! But will say, very nicely done! Very elaborate... :D graemlins/wow.gif

[ 01 July 2002, 07:07: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]

[Martyn Read]

I say a model, but very nicely presented, and i'm not at all sure of what scale. graemlins/097.gif graemlins/notworthy.gif

[Alan]

I would say model, as the snow looks a little too coarse. Brilliant modelling if indeed it is graemlins/notworthy.gif

[Colonel]

Well I think it's a bit of both but the locos are models.
I showed my wife and son and they both said model as the snow didnt look real.

[Kitbash]

The engines look real. The snow against the engine looks slightly out of scale.

I claim model. I also claim the modeler/photographer does EXCELLENT work.

Nice.................... graemlins/clappy.gif

-Kitbash

[Hytec]

I vote for model ..... although an excellent photo of one!

- no exhaust heat shimmer above the stacks.
- no blowing snow about the trucks.
- snow on hopper is full and not wind-blown, which is inconsistent with there being no snow on top of engines.
- snow appears real, but is out of scale with train.
- no snow on top of milepost.
- patches of bare rock near milepost indicate some melting has ocurred since the snow fell, but there are no wheel tracks or melting on the rails or ties ahead of the engines which would indicate a very recent snow fall.

Great puzzle, Thanks :cool:

[watash]

It is an excellent photo composition. The background has the feel of great distance, and the shading denotes a far away look.

The two engines are very well done, even the handrailings.

The twilight effect is most appealing, but the focus is decieving in that it causes the texture of the "snow" flakes to appear as if they were too coarse to be real. This is an optical illusion brought on by the frost on your eye balls.

What has happened, is the train has stopped, both engines are idling, the wind has died down, and the crew is brewing a cup of coffee before tackeling the down grade. When the rotary snow plow gets the pass clear, the crew will then fire up the engines and carefully pick their way down into the valley below.

This would be an excellent calander shot!

[Trainboy]

That SD-45 looks like a Rail Power Products Shell. The Radiator Grills are all wrong just like on that Shell.

[Mike C]

Very nicely done composit photo. Models and background are very well done.....Mike

[SP 8299]

It's a model. DRGW never purchased GP38-2's from EMD (that's what the the unit in the foreground looks like, despite that extra radiator fan ;) ). Excellent modeling overall, though...I can feel the chill from my computer screen. :D

[Trainboy]

I see the water sight glass, but the Trucks are Bloomberg B.

[yankinoz]

Originally posted by SP 8299:
It's a model. DRGW never purchased GP38-2's from EMD (that's what the the unit in the foreground looks like, despite that extra radiator fan ;) ). Excellent modeling overall, though...I can feel the chill from my computer screen. :D It's a GP40 - look at the stirrups on the hopper car. HO scale model - but very well done. A few tweeks as listed above and that would win the MR contest.

[Trainboy]

But it has a Water Sight Glass window so how can it be a GP40?

[Mike Sheridan]

The snow in that scene has a very 'largescale' look about it.

I reckon the lead unit is the Aristocraft #1 SD45 (the road number 5333 also checks out on their website).

The trailing unit looks like a USA trains GP38-2, except it has an extra radiator fan; could be a 'bashed' unit.

As to the view behind - it's either a picture or someone has a backyard to die for :cool:

Mike

[yankinoz]

Originally posted by Trainboy:
But it has a Water Sight Glass window so how can it be a GP40?You are correct - that would make it a GP40-2 - but looking at it now, the air filter box is GP38-2

Of course I don't know Rio Grande well, so anything is possible.

[Martyn Read]

It was the fuel tank shape of the geep that started me thinking it was a model...

[Trainboy]

On the 40/38 -2? shouldn't there be a Door on that 38 style bump? I think that's the side it would be on.

[slimjim]

All of you are starting to get close now. I saw this pic the day it was taken.

[Johnny Trains]

My guess would be that it is a model shot on a small diorama outdoors against a snowy backdrop.

[SP 8299]

Originally posted by yankinoz:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Trainboy:
But it has a Water Sight Glass window so how can it be a GP40?You are correct - that would make it a GP40-2 - but looking at it now, the air filter box is GP38-2

Of course I don't know Rio Grande well, so anything is possible.</font>[/QUOTE]The water sight glass isn't always a reliable Dash-2 spotting feature, since EMD built some late 40-series units with it, right before Dash-2 production began. Some late Southern GP38AC's and SP SD40's, SD45's, and SD39's came with them, to name a few.

