SYSTEM CHANGE & SYSTEM INNOVATION
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“Oh no! The mandrake has the wand again!”
The little wizard wonders if he should step in…
Skippy envisioned his universe with the help of the following magical creations, which are all available at Witchcraft & Wizardry:
Duvet Day’s Table, and Magnifying Glass!
Static’s Fantastic Bestiary Books!
Bee That Way’s Occamie Tea Cup!
bubble’s Fantastic Creatures Cookie!
Random Matter’s Bookcases, and Book Stack, which are all part of the Reading Room Collection!
Raindale’s Netherkeep Desk, and Netherkeep Scroll!
Broken Arrow’s Witchcraft Magic Lights, and Witchcraft Magic Mess!
Digital Farm System’s Stuffy Sassparello Mandrake!
Rainbow Sundae’s Ember's Wand!
Disorderly’s Magic Ingredients, which are part of the Strudel Sorcery Collection!
Tardfish’s Pilfer Buddehs (Yellow and Black)!
Your ride to Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Keep telling your stories.
Keep making your magic.
Keep shining bright, my friends!
Greetings human creatures, of the planet you call "Earth". I have come a long way to adorn your skies, to make you gaze up into the starry firmament to admire my mysterious nature.
You have given me the strange name "NEOWISE", because a few months ago a space telescope in orbit around Earth, first spotted me as I was approaching your planet, hundreds of millions of miles away. But this is not where I come from. My cradle is located far beyond the orbits of the furthest planets and asteroids, where billions of small, icy bodies, relics of the solar system's formation, move lazily around the Sun. Although the Sun from that far is just a speck of light, its gravitational attraction keeps these frozen bodies in orbit.
Thousands of years ago, perhaps after a tiny nudge from a passing star that slightly deflected my orbit, I started ever so slowly my plunge towards the Sun. I have silently travelled the coldness of space until I first crossed the orbits of the gas giants and then entered the inner solar system, heading towards the central star.
The Sun's heat slowly but steadily warmed my frozen surface and finally my true nature was revealed: an enormous mass of ice, mixed with rocks and dust. As the icy crust that covers my nucleus began to sublimate, gases and dust particles started to form an atmosphere around my solid nucleus. The steady flow of the solar wind pushes the dust and gas into two magnificent tails: the curved, yellowish dust tail and the more straight, blue ion tail, extending for millions of miles into space, opposite the direction of the Sun. And now you can see me in the night sky not as a dark, frozen mass but as a dazzling comet, changing position in front of the distant stars from night to night.
It will not be long before I disappear from the night sky, to return to the depths of space. In the coming weeks I will become increasingly dimmer and harder to spot and my tails will diminish. I will return, but it will not be until thousands of years in the future.
People used to fear comets: for eons, comets were considered sinister omens, heralding the death of kings, and announcing the start of wars and disaster. It took the genius of giants like Isaac Newton and Halley to realize that comets, are simply celestial bodies travelling in elongated orbits around the Sun.
I apologize for not being too splashy and bright like other famous comets, like Hale-Bopp or Halley, to name just two of them. But still if you can get at a dark place, with little or no light pollution from man-made lights - hard to find nowadays - you can still see me maybe with your naked eyes or even better with binoculars. And who knows how long it will be until the next bright comet arrives, so do not miss this opportunity!
So, farewell and stay safe. You will soon forget me, but I will leave something behind, to remind you of my apparition. Specks of dust from my tail will continue around my orbit and will eventually slam into Earth's atmosphere and burn like a meteor. So, the next time you see a meteor in the night sky, it could be one that has been part of my once prominent tail. And if you do, do not forget the wish!
Details:
---------------
Camera: Canon EOS 550D, mounted on tripod, unguided
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II@f2.5
Frames: 32 x 8 secs each, ISO 3200
Processing: Developed in Lightroom Classic 9.3, stacked with Sequator (set to Accumulation, Align stars) and final processing in Adobe Photoshop v.21
How can you always be late for your arrival?
You know I'd forgive you every single time
Retreat, retreat, I've fallen at the low tide
Oh, retreat, retreat and meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine?
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
The system's put in place, put there to protect us
For you I'd throw a lifeline every time
Oh, retreat, retreat, I've fallen at the low tide
Now retreat, retreat and meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine?
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
Bones starved of flesh surround an aching heart
Full of love
Oh, bones, starved of flesh surround your aching heart
Full of love
Bones starved of flesh surround your aching heart
Bones
Oh bones
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
T-Centralen is a metro station that forms the heart of the Stockholm metro system, in the sense that it is the only station where all three of the system's lines meet. That, its central location, and its connections with other modes of transport make it the most used metro station in Stockholm.
My Korner #232 - Taking a break!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-232-taking-...
BLOG NAME: Taking a break!
DESIGNERS: FashionNatic, Supernatural, Salt & Pepper, L&B Swear and ACT5
What a beautiful place to ride but it's time to stop, take a break and enjoy the scenery at zero MPH!
Today I'm wearing:
OUTFIT: FashionNatic - KINSLEY OUTFIT FATPACK @Cosmopolitan
BOOTS: FashionNatic - KINSLEY SHOES FATPACK @Cosmopolitan
CHOKER: .::Supernatural::. Katrina Choker
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4
HELMET: L&B Swear "Racing" Motorcycle Helmet
POSE: ACT5-493-Female Motorcycle Holding Helmet Pose
Kinsley outfit and boots are rigged for Freya, Legacy and Maitreya. Comes in 10 colors and fatpack. Boots come with color change hud with 40 color choices for 6 different parts.
Katrina choker comes in Gold or Silver. The choker has 9 colors plus comes with 2 gem HUDS for the center stone.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Cosmopolitan
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/No%20Comment/131/61/24
FashionNatic Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/124075
FashionNatic Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fashion%20Boulevard%20II/6...
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
Lapointe & Bastchild Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Evocative/127/149/31
Lapointe & Bastchild Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6435
ACT5 Marketplace
My Korner #217 - Looking At Him!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-217-looking...
BLOG NAME: Looking At Him!
DESIGNERS: Giz Seorn, Supernatural & Salt & Pepper
Can't he tell I'm looking at him? Can't he tell I want him to come over here? Can't he read my mind? I just can't get his attention!
Today I'm wearing:
BODYSUIT: GIZ SEORN : Imogen Suit [FatPack] @Uber
CHOKER: .::Supernatural::. Gigi Choker Fatpack
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4 @Uber
Imogen suit is rigged for Freya, Hourglass, Maitreya and Legacy. Comes in 8 colors or a fatpack with 14 color choices for 4 parts plus 3 metal colors.
