Anybody ever check out RailPictures.net's forums? There are literally hundreds of threads just like this one.
I have to disagree with the notion bandied about here that somehow un-retouched photos are more 'pure' than retouched photos. Yes, there should be a (somewhat arbitrary) limit on how you edit a photo, but to just say that all creativity stops after the shutter is released is nonsense. What I love most about digital photography is the ability to edit after the fact - something that was impossible to do with slides, unless you printed and/or created another photograph out of them.
Adjusting the lighting, contrast, sharpness, etc., however slight, is practically essential to creating a quality photo. Digitally dodging out annoying wires, poles, trash, etc. lets the viewer concentrate on the main subject instead of annoying distractions. And these techniques are quite simple to do with a decent photo editor. Also, these techniques are not new to photography - they've been around ever since the first photographs were taken. But now you don't have to be an expert to make these changes.
As for Railpictures.net, I personally think they are not strict enough - looking back on my own shots posted there, I wish they would have been a bit stricter on a few of them. The main point of the sight is not to post every freight you saw last Saturday coming through CP5 - it is to present to the world your best efforts - the dramatic lighting, the unusual lashup, the killer location, etc. These only happen every once in awhile - if you're lucky, you'll have maybe one or two during any given outing.
Also remember, the screening process is highly subjective, and, being run by mulitple humans, inconsistent - they have certain standards, and most of them have a particular type they like which might not necessarily mesh with your own. I've heard of many shots being rejected a couple of times, and then being accepted - it depends upon who screens you (and what mood they are in, time of day, etc.). Personally I've had a few rejected, but appealed the process, letting the screener know why I think the shot is worth posting. Almost every time they agreed, and accepted the photo. The ones they still rejected, although I disagreed with their point of view, I didn't bitch about it - I moved on.
I encourage anyone wishing to post shots there to spend a few hours browsing through the collection - take notice of what is accepted, which are most popular, the "screener's choice", etc. It's worth the time - there are many excellent photos posted from around the world. Also, they post a photo submission guideline at:
http://www.railpictures.net/addphotos/guidelines.php
And, if anyone cares, here's a link to my photos on Railpictures.net:
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=811
And some more on my very rudimentary homepage:
http://home.comcast.net/~robben
Robert Benkovitz
Short Hills, NJ