Santa at warp-speed ;-)

He has to do time-traveling to be here in time, but as a Santa you can easily do that ;-))

Subway Amsterdam

Porsche Gem Speed Shop

Een Velaro UK van Siemens passeert Rebecq op zijn weg van London Saint Pancras naar Brussel Zuid op de vrij zonnige maar winderige donderdag 17 februari 2022. Gelukkig kan je op de bruggen langs de hogesnelheidslijn een beetje schuilen achter de betonnen afsluiting ;-)

Bemerk ook de vrije E429. Ik heb hier niet digitaal moeten ingrijpen, meestal heb je hier wel een aantal vrachtwagens (vooral van Colruyt) mee op foto.

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Eurostar EMU 4002/4001 is passing Rebecq on its way from London to Brussels. In a few kilometers the high speed will be reduced to a normal speed from Halle to Brussels (160 km/h max).

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Rebecq, 17/02/2022

Eurostar 4002/4001

EUR 9116 London Saint Pancras - Brussel Zuid

Nadat ik op 11 maart 2023 in Berloz de ICE had vastgelegd, trok ik naar een volgend plekje langs lijn 2 dat ik had opgeschreven.

Op deze op het grondgebied Hoegaarden gelegen spotplek, kan je wat meer afstand nemen van het spoor. Dat het er goed uitzag, wist ik al toen de volgende IC naar Eupen eraan kwam, alleen besloot een klein wolkenveld om op hetzelfde moment de omgeving te verdonkeren: foto voor de vuilbak dus.

Gelukkig volgde een kwartier later de volgende trein in de vorm van één van de Thalyssen die de Franse hoofdstad verbinden met het Ruhrgebied.

Ook de zon was toen terug van de partij, dankzij een mooie opklaring waaraan gelukkig pas een einde kwam vijf minuten na doortocht van de trein.

Aangezien het er niet echt uitzag dat het later op de dag terug zonnig zou worden, besloot ik na het nemen van deze foto terug huiswaarts te keren. De rest van de foto's zullen voor een volgend bezoek zijn.

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Next high speed train that I could photograph on the 11th of March 2023 (more or less one hour after the Europe ICE) was one of the Thalys trains of the relation from Paris to Cologne (and further).

For this train I had choses a location in Hoegaarden (also known for its blond beer), where one isn't standing on a bridge but in a field, giving more distance from the tracks and a completely different view.

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Hoegaarden, 11/03/2023

Thalys 4301

THA 9423 Paris Nord - Essen Hbf

Obwohl es schon Winter war und es selbst im Inntal Temperaturen um den Gefrierpunkt gab, lag kein Schnee am Vorarlberg. Dies interessierte das Werbedoppel wohl kaum, welches einen OIC über den Arlberg gen Innsbruck zog.

Hackney Crittall.

The death of Industry in London has taken about 25 years.

I think it has recently sped up. As a kid, I walked past a timber factory. The noise of rotary saws and the smell of fresh sawdust happily bought up by Jack the Butcher and Cooke's Pie and Mash. The birth of Industry made us a World Leader, obviously times change but we cannot all work in Tesco's! Hence a few of the chaps do their own business on the streets with drugs and knives. Why work in a shop for minimum wage when you can earn hundreds per day doing bicycle deliveries? No Police and No Parenting obviously. Maybe No aspirations, No Chance.

The sisters have made themselves rare by living in seclusion.

Breukel works with careful composition and lighting, using a plate camera with a long shutter speed

De zusters hebben door in afzondering zichzelf zeldzaam gemaakt.

Breukel werkt voor een zorgvuldige compositie en uitlichting en maakt gebruik van een plaatcamera met een lange sluitingstijd.

Die Schwestern leben zurückgezogen und sind daher eine Seltenheit. Breukel arbeitet mit sorgfältiger Komposition und Lichtsetzung und verwendet eine Plattenkamera mit langer Verschlusszeit.

Breukel travaille avec une composition et un éclairage soignés, utilisant une chambre photographique à plaques et un temps de pose long.

20251213_133711

Den Haag, The Netherlands

WE SD40-2 6990 brings SD40-2’s 6982 and 3048 through Avella, PA, on the head of a heavy 218. The crew was giving lots of horn throughout the chase and the three vintage EMD’s were screaming the entire way. The train later sped up to track speed to cover the last few miles of it’s journey across the rook sub

I do believe this is the most intense stare I have ever received from a Grizzly Bear. Thankfully, I was standing right next to my truck with the door open!