Gigi choker comes in silver and gold. Comes with huds to change the hearts and the stones. Here showing all in silver.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Uber
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Uber/190/176/19
Giz Seorn Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GIZ%20SEORN/178/119/73
Giz Seorn Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/47598
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
My Korner #265 - Morning Sun!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-korner-265-morning...
BLOG NAME: Morning Sun!
DESIGNERS: 1 Hundred. Supernatural, Avada & Salt & Pepper
The morning sun feels so good. It takes away the stress of the world and puts me in the best mood and fills me with energy! But you know, the sun does this by releasing endorphins in the body.
Today I'm wearing:
DRESS: 1 Hundred. Sheer Sundress. Mint
NECKLACE/EARRINGS: .::Supernatural::. Aya Set Fatpack @Belle
NAILS: Avada~ Ballerina Nails - Sloan
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push up
Sundress is rigged for Freya, Hourglass & Maitreya. Comes in blue, fuschia, lilac, mint, peach and teal.
Aya set comes in gold or silver and comes with gem HUDs for the stones.
Sloan Ballerina Nails are rigged for Belleza, Legacy, Slink & Maitreya. Has appliers in Blue, Fuschia, Orange, Pink and Purple.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
1 Hundred. Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Afterchills/57/37/2501
1 Hundred. Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/99739
Belle
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Belle/140/111/994
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Avada Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elmira/136/134/27
Avada Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/147505
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
Chessie System's NETT rolls under an ex Western Maryland signal bridge at Mt. Winans, Md. on 04-26-1986.
As much as the dark of night enchants and entrances me, there’s something serene about seeing the stars in the twilight sky at either end of the day. After spending the hours between 3:00 am and the beginning of astronomical twilight imaging the Milky Way against the clear and dark skies at Narooma, my friend Ian Williams and I began shooting the glows and hues to be seen only in the change from night to morning.
The lighthouse atop Barunguba (Montague Island) kept true to its 15-second rhythm, caught here in my photo shining between the two large Glasshouse Rocks, and several stars were still visible against the glow of the brightening sky. The light of the planet Mercury reflecting off the beach’s wet sand made me gasp when I looked at my camera’s preview screen once the shutter had closed. Often difficult to see due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is our solar system’s smallest planet and makes one orbit of the Sun every 87.9 days.
This image is a single-frame photo captured with my Canon EOS 6D Mk II camera coupled with a Yongnuo 50mm f/1.4 lens @ f/2.8, using an exposure time of 6 seconds @ ISO 1600.
The Seaboard System’s only two A units make a reverse move to run around their train at Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Stockholm
Sweden
T-Centralen (metro station)
T-Centralen (T for "tunnelbana", the Swedish word for "underground") is a metro station that forms the heart of the Stockholm metro system, in the sense that it is the only station where all three of the system's lines meet.
The Stockholm Metro is one gigantic art gallery. More than 90 of the 110 stations feature artworks created by some 150 artists.
I only saw 2 or 3 of them...so I have to go back one day... ;-)
This is a photo of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) taken on October 14th, 2024 (details below). Despite thin clouds, the nucleus was visible about 45 minutes after sunset, about halfway between Venus (bright star at lower left) and Arcturus. Then after about 30 minutes, it was clearly visible with the unaided eye and magnificent through binoculars.
Discovered in early 2023, Comet A3 made a fine appearance in Earth’s skies in October 2024. Dubbed as “the comet of the century”, I think it should instead be called the most photographed comet of all times.
Originating in the distant Oort cloud, where billions of small, icy bodies, relics of the solar system's formation abound, it travelled towards the Sun and the Earth, starting its journey towards the inner solar system thousands of years ago.
As the Sun's heat slowly but steadily warmed its icy surface, mixed with rocks and dust, the icy crust began to sublimate and gases and dust particles started to form an atmosphere around its nucleus. The steady flow of the solar wind shaped the dust and gas into a long tail, extending for millions of miles into space, opposite to the direction of the Sun. But at the time this photo was taken, an anti-tail pointing to the sun also formed, an optical illusion from dust left to drift in the comet’s orbit, reflecting sunlight towards us.
At its maximum brightness, the comet was relatively easy to spot with unaided eye and fabulous with binoculars. It remained visible for some time but it is now below naked-eye visibility limit. Recent calculations suggest it might have an open (hyperbolic orbit) that will eventually send it away from our solar system and that it will never return. Let’s hope another bright one is on course to the inner solar system.
Wishing everyone health and clear skies!
Photo Details:
---------------------------------------------------------
Camera: Canon EOS 6D, mounted on tripod, unguided.
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II@f2.5
Light Frames: 20 x 5 secs each, ISO 640.
Processing: Developed in Lightroom Classic, stacked with Sequator and final processing in Adobe Photoshop
An evening at White Sands.
Jpeg straight from the camera, with
OM System's in camera graduated neutral density filter.
It had been a windy day, and a river of gypsum sand particles moved along the dunes, obscuring the base of the mountains.
Minnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Falls is located near the confluence of Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The creek starts its journey to the Mississippi at Lake Minnetonka. Including the famous lake, the Minnehaha Creek watershed covers 181 square miles, winding its way through several west suburban communities for 22 miles before it falls over the 53 foot ledge at Minnehaha Falls and then enters the Mississippi. The falls are rich in geologic and human history.
Minnehaha Falls are only about 10,000 years old (very young in geological time). St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River, which have now eroded to a point about six miles upriver in downtown Minneapolis, used to be downstream of the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnehaha Creek.
The events that led up to the way the falls look today are complex, but a simple explanation is that when St. Anthony Falls reached and passed Minnehaha creek, a new waterfall formed on the creek, and the force of the water altered the route of the creek and the river. The part of Minnehaha Creek between the falls and the Mississippi began to flow through the old Mississippi river bed, and the Mississippi cut a new course.
Erosion within the last century has resulted in a waterfall that is fairly narrowly channeled and vigorous, especially after a heavy rain or during spring runoff. Photographs of the falls from the 1800's and early 1900's show a much wider, curtain-like character to the falls. When the falls are dry, the older, much-broader ledge can be seen.
The falls are ever-changing; sometimes just a trickle, sometimes a torrent. A plaque in the park explains that during a drought in 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey paid a visit to the park, the city had to open up several fire hydrants upstream on Minnehaha Creek to increase water flow over the falls and ensure a good photo op.
The falls area has long been an important site to the native Dakota people. "Minnehaha" means "falling water" or "curling water" in Dakota, not "laughing water" as it is often translated. The "laughing water" translation erroneously came from Mary Eastman's book "Dacotah", published in 1849. The name comes from the Dakota language elements "mni", meaning water, and "ȟaȟa", meaning waterfall. The Dakota called Minnehaha Creek "wakpa cistinna", meaning "little river".
