Westbound Western New York & Pennsylvania train on the original Erie main line at Tip Top, New York, on the “Southern Tier” route on February 13, 2010.
Judge’s Comment:
As most entrants knew, Dick photographed trains in scenic settings, where the train was not dominant. In this photo, all the different elements of an interesting scenic view are present. The slight gold tones of the dry weeds in the foreground are a perfect anchor for the bottom of the photo with the red locomotive and lights approaching. The rest of the freight cars blend in with grey tones of the trees in the background. The softness of the layers of trees in neutral grays worked perfectly with the red engine.
About the Photographer:
Ken Kraemer has been photographing trains since he was about 10 years old in the early 1950s. He has just completed his latest book, Focused on Steam: Fifty Years of Steam Locomotive Photography, and he has also published several other books featuring his railroad photography. He has also had numerous photos and articles published in railroad-oriented publications, as well as other non-railroad magazines and books. Kraemer was employed at a professional photo lab and camera store before working for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad for 23 years until his retirement. When Canadian Pacific acquired the D&H in 1991, he served on the Editorial Advisory Committee of CP RAIL NEWS, the company newsletter, and also as an editor of the Bridge Line Division (D&H) employee newsletter.
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