The backstory to this photo is one that makes my blood boil. I was heading to the Teklanika River to take a hike, my wife and I would hike the river each spring and fall, before the tourist season and after. We would hike in at mile 30 of the Park Road at the campground that is closed off to camping when we went. This photo was taken at mile 29. I could see a bunch of vehicles bunched together and figured there was an animal by the road. As I got closer, I could see that the mass of cars were moving and in front of them was this sow and cub. Instead of giving the two bears room to act and be normal, they were litterally chasing the two down the road! The bears were in a fast trot and as you can see, the sow was not too happy. When the two got closer, I sat in my truck and watched them go by, followed by 10 vehicles still chasing them. I used a hand signal to stop them but was ignored. Fortunately, after the parade of gawkers passed, about a minute later I saw a Park Ranger heading towards me. I flagged her down and let her know what was happening and off she sped, hopefully putting an end to the harrassment.

As most people know, a mother species of any animal will protect their young at all costs. Putting undo stress on wildlife is just plain wrong. Denali National Park and Wilderness Preserve was set up to give wildlife a place to exist without interference from humans. Over the years, the harrassment of wildlife is non-stop. Animal Jams are the norm when there is wildlife near the road. Not just private vehicles either, Park busses will stop and block the road as well. When I go to the Park before and after tourist season, there isn't as many people and cars, but it still happens. When I go during tourist season, I always take a hiking bus in and get out and hike off the road just to rid myself of people. Okay, my rant is over.

Dedicated to the memory of my wife, Eddie Rose King. 1955-2025.

En nu ik toch langs de hogesneldheidlijn sta, toon ik jullie graag deze brandactuele foto.

Elke herfst is het hier een spektakel als de bomen langsheen de autostrade hun kleurenpracht tonen. Dus ging ik vanmiddag snel even heen en weer voor een rode en blauwe Eurostar.

De e300 naar London mislukte door een fotowolk, maar deze hier alleen al was de (eerder korte) verplaatsing meer dan waard.

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Autumn in Belgium unfolds along the high-speed rail line leading to the Belgian-French border and highway E429. A striking red Eurostar train glides past, making its way from Brussels to Paris, a vivid contrast against the backdrop of golden and silver foliage.

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Rebecq, 22/10/2024

Eurostar 4346

ER 9338 Brussel Zuid - Paris Nord

Wandeling WGZL8

Pan AM SPED begins its journey north up the Connecticut River Line after working Packaging Corporation of America in Oxbow, MA.

Another month has sped by - where does the time go?

The weather continues to veer between winter and Spring, from overnights of -6c to daytime highs of +15c. We had one real storm, Storm Otto, which luckily did minimal damage locally. We prepared for the worst though, as we still have clear memories of Storm Arwen and 6 freezing days and nights with no power.

As usual over the winter here, I have done more indoor shooting than outdoors, and that is reflected in my collage for the month. This time I used one of my shots as the background to the collage - the bare branches of the plum tree, with bokeh delights provided by sunshine, frozen rain droplets and my Helios lens. When the sun shines even the drab winter garden looks lovely! The Japanese miniature vases were brought out, along with the miniature furniture, and a couple of my bear collection. Everything is fair game when it comes to subjects to shoot 😄

Apart from Flickr my attention has been focussed on updating some of our (increasingly essential) 'tech' ... mainly my mobile smart-phone. An updated camera app to explore, and all my data to 'migrate'. Living quite remotely it has become as essential as the desktop computer to our lives, from shopping to finances. Luckily I do love playing with tech gadgets, so although it can take time away from other things, it is enjoyable learning how to best use it. A far cry from the tiny Nokia phone that still has a home in my drawer! I wonder at the technological revolution ... in cameras as well as phones. My old Canon Ixus 100 sits beside the Nokia! It still works remarkably well, which is more than can be said of the Nokia phone! 😄

And once again I say thanks to the Flickr organisers of their weekly challenges! More than half of my February uploads have been inspired by group challenges! I am still trying to use my vintage Helios lenses, and Lensbaby optics as much as I can ... but I still turn to the iPhone, the macro lenses and the Sony RX100.

Many thanks to everyone who has visited my photostream and for the comments and faves.

All my collages are collected here: At a Glance

Full speed ahead voor de 6282 die het beste van zichzelf geeft op HSL 3. Tien jaar geleden zou ik dit voor onmogelijk gehouden hebben, maar intussen beleeft de reeks 62 een tweede jeugd waarbij duidelijk ook diensten op hogesnelheidslijnen tot de mogelijkheden behoren. Een meetrit met de ES 800 zorgde voor de gelegenheid. Rit 93401 van Liège Guillemins naar Hergenrath werd in internationaal gezelschap opgewacht niet ver van Welkenraedt.