White settlers discovered the falls around 1820, not long after arriving in Minnesota. The site of Minnehaha Falls is only a couple of miles from Fort Snelling, one of the first places in the region inhabited by white Europeans. On the Fort map of 1823, the falls were named "Brown's Falls" in honor of United States Army commander Jacob Brown, who had been commander-in-chief of the army since 1814.
The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made the falls famous in "The Song of Hiawatha" (1855), a poem based on Indian legend. A Jakob Fjelde sculpture of the Indian leader Hiawatha and his wife stands on an island in the creek, a short way above the falls. The falls began to become a tourist destination after the publication of the poem. Though Longfellow never visited the falls himself, he was reportedly inspired by the stories of Mary Eastman and Henry Rowe Schoolcraft and images of the falls.
Minnehaha Park
Beginning in 1885, the Minnesota State Legislature began acquiring the land to become the first Minnesota State Park, but in 1889 it was turned over to the city of Minneapolis for a city park. Park visitors could fish, swim, picnic, and visit the Longfellow Zoological Gardens. The park also featured a carnival, horse-racing and a campground through the 1930s.
Today, the park is part of the National Park System's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. It is basically divided into two main portions; an upper section above the falls which is kept trimmed and maintained like many other city parks, and the lower section which is largely left in a natural state, with trails following the creek down to the Mississippi.
There are WPA-built stairways and retaining walls along the edges of the glen and creek bed. The park has picnic areas for large or small gatherings, a playground, and an off-leash dog park. A bike rental company operates at the falls in the summer months.
The Pergola Garden overlooks the falls and is a popular wedding location. There is a seafood restaurant and a bandstand at the park at the old picnic pavilion, both open in the summer. The park also boasts several historic buildings including the Minnehaha Depot (AKA "the Princess Depot") built in 1875, and sculptures including the Hiawatha sculpture mentioned above and a mask of Chief Little Crow (Taoyateduta) who was murdered after the 1862 Dakota conflict. The location of the statue is in an area sacred to Native Americans.
If you ever get to the Minneapolis area, Minnehaha Park is a "must see" destination!
The above information was obtained and paraphrased from several online sources including WIkipedia, Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis: The Complete Guide and the former AllExperts website.
"Explored" on Flickr, June 24, 2019.
"Come on
Come on, although ya try to discredit
Ya still never read it
The needle, I'll thread it, radically poetic
Standin' with the fury that they had in '66
And like E-Double I'm Mad
Still knee-deep in the system's shit
Hoover, he was a body remover
I'll give you a dose but it can never come close
To the rage built up inside of me
Fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy"
Rage Against the Machines - Wake Up
Head: LeL Evo X
Body: e-Body REBORN with Juicy Add on
Hair: *S.E LELUTKA X GIRL HAIR BLACK 01
Eyes: IKON Reverie Eyes - Eternal Pack
Outfit:
Dress: [Cruel] Control set Fatpack
Collar: from [Cruel] Sulfur Project
Jewellery:
[AlternatiVe]
Made at Voodoo Land:
On a snow-covered MLK day, Vermont Railway System’s Washington County Railroad train NPWJ is led by former Boston and Maine GP40-2 303 past the former B&M Ely Station in Fairlee, Vermont.
Its July 1985 a view of Chessie System's yard station with GP-40s at Raligh W.V Appalachia [photo collection Mark Llanuza]
My Korner #244 - The Stare!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-korner-244-stare.html
BLOG NAME: The Stare!
DESIGNERS: Adorsy, Supernatural, Avada, S&P and ACT5
Sometimes I find myself sitting in one spot for hours, staring at nothing, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing, and most disturbingly, caring about nothing. ...
Today I'm wearing:
TOP: adorsy - Marissa Denim Top Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
SHORTS: adorsy - Marissa Shorts Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
BOOTS: adorsy - Marissa Boots Fatpack @Cosmopolitan
NECKLACE: .::Supernatural::. Sammy Necklace Fatpack @Bloom
RINGS: Avada~ Eldora Rings
NAILS: Avada~ Ballerina Nails - Solanine - Colors
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push up
POSE: ACT5-501-Female Model Sit 42
Marisa Set is rigged for Legacy & Maitreya. Jacket with optional bra comes in 10 colors and 10 denim colors. Shorts come in 10 colors. Boots comes 35 color HUD. Boots bow and ruffles are optional. Very details and fun outfit.
Sammy comes in silver or gold and comes with 3 color change HUDs.
Eldora Rings are rigged for Maitreya & Legacy and come with HUD with 4 metal changes.
Ballerina nails are rigged for Belleza, Legacy, Maitreya and Slink and come with nail applier hud.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Cosmopolitan
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/No%20Comment/146/22/23
Adorsy Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sorens/221/36/21
Adorsy Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/197132
Bloom
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Prism%20Events/122/128/22
Supernatural Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Supernatural/126/130/21
Supernatural Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/104402
Avada Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elmira/136/134/27
Avada Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/147505
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
ACT5 Marketplace
My Korner #293 - Skating To The Beach!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/05/my-korner-293-skating...
BLOG NAME: Skating To The Beach!
DESIGNERS: Salt & Pepper, Avada & ACT5
True Story: A few years back I would get off work and put on my rollerblade gear and hit the road heading straight for the beach! This was a daily spring, summer and fall ritual and I loved it. Kept me in shape! Too bad I'm not close to the beach anymore!
Today I'm wearing:
BATHING SUIT: S&P Switch swimsuit @Uber
NOSE PIERCING: Avada~ Coeur du Chat Nose Piercing (gacha rare)
NAILS: Avada~ Stiletto Nails - Aurora @Unik
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push Up
POSE: ACT5-544-Female Rollerblading Pose
Switch swimsuit is rigged for Freya, Legacy, Legacy Perky and Maitreya. Comes in 13 colors and a fatpack. This swimsuit is quite special. It's water and color activated with SL water and Kraftwork matching pool which is also at Uber. Also works with Aquasense 4.0 or above. Men's version available too.
Coeur du Chat gacha nose piercing comes in 2 designs, 7 colors. There are 12 commons and 2 rares. Unrigged.
Aurora nails are rigged for Belleza, Legacy, Slink and Maitreya. Comes with nail applier with 17 different colors and each finger can be painted separately. Love these!
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
Uber
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Uber/144/120/1
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
Unik
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UniK/176/141/28
Avada Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elmira/136/134/27
Avada Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/147505
ACT5 Marketplace
Just a few miles out of Rutland, the Sunday edition of Vermont Rail System's B&R job is seen passing the town garage at Clarendon, VT as it heads south for the Pan Am interchange at North Bennington, VT. SD70M-2 431, painted late last year, leads a pair of red 4-axle units and a GATX leaser, making for a relatively photogenic set of power compared to what the VRS has had to offer in recent years.
