Although I don't see any snow on the engines but that doesn't mean anything. It sure looks like a prototype to me.
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.
I may be mistaken but those look to be Athearn diesels! a SD-45 and a.... ummm GP-38-2... But I know thats scale! But will say, very nicely done! Very elaborate... [ 01 July 2002, 07:07: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
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.
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.................... -Kitbash
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
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!
That SD-45 looks like a Rail Power Products Shell. The Radiator Grills are all wrong just like on that Shell.
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.
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.
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 Mike