M180 Wrawby..... North Lincolnshire.....

© Kane Salter 2023.

eva sped m1

Well, strictly speaking this scene is a sunset, so one could question the title and the attached meaning... But it was a radiant Umbrian sunset just after a long, powerful thunderstorm, so I will stick to my idea.

As the WHO has declared the state of pandemic Covid-19 is spreading everywhere and is reaping its dreadful harvest, bringing whole nations and economies to their knees. Believe me, it is even possible that the darkest hour is still to come. But I think that this incredible planetary experience has the potential to change our way to live. We have taken for granted too many beautiful, precious things (and beware, when you take something for granted you are lessening it). This humble, unaware virus is teaching us values we had drowned in our running digital hedonism - solidarity, self-sacrifice, collaboration. It is teaching us the fundamental value of truth and of scientific research. It is reminding us that we are just a small part of a wonderfully complex world - and that we are not nearly as powerful as we like to think to be. After all, the immediate means to limit infection are exactly the same as they were for the epidemics of the past - quarantine, avoiding close contact with one another, clean your hands frequently, limitations to gatherings, public events, and so on (and everything is worsened and sped up by our global network of transportation). On the other hand science, unavoidably, needs time to find real solutions. So we are experiencing a new sense of being frail - something we used to think of as a relic of the past.

I believe that this pandemic will change everything, more than a war: this is not an enemy endowed with evil projects for mankind but, rather, a natural phenomenon which is putting us in the right perspective in the world. So I believe that this pandemic will change everything. But, in the meantime, we have to manage to get out of these dark times. I would like to dedicate this photo to the people who are suffering because of this ordeal, and to the heroic people who is wrestling with the effects of the infection*: my humble contribute to remember that the darkest hour - whenever it will come - is just before the dawn.

* Sadly in Italy we have seen a growing trend of threats and assaults to physicians during the last years. Many people doubted the good faith of physicians, scientists and medicine in general. I'd guess that this tide is quickly changing.

This photo is closely related to my A neverending story. To be precise, it has been captured some 5 minutes earlier. This view, however, is somewhat narrower and, after a bit of cropping in the foreground, lays a greater emphasis on the glorious cloudscape.

Explored on 2020/03/20

I have obtained this picture by blending an exposure bracketing [-1.7/0/+1.7 EV] by luminosity masks in the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal exposure" shot), then I added some final touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4. RAW files has been processed with Darktable.

A good contribution to the post-processing of part of the foreground came from a cool trick by Boris Hajdukovic I have found rather serendipitously on the web. I have cloned out an obnoxious young olive tree at the center of the foreground dancing a bit too freely in the residual wind.

I am afraid that colours and tones of this picture might be pretty close to the edge of looking overdone (this seems to be an inherent feature of the bracketings I captured of this sunset, since I always post-process from scratch). It all depends on your screen, of course: the picture looks safely good my HP screen, but I am afraid that it can easily look a bit over-the-top on other screens.

Now we know that a picture cannot possibly look right on every screen - the factors affecting the results are simply too many, including largely unpredictable ones, such as personal display settings. Admittedly one should not think too much about this, but when a photo is close to the critical boundary one should struggle to find the better balance between what she would like the photo to be and the risk of looking overdone. Since this photo is important to me, I would be grateful for comments about this matter, to help me realise if I have to downtone it :-)

Thank you very much in advance!

GRANDE INTUIZIONE.

Spedire un messaggio di posta elettronica a un proprio amico, parente o collega di lavoro è l'azione più semplice che ci sia. L'email è diventata lo strumento più utilizzato dalle persone per comunicare: ogni giorno vengono inviati milioni di messaggi in tutto il mondo. Il segreto del successo è legato alla facilità con cui inviare una e-mail: anche chi non ha esperienza con i computer impara immediatamente a spedire un messaggio. La nascita della e-mail è legata a Ray Tomlinson, uno dei ricercatori di ARPANET, che nel 1971 ha inventato un programma per far comunicare tra di loro i dipendenti del progetto statunitense. Tomlinson non è stato il primo a cercare di inviare un messaggio da computer a computer. Già nel 1965 al MIT di Boston alcuni ricercatori avevano sviluppato il programma MAILBOX che permetteva agli studenti di inviare dei messaggi ai propri colleghi. Ma il sistema non era abbastanza raffinato come quello realizzato sei anni più tardi da Ray Tomlinson.