MEC 5967 leads a four-pack of B40-8s, VTR 303, 310, and a nearly 100-car general freight train southbound on Vermont Rail System's Bennington Branch somewhere along Route 7 in Dorset, VT. Train 11R was detoured over the GMRC and Bennington Branch after a partial collapse of the Hoosac Tunnel in 2020.
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground, or by its nickname the Tube) is a public rapid transit system serving London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863, is now part of the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines; the first line to operate underground electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the Northern line.The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2015–16 carried 1.34 billion passengers, making it the world's 11th busiest metro system. The 11 lines collectively handle approximately 4.8 million passengers a day.
The system's first tunnels were built just below the surface, using the cut-and-cover method; later, smaller, roughly circular tunnels – which gave rise to its nickname, the Tube – were dug through at a deeper level.The system has 270 stations and 250 miles (400 km) of track
My Korner #230 - Taking a break!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/03/my-korner-230-taking-...
BLOG NAME: Taking a break!
DESIGNERS: 1 Hundred, Salt & Pepper, Swear & ACT5
He has been skating for hours and I'm getting hungry! Let's go get some food my love.
Today I'm wearing:
TOP: 1 Hundred. Soft Touch Sweater. Fuschia
PANTS: S&P Daphne Pants @C88
SHOES: 1 Hundred. Soft Touch Sweater Low Tops
PUSH UP BREAST SYSTEM: S&P Push up stage 4
POSE: ACT5-485-Couple Skaters Sitting Pose
Soft Touch Sweater is rigged for Freya, Hourglass & Maitreya. Comes in blue, blush, fuschia, lilac, peach and pink.
Daphne pants are rigged for Freya, Lara & Legacy. They come in 8 colors or a fatpack.
Old School sneakers are rigged for Freya, Maitreya, Isis, Hourglass and Physique. The fatpack HUD has light colors, dark and 4 bonus colors. He is wearing the male version limited edition old school low tops.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
1 Hundred. Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Afterchills/57/37/2501
1 Hundred. Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/99739
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/163109
Lapointe & Bastchild Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Evocative/127/149/31
Lapointe & Bastchild Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/6435
ACT5 Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/215194
Posed with me is Crann, check out his blog:
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordHP5plus400.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P20 Scan26 2024 07 13 11h11.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5oDLSXMtdM
Wake Up
Song by Rage Against Power Machines and Rage Against the Machine
Lyrics
Come on
Come on, although you try to discredit
You'll still never edit
The needle, I'll thread it
Radically poetic
Standing with the fury that they had in '66
And like E-Double, I'm mad
Still knee-deep in the system's shit
Hoover, he was a body remover
I'll give you a dose
But it will never come close
To the rage built up inside of me
Fist in the air, in the land of hypocricy
Movements come and movements go
Leaders speak, movements cease
When their heads are flown
'Cause all these punks got bullets in their heads
Departments of police (what?) the judges (what?) the feds
Networks at work, keeping people calm
You know they went after King
When he spoke out on Vietnam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
Yeah
Yeah, back in this
With poetry, my mind I flex
Flip like Wilson, vocals never lacking that finesse
Who I got to, who I got to do to wake you up?
To shake you up, to break the structure up
'Cause blood still flows in the gutter
I'm like taking photos
Mad boy kicks open the shutter
Set the groove
Then stick and move like I was Cassius
Rep the stutter step and left a bomb upon the fascists
Yeah, the several federal man
Who pulled schemes on the dream
And put it to an end
You better beware
Of retribution with mind war
20-20 visions and murals with metaphors
Networks at work keeping people calm
You know they murdered X
And tried to blame it on Islam
He turned the power to the have-nots
And then came the shot
What was the price on his head?
What was the price on his head?
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard a shot
I think I heard, I think I heard a shot
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
Wake up
How long? Not long, 'cause what you reap is what you sow
Fourth in the series. The idea of attractors, or points of purpose in the future towards which things move, depicted here in a visual metaphor. Layering in, also, the idea that people with powerful and magnetic ideas as centre points also draw people toward an ideal or purpose in the future.
I'm celebrating these figures with this series - thinkers and artists who've made a powerful impact with their work and though, who've drawn many in toward their deeper messages.
Following after "The Glassblower's Breath" with it's Rumi theme, I thought it appropriate to bring out this image now and post it next to an image honouring one of his works. It was originally created in April 2017 and was sitting in the queue for a long time, until the right moment.
3 Pano-Sabotage pieces, cut up, layered and mirrored multiple times then photo manipulated.
___________________________________________________
Music Link: "Hilal" - Mirror System & Ucef, from "The Art of Chill 3" compilation and originally on Mirror System's debut, self titled album, "Mirror System". The word "hilal" is not about Islamic meat preparation, as in "kosher". It means "crescent moon".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmM-Gz4c4aQ
___________________________________________________
© Richard S Warner ( Visionheart ) - 2017. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission.
* - See my Galleries featuring some of the best of Flickr's purely Abstract Art at:
The TGV Duplex is a French high-speed train of the TGV family, and operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It is unique among TGV trains in that it features bi-level carriages. The Duplex was specially designed to increase capacity on high-speed lines with saturated traffic. With two seating levels and a seating capacity of 508 passengers, the Duplex increases the passenger capacity. While the TGV Duplex started as a small component of the TGV fleet, it has become one of the system's workhorses.
It's #TBT (Throwback Thursday), and while 11 years ago might not be long enough to qualify as "throwback," nevertheless here's a look back at one of the best, day-long chases I had on Vermont Rail System's Green Mountain Railroad (you know, before "VRS" stood for "Various Rented Stuff"...).
On May 25, 2010, Aaron Keller and I chased GMRC Train 263 from Rutland to a little bit before Riverside Yard, then from Brockaway Mills back to Rutland after it turned as Train 264. There were only a few clouds here and there all day, and we only suffered one "cloud dinking" at Gassetts. The light for the tail end of our chase of 264 was nothing short of spectacular, as evidenced by this view of the train going through East Wallingford. Boy how I wish I could relive days like this! I don't think it'll ever be the same up there, unfortunately...
GMRC Train 264
East Wallingford, VT
May 25, 2010
A visit to Chessie System's Riverside shops in Baltimore back in 1977 had a classic Chevy Nova parked in front of B&O GP9 5970.
I'm not sure what year GM made that Nova, but GM's EMD made that GP9 in 1955 for the Chesapeake and Ohio.