And yeah, that PAF box is a dead-giveaway GP38/38-2 spotting feature, but the only problems with it on the unit in question are:

1. The unit has 3 rad fans; factory GP38's and GP38-2's have two,

and

2. DRGW never owned GP38's, GP38-2's, or any rebuild of such.

All of which leads me to believe it's a model. Still, excellent overall modeling and scenery. :D

[2slim]

Ok, I'll make a little confession, I too am guessing that it's a model, (and dam fine ones too boot!). Slimjim, will you help me with the technicalities? I saw this and a couple other shots posted on the D&RGW group at Yahoo and couldn't resist sharing it with my favorite group of 'nitpickers'..... :D That's not a slam, more like a true confession.... graemlins/notworthy.gif I agree with everyones comments about the composition of the scene, it's not perfect, but it's still awesome!

2slim :D

[slimjim]

Mike got the models correct. It was shot outdoors in Colorado up in the high country early one morning after a snow storm. He said he froze his butt off doing it :D .

Originally posted by Mike Sheridan:
The snow in that scene has a very 'largescale' look about it.

I reckon the lead unit is the Aristocraft #1 SD45 (the road number 5333 also checks out on their website).

The trailing unit looks like a USA trains GP38-2, except it has an extra radiator fan; could be a 'bashed' unit.

As to the view behind - it's either a picture or someone has a backyard to die for :cool:

Mike

[polyjim]

My guess is it's a wll done model because the snow doesn't quite look natural and the backdrop is just a little bit obvious. If it is real, ya really fooled me.
polyjim http://www.trainboard.com/icons/icon14.gif

[mc]

Model. I agree with Alan, the snow is coarse, therefore we're looking at a photo background. But that doesn't mean I don't want to know how this beautiful scene was created and what product was used to make the snow!

Mike Cannone
San Diego

[slimjim]

The snow is real.

Originally posted by mc:
Model. I agree with Alan, the snow is coarse, therefore we're looking at a photo background. But that doesn't mean I don't want to know how this beautiful scene was created and what product was used to make the snow!

Mike Cannone
San Diego

[2slim]

The snow is real.
I kinda wondered if it was, that would explain why it's so coarse. I'm sure it was cold, it makes me cold just looking at it! Which is good in July..... :D now December!..... :eek:
Here is another of Matt's fine photos.

http://home.attbi.com/~twalton8todd/CCL-Lee.jpg

2slim :D

[keyrail]

it's a model, and a good one! graemlins/wow.gif :cool: graemlins/sure.gif

[ROMAFERN]

Nice job!
When I grow up, I wanna be like you!

graemlins/notworthy.gif

[watash]

That has got to be a large scale model running on garden type track right after a night time snow! Where is the rotary snow plow working? :D

[beast5420]

I'll throw in my vote of composite. The snow is just too coarse (as several have pointed out. Plus, the lack of heat effects, I almost counted that out, but the engine lines were too sharp for that not to show up. Also, you can see a light on the far hill that could be the snow blower, so I think that the pciture was composited off of a prototype & model

[ 11 July 2002, 17:55: Message edited by: beast5420 ]

[2slim]

Hey everyone I thought I would share this with you. If you remember the first photo I posted in this topic of Matt Hutsons coal drag, ( it's still there last I looked) anyway Matt won first place in a monthly photo contest on myLargescale.com (http://www.myLargescale.com) graemlins/097.gif Not too shabby Matt!!! His prize was a gift certificate for $150 at Wholesaletrains.com (http://www.Wholesaletrains.com) , pretty neat!!!

2slim graemlins/clappy.gif

[Maxwell Plant]

Real snow...but a model all the same. Nice job! graemlins/097.gif

[ajy6b]

Great Pictures, both of them. However, I have to vote model on the first one. I have to agree that the second one looks like a garden railroad layout. The Rio Grande silver freight car looks to new and gives it away.

Keep up the good work. I love it! graemlins/notworthy.gif graemlins/notworthy.gif graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/clappy.gif graemlins/097.gif graemlins/097.gif

[ 02. August 2002, 00:35: Message edited by: ajy6b ]

[Espeeman]

I like the way the frost is on the side of the hopper. Makes the metal look really cold!