In EXPLORE il 28/11/2024 al n. 45 (Tema: Black &White)

Immagine realizzata con lo smartphone HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO

Nederlands (für Deutsch siehe unten):

Adesso Rail is een in juli 2025 opgerichte spoorwegmaatschappij. Met het hoofdkantoor in Wenen worden onder leiding van Patrizia Langer - voorheen algemeen directeur van Ecco-Rail en Ecco-Sped, en al jarenlang een vooraanstaand lid van de Rail Cargo Group - transportoplossingen aan de markt aangeboden.

Vanaf de start rijdt Adesso Rail uitsluitend met locomotieven van het type Siemens Vecton. Medio 2026 had Adesso Rail de beschikking over vier exemplaren. Alle locomotieven hebben een opvallende kleurstelling, ontworpen door de kunstenares Marie-Therese Abart.

Iedere locomotief is vernoemd naar een persoon die verbonden is met de spoorwegmaatschappij. Willi is mede-eigenaar van Adesso Rail en een van de mensen die dit bedrijf vanaf het begin hebben ondersteund. Zijn naam prijkt op locomotief 193 992.

Willy werd op 26 juni 2026 in het schilderachtige Rijndal vastgelegd. Aan de haak van de locomotief hangt een sleep wagens met verdiepte bakken, beladen met vrachtwagentrailers van het expeditiebedrijf Walter. Adesso Rail en Walter zijn sinds het voorjaar van 2026 logistieke partners van elkaar. Aannemelijk is dat het hier de LKW-Walter-trein betreft van Wanne-Eickel Westberg naar Freilassing.

Deutsch:

Adesso Rail ist ein im Juli 2025 gegründetes Eisenbahnunternehmen. Mit Hauptsitz in Wien werden unter der Leitung von Patrizia Langer – ehemals Geschäftsführerin von Ecco-Rail und Ecco-Sped und seit vielen Jahren ein führendes Mitglied der Rail Cargo Group – Transportlösungen auf dem Markt angeboten.

Von Beginn an setzt Adesso Rail ausschließlich Lokomotiven des Typs Siemens Vecton ein. Mitte 2026 verfügte Adesso Rail über vier Exemplare. Alle Lokomotiven weisen eine auffällige Farbgestaltung auf, die von der Künstlerin Marie-Therese Abart entworfen wurde.

Jede Lokomotive ist nach einer Person benannt, die mit dem Eisenbahnunternehmen verbunden ist. Willi ist Miteigentümer von Adesso Rail und einer der Menschen, die dieses Unternehmen von Anfang an unterstützt haben. Sein Name ziert die Lokomotive 193 992.

Willy wurde am 26. Juni 2026 im malerischen Rheintal fotografiert. Am Haken der Lokomotive hängt ein Zug aus Wagen mit vertieften Ladeflächen, beladen mit LKW-Anhängern des Speditionsunternehmens Walter. Adesso Rail und Walter sind seit dem Frühjahr 2026 logistische Partner. Es ist anzunehmen, dass es sich hierbei um den LKW-Walter-Zug von Wanne-Eickel Westberg nach Freilassing handelt.

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Datum en tijd: 26-06-2026 - 09.15 uur

Locatie: Lorch (D)

Maatschappij: Adesso Rail

Trein: Wanne-Eickel Westberg - Freilassing

Materieel: Baureihe 193 (Adesso Rail 193 992)

Fabrikant: Siemens (München) (DE)

Bouwjaar: 2019

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© Peter de Winter – No unauthorised use.

Hong Kong has sped up the discharge of Covid-19 patients from hospital and shortened the isolation period for infected residents, as health authorities reported more than 17,000 cases and over 65 deaths.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee called the scale of the escalating wave “unprecedented” and warned the number of infections was expected to increase exponentially within a few months.

“We must use the coming two to three months to curb the pandemic with several measures,” she said on Saturday.

Hikers in Hong Kong's country parks and those exercising outdoors will be required to keep their masks on at all times from Thursday, on the same day the vaccine pass that will exclude unvaccinated individuals from a number of venues will be launched, the Post has learned.

The current exemption for mask-wearing at

country parks and during outdoor physical

activities will be removed, according to

government sources. The number of diners per

table at all restaurants will also be capped at

two from Thursday. The tightened rules are

expected to be announced later today.

(20220223 SCMP)

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Portfolio & Services

I was in Death Valley doing some last minute scouting before a workshop, and Friday morning I headed to Las Vegas to pick up a rental minivan to transport workshop attendees around. Being my first time at the Vegas airport, I got a little lost trying to find the rental car company. Airport attendants gave me scowling glares and offered no help...even when they were standing about 100 feet from where I needed to be. Thanks airport parking attendant!