Photography is a kind of overstatement, a heroic copulation with the material world
Susan SontagOn Photography
Discusión / discussion [Esp. /Eng]
Las luces altas están sobreexpuestas pero manteniendo un mínimo de textura (se puede apreciar la señalización horizontal del asfalto de Pº Echagaray, un pié de árbol...), y las bajas están retocadas para eliminar cualquier detalle y convertir los diferentes planos en un puro elemento geométrico, retocando puntualmente la curva de luminancia para conseguir destacar el pequeño graffiti. El cut-out (desaturado selectivo) es obvio, y como Todd Ye comenta, busca destacar la combinación rojo-negro deliberadamente, haciendo un guiño a los colores anarquistas. La basculación del encuadre se apoya en un punto áureo (vértice del triángulo gris inferior izquierdo, que "apunta" al graffiti, para que gane relevancia). He buscado provocar una sensación de frialdad geométrica e inhumana, descuido urbano, la ciudad como escenario inhóspito en el que las cuentas mal pagadas del sistema se reflejan en graffitis que intentan marcar territorio "humano".
The highlights are overexposed while retaining a minimum structure and detail (see the arrows on the traffic lanes, the base of a tree...). The lowlights are worked to remove any detail and turn every plane into a single geometric element, touching the luminance curve to enhance the small graffiti. The cut-out is obvious, and as T.ye points out, it deliberately looks for enhancing the red-black combo, winking at the anarchist colors. The pitch of the frame relies on an aureal point (the vertex of the grey triangle at the bottom left corner, which points out to the graffiti to highlight its presence). I've tried to convey a feeling of a cold and inhuman geometry, urban negligence, the city as a bleak stage where the graffitis mirrors the system's debts, pretending to stak a claim over a human territory.
The world has shifted, jagged and off-key.
We scroll feeds, walk streets, lined with brittle promises,
our freedom cracking beneath rallying cries.
With every word he speaks, the air feels heavier,
the weight of the consequences like stones in our chests,
creating smog over cities we can barely afford.
A name rises in defiance,
a martyr for the cause,
paying the price to reveal what we’ve lost.
A life extinguished to expose the system’s flaws,
while progress falters, caught in an endless delay of the truth.
The headlines bleed outrage,
But we’ve become numb to the drip,
like frogs in boiling water,
watching them gut what’s left of hope.
They think we’ll stay docile,
content with hashtags and empty rage,
watching the world burn from the sidelines,
indifferent to the flames.
But this isn’t sustainable.
It’s gasoline on a dry field,
and we are the match.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordHP5plus400.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P20 Scan25 2024 07 13 10h56.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan19 2024 09 02.
Amtrak's eastbound Capitol Limited splits the intermediates at Forest Glen on Chessie System's Metropolitan Subdivision. The Capitol is in its first months running through between DC and Chicago as trains 29 and 30.
My Korner #266 - Visiting the Islands!
shakilynsblogs.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-korner-266-visitin...
BLOG NAME: Visiting the Islands
DESIGNERS: HautePinay & Salt & Pepper
I have always wanted to visit the islands. They are so beautiful! I hope one day to get married and spend my honeymoon on the islands. That is my dream!
Today I'm wearing:
OUTFIT: HautePinay [ISLAND GIRL BLUE] Bra/Panty/Sarong
BREAST PUSH UP SYSTEM: S&P Bento Push up
Island Girl is rigged for Freya, Hourglass & Maitreya. Comes in blue, black and red.
What a great beach outfit. I just love it.
Push Up Breast system has 4 stages. I'm showing stage 4. This breast system works with any mesh body and works with all rigged clothing.
LINKS:
HautePinay Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/174977
Salt & Pepper Mainstore
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Birdcage/101/133/42
Salt & Pepper Marketplace
Call it "Serving the Customer Saturday," I suppose! On December 29, 2020, Vermont Rail System's New York and Ogdensburg Railway (NYOG) -- using VTR 801 -- shoves two boxcars for APC Paper down their spur in Norfolk, NY. The track to the right is the NYOG's "main," which was originally the Norwood and St. Lawrence Railroad (and later the St. Lawrence & Raquette River).
This is the one and only time I've caught the NYOG serving APC Paper, but -- ironically -- APC's predecessor, St. Regis Paper, was the owner of the original railroad, the Norwood and St. Lawrence Railroad. The brief history (off the top of my head and not from Wikipedia) is that St. Regis Paper eventually decided they no longer wanted the railroad, so they offered it for free (as a nice tax write off) to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA). The OBPA already owned what was left of the old Rutland line between Ogdensburg and Norwood, so -- with the added trackage -- the St. Lawrence & Raquette River was formed. The NYOG succeeded the St. Lawrence & Raquette River as the operator of the OBPA-owned trackage (in 2002, I think).
New York and Ogdensburg
Norfolk, NY
December 29, 2020
Coal mining has been a huge part of Svalbard's past. There were mines up in the mountains all around Longyearbyen. The mined coal was trasported to the harbor by these gravity powered cable buckets. While no longer used, the system's towers, cables, and buckets are everywhere.
Entrainment is defined by a temporal locking process in which one system's motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another system.
After coming down the switchback route from the quarry in Websterville and stopping in Barre to pick up more cars Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad crew is headed west at about MP 2.4 on the Montpelier and Barre Division with more than a dozen loads of granite armor rock from the Northeast Materials quarry trailing green GMRC 804 (a GP9r blt. Oct. 1955 as NW 13) and red VTR 206 (a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38).
The train is curling along beside Barre Street on the nearly mile and a half stretch of trackage which was rebuilt on the former Montpelier and Wells River Railroad right of way west from Barre Transfer four years ago. This grade had been bereft of rails for 55 years when trains returned in 2021, and this was my first time photographing it. You can read more about why this happened here: vrs.us.com/reviving-a-historic-route-to-improve-service/non
Interestingly the former CV trackage including both bridges was not ultimately abandoned and was actually tied in with switches on both ends and is used as a storage track called appropriately enough the 'Old Main'. This crew will pause just ahead and shove the whole string of cars off onto the old CV main where they will temporarily be left while the crew runs light engine down to Montpelier Junction to pull empties from the NECR interchange and make room for the outbound loads.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berri%E2%80%93UQAM_station:
Berri–UQAM station is a Montreal Metro station in the borough of Ville-Marie, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and is the system's central station. This station is served by the Green, Orange, and Yellow lines. It is located in the Quartier Latin.
Berri–UQAM is the 2nd deepest station in the network, and also the busiest station in the network, transfers not included. If transfers were included, the 13 million passengers number would rise to about 35–40 million a year.
The work of five artists is exhibited in this station. The largest work is a stained-glass mural by Pierre Gaboriau and Pierre Osterrath entitled Hommage aux fondateurs de la ville de Montréal (homage to the founders of the city of Montreal). A gift of the Union régionale de Montréal des caisses populaires Desjardins and installed in 1969, it depicts Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière, Jeanne Mance, and Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve. It is located over the eastern portal of the Green Line tunnel.
