Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
Have you hopped a ride on the Second Life Railroad, the SLRR? If you haven’t, get off your pixel patootie and ride one or two or three or more of the many rail lines in SL.
And don’t forget to check out SLRR – Second Life Railroad’s Flickr group. With over 250 members, the group has amazing pics to get an idea of the variety of railroad engines there are in SL.
For some industrial rail, check out “Elevated Rail” by Tegan Tenby (above). That train has a cow catcher on the front, like something out of the Old West. Technically, modern trains have cowcatchers, but they aren’t shaped like a wedge because it turns out that shape shoves the cow into the cabin, injuring the engineer.
For more trains, click here:
“Western Railroad” by Friiiday Nightfire is a moody train. The coal smoke billowing about the engine gives it a menacing air. It makes me think of “The Octopus” by Frank Norris. The railroad industry was the octopus strangling the western farmers that led to violent conflict in California. Meanwhile, the railroad hired Pinkertons who were more like mob enforcers than investigators. This picture has the sense of danger and menace that was a huge part of that struggle.
Wow! This is so dynamic! Created by ticklepink69, it's a tribute to real life "Bandit Queen" Belle Star, who died on the calendar day it was posted to Flickr, as an “on this day in history” pic. I don’t blame the horse for fighting the bit, not one bit. Would you want to run alongside a train if you were a horse? Especially with gunfire? This is really an exciting piece of work. Just wow!
The Arctic Sanctuary by Car by RigTorok McGregor fooled me for a second. I thought an old real life photo snuck in despite the group’s moderation. But nope, it was shot in SL and he provides the URL so you can check it out. I don’t think the SLRR is ever derailed but this may be an independent railroad.
This brings back such bad IRL memories of my train derailing right outside Columbia Falls, Montana, in January. We had to walk to a gas station but with a whole train of travelers, all of us could not fit inside out of the snow, so we got to be inside in 20-minute shifts while we waited for buses to come from Spokane. Cold. Even if it reminds me of one of the more miserable nights of my life, I do love the picture.
“Last Train to Clarksville” by Cari looks like another cold and miserable night. I hope she is on the train, not waiting at the station. This is some of the most realistic sleet I have seen in SL.
“Train 002” from Lindman Pictures is another really dynamic picture. Framing the shot so close to the train gives us the idea that if we blink the picture won’t have a train in it.
SLRR – Second Life Railroad’s Flickr group is a great group. It’s moderated so there are no non-train pictures. I love the variety of trains from old historic coal-fired trains trailing black smoke to modern electric trams and everything in between. Check it out, join the group, add more train pics.
See all of Cajsa's Choices here. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter, on her blog, and on her Ko-Fi.
All images copyright their respective creators
Suggest images and Flickr feeds to Cajsa: Cajsa’s Choices is devoted to unique, artistic, and innovative virtual world-based images and screenshots that showcase the medium as an art form and Second Life as a creative platform. (Generally not images that fit on this Bingo card.) To recommend the best in virtual world imagery, tag the picture with #CasjaNWN or tag Cajsa Lilliehook by adding her to the photo.
Cajsa Lilliehook is a sixteen year resident of Second Life, where she owned a photo studio, spent several years as a DJ at The Velvet, and for her first SL job, cleaned up prim trash. She co-founded and runs the It’s Only Fashion blog with her best friend Gidge Uriza. She also has a book review blog, Tonstant Weader Reviews and a cooking blog, Single Serving Recipes. She spends a lot of time researching and reporting on Republican sexual predators. In her first life, she is a retired grassroots leader who has worked for economic and social justice issues most of her life. She is also the minion of a cat named Nora.