There really was no rush to get back to Death Valley except the self imposed deadline to try and catch sunset. And on the drive back, the sky was full of drama and light. I sped up. More drama and light. Beams of light breaking through the sky and illuminating the desert plains and hillsides. I cursed. I cried.

Would I get there in time?

Knowing time was of the essence, I pulled into Zabriskie Point's parking lot, ran up the hill and starting snapping madly. After catching my breath, I settled in to the moment and made this image (among others).

I made it.

Nikon D7000

Tokina 11-16mm @ 11mm

1/10 sec, f11, ISO 100

Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse GND Filter

eva sped m1

NHB-264

Along the Speed river in Guelph, the Green heron postures for me by raising his crown as he lands on the next vantage point.

Would you believe that the image above, was shot on the same day as the preceding fog enshrouded image at Komo? Of the same train?

After shooting M311 at Komo, I headed back west towards home, with reminders of domestic tasks and obligations bringing my photography for the day to a close. I kept my scanner on, as much to fill the silence in my truck as to actually monitor any rail activity. As took the freeway exit for home M311 called their approach to Glen Valley. At this moment the sun appeared through the first gap in the clouds that I had seen all day. With the rest of the sky full of dark rainclouds, the suns rays were intense and direct to the ground, and not reflected from the rest of the ominous bank overhead. After a moment marvelling at this spectacle, a plan formed in my mind. I made a sharp turn down one of the back country roads, and sped away from suburban Vancouver towards Hydro, the nearest point on the line.

At track speed the train would intersect my route in under five minutes, while Google Maps' estimation for my arrival put me at six. In this time the light somehow gained intensity as the narrow window in the clouds began to close. The train called for a clear signal AT Hydro just as I pulled onto the straightaway to the control point. It was a race now! In a complete stroke of luck, the grade crossing at the control point was blocked off and out of service for replacement of the road pads. A freshly place pile of ballast was stacked neatly beside the line, providing a unique elevation source for a sight line above the lineside bramble mound. I slammed the truck into park, flung the door open, and sprinted to the pile. The train was already past my intended shot, approaching the venerable pair of searchlight signals, but nonetheless was a sight to behold as its approach continued. Moments after my shutter closed on the image above, the sun was hidden behind the cloudbank again.

M62....Whitley Bridge....

© Kane Salter 2016.

Gedsc digital camera 2011.

The Clendy Menhirs is the most important Neolithic site in Switzerland. Situated on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, it comprises 45 standing stones that were erected more than 6000 years ago, and are carved with human form. Some are 6 metres tall and weigh up to six tonnes.

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Many Thanks to the +15,400,000 visitors of my photographic stream

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© Ioan C. Bacivarov

All the photos on this gallery are protected by the international of copyright and they are not for being used on any site, blog or forum, transmitted or manipulated without the explicit written permission of the author. Thank you in advance

Please view my most interesting photos on flickriver stream: www.flickriver.com/photos/ioan_bacivarov/..

Although the terrace dates from the reign of King Henry VI (House of Lancaster) this is a recreation of a herb garden from the Tudor period seen alongside restored 19th extension wings and 21st century renovations to bring the group of cottages back to life as a mixed use office/ shop and residential development.

theweavershouse.org/black-swan-terrace/

Photo taken during practice for the 1982 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, Kent. Nigel was driving a Lotus at the time and this was 10 years before he won his first and only Formula 1 World Championship in 1992.

benched in chicago

At the amazing Roller Disco 'BLOW' at Hinterland

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hinterland/81/134/21

Amsterdam, 10.10

You can get beautiful posters and canvas from my pictures on www.posterlounge.co.uk/artists/pachantouris/

11 January 2021: Taking into account the rolling average for seven days, we had 1,816 new infections each day (+13 %), but the number of hospitalisations and fatalities is still going down. However, the latter indicators are always following the trend at a later stage. The big question is whether Belgium can avoid a third wave, and how big the impact will be if we have one. Meanwhile, the cities and municipalities are gearing up to install 120 local vaccination centres. As from March, the whole vaccination process will be sped up when the people above 65 can receive an injection. The government is claiming that with all infrastructure up and running, all people will be vaccinated before summer. Let’s hope they are right. On display today is another picture of Saturday’s hike on the beach. Stay safe, stay healthy! – De Haan, Belgium.

A Green heron makes its way to the waters edge to hunt for minnows.

B&E SPED knocking down the wicked clear signal in South Deerfield.

Abandoned building in the city. Have you ever gotten that feeling of impending danger? I got it within seconds of leaving the car for this shot. Took a few shots, then jumped back into the car and sped away.

I think upping the contrast would be kind of fun with this, but went ahead and posted as is.