Three paintings by Robert LaPalme are located over the main staircase leading to the Yellow Line terminus. Originally located at the entrance to Expo 67, they represent three themes of the Expo: science, recreation, and culture.
A plaque by LaPalme and Georges Lauda, commemorating the inauguration of the Metro, is located at the centre of the mezzanine. It is enclosed in a black circular bench, a popular meeting site, referred to as la rondelle (the hockey puck) or la pilule (the pill) or "le banc des fous" (the crazy bench).
In the newer Sainte-Catherine entrance pavilion, a statue of Mother Émilie Gamelin by Raoul Hunter, commemorating Place Émilie-Gamelin (also called Berri Square) in which the entrance is located. The statue is owned by the City of Montreal.
The most recent art piece put in place inside the station is the Wall of Peace on the concourse level of the Yellow Line. It consists of coloured metal plates bearing the word "peace" in multiple languages.
This was the third of a four day mini railfan vacation in Northern New England that would feature GP38s in glorious conditions...simply the kind of trip dreams are made of!
We split up two days in the Granite State shooting Conway Scenic trains for one day in the Green Mountain State with the Vermont Rail System. This was the seventh day of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO) Autumn Explorer VI that would see the special train traveling north from St. Johnsbury to Orleans then back south to Bellow Falls via VRS' Washington County Railroad, the former Canadian Pacific and Boston and Maine Conn River mainline.
Having just departed Orleans less than 30 min earlier the southbound special is seen at one of the scenic highlights of the line and a place I'd long wanted to photograph. The railroad parallels Crystal Lake for two and a half miles and the northern mile or so is right on the shore, a location of many famous photos of CP passenger trains and B&M pool freights led by steam and later a mix of red Alcos and blue F units and geeps.
The train of is seen at about MP L14.7 led by VTR 206 a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38. Trailing is VTR 313 a GP40FH-2 that was rebuilt from original NYC GP40 3078 (blt. 8-67) for New Jersey Transit commuter service. She later ended up working for Iowa Pacific on their assorted passenger operations until that company went belly up and then was purchased in the bankruptcy auction by VRS in 2020.
As for the train it consists of seven private cars:
Blue Ridge Club blt. 1950 by Pullman-Standard
Pacific Home: blt. 1949 by Budd
www.rideaprivatecar.com/directory-private_rail/listing/pa...
Northern Dreams: blt. 1955 by Pullman-Standard
Northern Sky: blt. 1955 by ACF
Dover Harbor: blt. 1923 by Pullman
Colonial Crafts: blt. 1949 by Pullman-Standard
NYC 3: blt. 1928 by Pullman
As for the railroad, the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad first arrived here in 1857 when their line was extended from St. Johnsbury to Barton, then in 1863 they built on to Newport and then finally to the Canadian border in 1867. It operated independently until 1887 when it was leased by the Boston and Lowell only six months before the B&L itself was leased to the Boston and Maine which affected practical control from then on.
In 1926 the B&M leased the line from Newport to Wells River to the Canadian Pacific which ultimately bought it outright in 1946. If interested here's a cool article from a century ago about that lease which was newsworthy enough to make the New York Times!
www.nytimes.com/1926/06/01/archives/cpr-gets-new-line-acq...
The Canadian Pacific Railway had been operating in the state of Vermont for 115 years when they finally retrenched in 1996 and sold their Newport and Lyndonville Subs to Iron Roads Railways which created the new Northern Vermont Railway which took over on September 28th of that year. The Iron Roads system was bankrupt within a half dozen years and the NV ceased to exist with the Lyndonville Sub and the former Boston and Maine Conn River Mainline between Newport and White River Junction being purchased by the State of Vermont and contracted to Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad Subsidiary. The WACR has surpassed the two decade mark operating the 103 mile line while the Newport Sub north into Canada passed to succesors Montreal, Maine and Atlantic and then Central Maine and Quebec until remarkably returning to the CP fold in 2020 when they purchased the CMQ.
Barton, Vermont
Friday October 10, 2025
The 1961 Chrysler 300G was the final year for fins on the 300, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs, but they did go out in a grand way!
Chrysler's first-generation Letter Cars hammered the competition during the 1955-'56 NASCAR seasons. The full-size fliers then went on to set speed records at Daytona in '57, prior to both the AMA ban on motorsports and NASCAR's embargo on elaborate fuel delivery systems. In spite of those two apparent setbacks, Chrysler continued to improve its top-of-the- line V-8 engine as well as the now-legendary luxury performance machine that engine came wrapped in. So, the mighty Letter Cars thundered on, in production form, at the command of well-heeled owners seeking grown-up thrills. By 1961, Chrysler had moved up the alphabet to the letter "G."
The post-'57 Letter Cars were no longer eligible for circle track racing, but the 300G was still a force to be reckoned with in street trim, thanks to performance equipment that not only sounded good—413 cubic inches, Cross-Ram, dual four-barrels—but backed it up with 375 or an optional 400 horsepower, delivering a 0-60-mph time of 8.2 seconds (Motor Life, April 1961). Though not the fastest time turned by contemporary road test periodicals, it occurred during a period when most full-size cars could barely achieve 60 mph in less than 10 or 11 seconds while simultaneously maintaining an air of luxury.
Today, the 1961 300G is among the legion of groundbreaking Mopar performance cars, respected for its stunning combination of power and styling. Its value is bolstered by low production numbers— just 1,280 hardtops and 337 convertibles were built. These cars remain in the upper stratosphere of postwar American collector cars, but prices in recent years have held steady. Is this your time to grab one of the few remaining pieces of Letter Car history? Here's what you should keep in mind when you begin to shop.
The Cross-Ram Induction system's 30-inch "Long Rams" hide the big 413 V-8 from view.
Engines
Chrysler engineers specified a 413-cu.in. wedge to go under the hood of every 300G. Introduced into the RB-Series of V-8s in 1959, the 413 had a 4.18-inch bore and a 3.75-inch stroke with a forged-steel crankshaft. Compression was advertised as 10.1:1 and the cylinder heads breathed through 2.08/1.60-inch intake/exhaust valves, while a .430-inch lift, 268-degree camshaft dictated valve action. Also included was a pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors. There were, however, two versions of the 413 installed, which were differentiated by the intake manifolds.
Referred to as Ram Induction and initially appearing in 1960, the elongated aluminum intakes were designed based on much older principles involving resonance and its effect on a compression wave of, in this case, the fuel/air mixture. Though we won't go into greater depth regarding the physics here, intake tube length had a direct effect on the timing of the fuel delivery, or ramming, into each cylinder bore, maximizing engine output at certain rpm ranges.
A pair of Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors provide the fuel/air mix.
