TrainBoard is pleased to offer a new special feature starting in September. It's the TrainBoard Smartphone Challenge. This is not a contest, it's just an opportunity for members to use their smartphones to catch interesting photos and post them to the site. This is not something that should be seen as competing with the other prototype threads in this forum. Here are the rules; Do not trespass (or violate any other laws in the pursuit of photos or videos). Be safe (and legal). All photos must be taken during the period of the thread (i.e. now through September 30, 2012 for this thread). Photos should be taken with your smartphone (or other similar mobile device) and uploaded. The goal of this thread is simply to encourage you to catch (and share) those interesting railroad shots (or videos) that many of you see as you travel the highways and byways of this planet covered with railroad tracks. Now that so many people have a smartphone (which are capable of taking photos and videos at a moments notice), we might as well use them to catch those interesting things that used to cause us to say, "I wish I had a camera!" So, there's your mission. Our first Smartphone Challenge is dedicated to our friend Wolfgang Dudler.
I am at our Houston Cellar Dweller Astros Ball Park tonight. Here is a replica steam loco on the outfield wall. Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk 2
OK, so my photo doesn't qualify because I took it before the time period, but I just think it's a good example of the type of shot you can get with a quick snap of the phone camera so I'm gonna share anyway! This was taken with my iPhone 4S on July 31st in downtown Dallas, TX from an onramp connecting I-35 with Woodall Rodgers Freeway on the north side of downtown. Dallas Union Station (Amtrak, DART, and TRE service) is the white building barely visible dead-center behind the other ~6-story white building just to left of center. For reference, the infamous "grassy knoll" area is just out of frame to the left of the photo view. It was a completely blind shot from my vehicle out the passenger side window. (traffic was moving very slow...it was a relatively safe operation, even though I strongly discourage emulating my poor judgement in traffic safety.) I thought it turned out pretty good all things considered. (One disclaimer...I did crop the photo to remove the vehicle's window frame and concrete railing along the bottom.) Even if I had a place to perch in this spot, it might take all day to catch a UP stack train, DART light rail, and TRE commuter all on the move like that. EDIT: Wanted to add....I think it's an interesting idea as well, and I hope to have a qualifying photo to submit soon!
Keep 'em coming guys. I am trying go get one myself but I have a short window to get the picture I am after and so far it has eluded me.
I don't have a "smart phone". Would a camera that fits in my shirt pocket. count? The pics I'm thinking of are the ones are the ones I take from a bus doing 60mph on the Mass Pike, (I90) such as these: Allston, MA CSX "Beacon Park Yard".
Here is one I took just a few moments ago from my office. This is the Renton Rocket and it is on its way to the Boeing plant. This is taken on my Android Mytouch4G Ryan