With these basics in mind, expansion of midrange output was the main target of the base 300G 413 and the engineers thus calculated 30-inch runners would be ideal. Referred to as the Long Ram intakes, they were designed to fit neatly under the hood and crisscross (hence the Cross Ram moniker) over the top of the engine, each fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor at the outboard location. In this configuration, the engine hit 375 hp at 5,000 rpm and 495 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm, effectively providing passing power on demand without sacrificing full-throttle acceleration.
Optional was the high-performance Short Ram version. Though this intake system looked identical to the Long Ram at first blush, the separate internal runners measured only 15 inches in length, raising the engine's power band and enabling it to make peak horsepower at 5,200 rpm, with peak torque at 3,600 rpm. This meant that Chrysler's advertised Short Ram ratings were 400 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
Visually, a keen eye can spot the difference between the Long and Short Ram intakes. The Long Rams feature a visible valley between each pair of runners for the entire length; they also have a seven-digit casting number that begins with "19." Short Rams sport only a partial valley between runners; their seven-digit casting number begins with "21." Finally, Short Ram 413 engines were designed for those more interested in straight-line contests and are therefore the rarer of the two.
Transmissions
Backing either engine was the already-durable 727 TorqueFlite automatic, which was issued as standard equipment. Like other Chryslers of the day, the three-speed unit was shifted via pushbutton on the dash; it contained first and second gear ratios of 2.45:1 and 1.45:1, respectively. Replacing the French-made four-speed on the option chart was a floor-shifted three-speed manual, which is a relative rarity today. First and second gear ratios were 2.55:1 and 1.49:1; the two gears were not synchronized, making for some uncomfortable downshifts for the uninitiated. Furthermore, contemporary road tests complained of a long second-to-third gate while hinting that the better performer in transferring torque to the differential was the TorqueFlite.
Swivel front seats, upholstered in ventilated leather, were standard on the 300G.
Differential
The final transfer point for the torque from either engine was a standard 8.-inch open differential with semi-floating axles and a 3.23:1 final drive ratio, although some printed material suggests that a 3.15:1 ratio was employed when the three-speed manual was installed. While this unit was known for its durability, dealers were also able to provide a number of more highway-friendly or performance-oriented grear ratios, even if the optional Sure-Grip (positive traction) unit was installed on the assembly line.
Contemporary magazines reported an average mpg rating of 9 to 13 with a three-speed/3.23 arrangement, yet in terms of power off the line, both Motor Trend (8.3-second 0-60 mph) and Motor Life (8.2 seconds) stated that the 300G had more acceleration potential waiting to be unleashed if geared accordingly.
The center console provided some storage and housed a tachometer.
Chassis
Each 300G hardtop and convertible was derived from the New Yorker, which meant they shared the same basic unit-body/subframe platform and 126-inch wheelbase; however, the similarities were limited beyond that. For instance, though an independent front torsion bar suspension system was used, the 44 x 1.08-inch torsion bars were thicker and 40 percent stiffer than those on other Chryslers, rated for 175 lb-in. The same can be said of the rear semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension, rated for 135 lb-in (or 50 percent stiffer) than those on the New Yorker. For reference, the rear springs were comprised of seven leaves, measuring 60 x 2.50 inches. Power steering, with its 15.7:1 gear ratio, was also standard equipment, as were heavy-duty shocks.
In short, the chassis was engineered and better suited for high-speed highway travel and maneuverability rather than a short drive across the city. It could also handle short, quarter-mile blasts if, as discussed, geared accordingly.
Brakes
Although equipment upgrades were made in other areas, the hydraulic drum-brake system was the same as found in the New Yorker series. Drum brakes, measuring 12 x 2.50-inches, were utilized at each corner. Power assist was standard, so stopping the roughly 4,200-pound performer was easier; however, as with other drumbrake systems, each corner needed to be adjusted equally to prevent directional pull during sudden stops. Additionally, Chrysler employed two wheel cylinders per front assembly—a fact to keep in mind when seeking replacement parts.
Wheels and Tires
Unlike the previous 300F, the new 300G was bestowed with larger 15 x 6-inch pressed-steel wheels, which were then shod with 8.00-15 Goodyear Blue Streak "racing-type" tires that featured white sidewalls. According to one report, the width of the whitewall itself ranged from 3- to 3 3/16-inches. Vented "300" wheel covers completed the ensemble, and no options were available.
Body and Interior
Styling updates made to the '61 Chryslers, including the 300G, probably did more to generate higher sales than printed virtues touting the fleet's combination of power and comfort, marking the end of Virgil Exner's FlightSweep designs. The changes began with a complete revamp of the front end, where the grille was simply inverted. The top-to-bottom inward canted grille sides were harmoniously complemented by equally canted quad headlamps, running lamps, and bumper ends, while also matching the angle of the rear fins— which were also slightly redesigned. At the opposite end, the faux spare tire decklid inlay was scrapped, providing a cleaner expanse of sleek sheetmetal. Other than appropriate badging denoting the letter "G," little else appeared to change on the 219.8-inch-long body; the greenhouse and rear fenders were carry-over items, with the exception of the leading edge of the fins found on each door.
Interiors remained exquisitely plush. A full-length, front-to-rear tunneled center console divided the interior in two, creating four truly individual buckets seats wrapped in ventilated leather. Those front seats retained the swivel feature, making for easy ingress/egress, while the console was trimmed with ample amounts of chrome and padded armrests that flipped open to expose additional storage areas. The console also housed optional power window controls, ashtrays, and a tachometer.
Primary instruments resided in a dome-like, easy-to-read bubble; potential glare concerns were eliminated by means of a matching padded dash arch. The transmission's pushbutton controls resided to the left of the instrument cluster, balanced by radio, heat, and air controls to the right. Comfort and convenience options included power seats, power antenna, rear window defroster, and air conditioning.
Source: Hemmings
I came across this small, sparkly creek in Ravalli County, western Montana, with very strong and bright backlighting from our solar system's star, also known as Sunny.
Spring rains in an otherwise arid part of the country were frequent and adequate enough to both green the pastures and fill the rivers, ponds and streams of our local neighborhood.
Evidence of a storm front in the upper right corner of the image suggests that more rains were likely later in the day. And that suggestion proved to come true by the time I drove back home later in the afternoon/early evening.
Its Aug 1985 a view of Chessie System's Handley yard station and tower with GP-40s at W.V when coal was king [photo collection Mark Llanuza]
The New Croton Dam (also known as Cornell Dam) is a dam forming the New Croton Reservoir, both parts of the New York City water supply system. It stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about 22 miles (35 km) north of New York City.
Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1906. Designed by Alphonse Fteley (1837–1903), the masonry dam is 266 feet (81 m) broad at its base and 297 feet (91 m) high from base to crest. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest dam in the world. It impounds up to 19 billion US gallons (72,000,000 m3) of water, a small fraction of the New York City water system's total storage capacity of 580 billion US gallons (2.2×109 m3).
The original Croton Dam (Old Croton Dam) was built between 1837 and 1842 to improve New York City's water supply. By 1881, after extensive repairs to the dam, which was 50 feet (15 m) high, Old Croton Reservoir was able to supply about 90 million US gallons (340,000 m3) a day to the city via the Old Croton Aqueduct. To meet escalating water needs, the Aqueduct Commission of the City of New York ordered construction of a new Croton system in 1885. Hydro engineer James B. Francis was brought in as a consultant for the construction.
The proposed dam and reservoir were to cover 20 square miles (52 km2) of land occupied by public and private buildings, six cemeteries, and more than 400 farms. Condemnation disputes led to "protests, lawsuits, and confusion" before payment of claims and the awarding of construction contracts. The work force on the new dam included stonemasons and laborers who had worked on the original dam. John B. Goldsborough, superintendent of excavations and hiring for the project, also recruited stonemasons from southern Italy, who re-located to New York.
--- Wikipedia
CSXT SD40-2 #8247 is paired up with 8017 at Cumberland, MD. The duo is assigned to a yard switching job this evening April 12, 2025. The 8247 is unique among the fleet of remaining SD40-2s in that it retains the much beloved "YN2" scheme otherwise known as Yellow Nose 2 from the mid 1990s. It is believed to be one of only two SD40s remaining in that scheme. 8247 was manufactured by EMD in January 1977 for Chessie System's B&O and was numbered 7605. The 8017 was manufactured by EMD in April 1979 for Family Lines System's Louisville & Nashville and currently retains it's original L&N number of 8017. Nikon D610.
In service: 1999–present
Manufacturer: Adtranz Strømmen
Number built: 16 units (A-series)
6 units (B-series)
Capacity: 204 (A-series)
250 (B-series)
Operator: Norwegian State Railways
Line(s) served: Dovre Line
Bergen Line
Sørland Line
Østfold Line (B-series)
Specifications
Car length: 108.48 m (355.9 ft) (four cars)
Maximum speed: 210 km/h (130 mph)
Weight: 215 t (212 LT; 237 ST)
Electric system(s): 15 kV 16 Hz AC overhead wire
Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
NSB Class 73 (Norwegian: NSB type 73) is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on the Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines. The intercity service was branded as Signatur until 2003. The B-series consists of six regional trains delivered in 2002 and is used on the Østfold Line. The regional trains were originally part of the Agenda concept.
The trains have a power output of 2,646 kilowatts (3,548 hp) and a maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph).
They have an overall length of 108 meters (354 ft) and have a capacity for 208 seated passengers in the A-series and 250 in the B-series. The difference is caused by the B-series having a smaller bistro and more compact seating.
In the A-series, each of the four cars has seating in a different colour (blue in BFM73 car, green in BMU73, red in BFR73, and yellow leather in BM73 and in the bistro area in BFR73). Originally three of the cars had floors with carpet, while the fourth car (BFM73) had vinyl, of consideration to people with allergies. The carpets were removed in about 2005 as it was difficult to keep them clean. Seating is in two classes, standard and Komfort (originally "Plus"); the latter (BM73 car) with leather seating and power supply for laptops. All the cars have cherry tree wood interior. The trains are equipped with a dining section (BFR73 car) and warm meals can be served at the seat or at the diner. The menu is according to the time of day, with breakfasts in the morning and larger meals in the afternoon and evening.
The trains also feature a family section with a play area and HC area (BFM73 car). The BFM73 car has also a bicycle room behind the driver's cab.
In 2011 the trains were equipped with WLAN, giving the passengers free access to Internet.
The trains were delivered late, and were put into service after the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate had given dispensation from some safety regulation. On 17 June 2000, a train derailed at Nelaug Station after an axle broke. The class was grounded for a month, and the investigation showed both design errors, and lack of proper inspection and testing. After they were put back into service, they were not allowed to use the tilting mechanism. Thus the trains could not run faster than their predecessors. In 2007, a train derailed on the Bergen Line, and questions were raised about the trains' ability to operate in snow.
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Explore - Jul 12, 2011 #420
Epic System's Wind Turbine Project. Dane County Wisconsin, Town of Springfield. Northwest of Madison Wisconsin.
BNSF 9687 emerges from the tunnel at Drano Lake with the G PPIVAW9 08M in tow, bound for the Port of Vancouver further west. I understand some people have very strong feelings about the executive/grinstein green scheme these units wear but I've always had a soft spot for them and I feel obligated to share some of my thoughts, maybe a bit of a backstory. I think the first time I ever saw a BN SD70MAC was in a Brian Solomon photography book as a young kid, and I always thought the unique colors and the lines of the paint scheme made it look classy and bold, especially on the older EMD widecab design with those teardrop windshields. By the time I was getting out to watch trains and film them on an iphone or a Canon powershot, it had become pretty difficult to spot these leading in my region, and it only got more rare over time as PTC became a requirement and many of them were laid up. I never got the opportunity to catch any sort of MAC leader in those years. The years after the pandemic yielded a bit of a renaissance for BNSF's MACs as traffic increased and some were returned to service, largely on coals from the PRB. One of these trains gave me my first opportunity to photograph an ex-BN SD70MAC leading, on a coal train from the North Antelope mine while I was on a trip to Chicago. Almost directly after this, however, BNSF placed all the SD70MACs back in storage, with the exception of a small handful in "intermediate" service or as switchers. With BNSF making some big changes to their locomotive fleet around this time, such as relegating older Dash 9s to RC switching and purchasing new Gevo heavies partially to displace the MACs from coal trains, it seemed like the remaining SD70MACs on the roster were on their death beds. Thanks to the BN's poor managerial decisions, however, the MACs live to see another day. In the last 2 years, BNSF has laid off several hundred mechanical employees systemwide, and it began catching up with them recently. With many of their road units in a state of disrepair, and their shops unable to make heavy repairs at a rapid enough rate to meet the system's demand for motive power, they've been returning older, previously laid-up power to service. When 2 power moves of 10 and 12 SD70MACs each were brought to Pasco, (3 of them not starting and being promptly rejected by Pasco mechanical forces), we thought at first that it was the typical pre-grain season power hoarding, the extent of BNSF's power shortage being unknown to us at the time. Despite the dire situation at BNSF, from a foamer's perspective it's cool to see these unique units roaming again, even if they are unreliable shitboxes at this point. I was pretty stoked to finally shoot one of these leading through my home stomping grounds almost immediately after their return to service, when just a few months ago, it seemed like they might have been done for. It remains to be seen whether this is the last hurrah for BNSF's SD70MAC fleet, with persistent rumors of a large order of new Gevos circulating.