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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.
Public Broadcasting System's Halifax: Retribution: S1 - Episode 8
I watched this last night on Channel 6 - Arizona Public Media.
The narrator said words to the effect that: Life is like a recipe with bitter and sweet, and that's what makes it delicious.
Entrainment is defined by a temporal locking process in which one system's motion or signal frequency entrains the frequency of another system.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan33 2024 09 04.
Pushkinskaya (Russian: Пу́шкинская) is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro. It first opened on 30 April 1956, under the original name of "Vitebskiy vokzal".
There is a monument in the station dedicated to the poet Alexander Pushkin sculpted by Mikhail Anikushin. This station was the first USSR metro station with memorial located under the ground.
The Metro system exhibits many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world. Due to the city's unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system's deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is 86 metres below ground. Serving about 2 million passengers daily, it is also the 19th busiest metro system in the world.
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Die Metro Sankt Petersburg ist die U-Bahn der russischen Millionenstadt Sankt Petersburg und zugleich eines der tiefst gelegenen U-Bahn-Systeme der Welt. Die erste Linie wurde am 15. November 1955 eröffnet. Zu Zeiten der Sowjetunion hieß sie nach dem damaligen Namen der Stadt Metro Leningrad. Das Metronetz besteht im Jahr 2013 aus fünf Linien mit insgesamt 113,6 km Streckenlänge und 67 Stationen. Täglich werden 2,8 Millionen und jährlich 1,02 Milliarden Fahrgäste befördert. Die Petersburger Metro gilt als eine der architektonisch schönsten der Welt.
Das Foto zeigt die Station "Pushkinskaya", durch die schlechten Lichtverhältnisse leider nicht in bester Qualität.
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_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan30 2024 09 02.
Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad crew has a long string of gons loaded with granite destined for the NECR interchange at Montpelier Junction. VTR 206 (a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38) and GMRC 804 (a GP9r blt. Oct. 1955 as NW 13) and are curling thru downtown about to cross the 300 ft long twin thru truss span over the Winooski River at MP 1 on the Washington County Railroad's Montpelier and Barre Division.
These particular rails are ex Central Vermont, first laid in 1849 by CV predecessor Vermont Central. In 1958 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased them and he quickly consolidated the parallel CV and old Montpelier & Wells River routes between downtown Montpelier and Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for abandonment, and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally settling on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025
A beautiful single old oak tree, and the pair was passing it by in the right moment. I used OM System's HiRes mode to get a 50 MP file, but in that, the walkers were blurred. Luckily the camera also generates an "ORI" RAW file with the native resolution, and in that, it was the perfect shot.
Also, I did some shots before with f13, but it's too much for MFT - the picture starts to get some defraction blur. So I reduced to f8, and also got a nice sun star and super sharp branches with the marvellous Panasonic Leica 15mm.
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.
Back to 2006.
Pluto is demoted to "dwarf planet" status From its discovery in 1930 until 2006, Pluto was considered the Solar System's ninth planet.
Twitter.com was launched in July 2006. This new method of social networking and micro-blogging grew rapidly. Donald Trump's first tweet would probably read...Pluto is a dwarf for years he called himself large but all the time he was at Disney he did bad things...very bad things..so now having been declared a dwarf he has been sent to the Snow White mines in the deep south along with other dwarfs.
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]
Epic System's Wind Turbine Project. Dane County Wisconsin, Town of Springfield. Northwest of Madison Wisconsin.
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
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.
Pluto has long been a mystery, a dot at our solar system’s margins. The best images, even with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, were fuzzy and pixelated. In July 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto and captured the sharpest views of the dwarf planet to date. One of the most striking areas, informally named "Sputnik Planum," is a sweeping, frozen plain the size of Texas and ringed by mountains of ice. Its smooth deposits are unmarred by impact craters, a stark contrast to the rest of Pluto’s battered surface. As a result, scientists believe the region formed recently, within the last few hundred million years. This contradicts past depictions of Pluto as an unchanging world. By analyzing images taken during the flyby, scientists hope to unravel more of the dwarf planet’s history. Watch the video for an up-close look at Pluto.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Video courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/S. Robbins
Night traffic passing along the A52 and under the Nottingham tram system's Ningbo Friendship Bridge.
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I think this is one of the connecting tunnels at Bank tube station but feel free to correct me......
Click here for more of my underground photography : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157670949337253
From Wikipedia, "The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Underground has its origins in the Metropolitan Railway, opening on 10 January 1863 as the world's first underground passenger railway. It is now part of the Circle, District, 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 with 250 miles (400 km) of track. However, the Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London; there are only 33 Underground stations south of the River Thames. The system's 272 stations collectively accommodate up to 5 million passenger journeys a day. In 2020/21 it was used for 296 million passenger journeys, making it one of the world's busiest metro systems."
© D.Godliman
With a heavy fog blanketing the Connecticut River Valley, Vermont Rail System's 263 train has arrived in Bellows Falls, Vermont and pulled down on to the causeway to yard their train. Once the crew drops their cars, they will make a light power run back to Rutland and tie up for the day.
====Info====
GMRC Bellows Falls Subdivision
Bellows Falls, VT
VTR 263 (Local; Rutland, VT to Bellows Falls, VT)
VTR 431 SD70M-2 Ex. FURX 101, FEC 101 Blt. 2006
VTR 210 GP38-2 Ex. GMTX 2684, LLPX 3106 GP40, CSX 9704, CSX 6609, BO 4034 Blt. 1971
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
In 2009, an Environmental Assessment (EA) began to create a proposal of electrically-powered light rail transit through Kitchener and Waterloo, and adapted bus rapid transit from Kitchener to Cambridge. On June 24, 2009, Regional Council voted to approve the project, subject to funding from higher levels of government, which was in turn approved by council on June 15, 2011.
Construction began in August 2014 and service was expected to begin in late 2017; however, because of delays in the manufacture and delivery of rolling stock, the introduction of the light rail service was significantly delayed. The total cost of the system was estimated at $818 million, but in December 2017, the overruns were estimated to total approximately $50 million. The Province was expected to provide $25 million of that amount.
According to the Region of Waterloo, the Ion network is named after the atom, which it describes as being “always in motion”.
On July 10, 2013, it was reported that a deal was finalized with Metrolinx to join its contract with Bombardier Transportation for the purchase of 14 Flexity Freedom LRVs to form the system's initial fleet, with an option to purchase up to 14 more as the need arises. The 14 vehicles are estimated to cost $92.4 million, an average of $6.6 million per vehicle.
Each 30-metre-long, 30-tonne vehicle has 56 seats and a standing capacity of 144 passengers. The body is constructed of five sections, in an accordion-like configuration to allow for sharp turns. It can be driven from either end. The top speed is 88 km/h but the average travel speed is unlikely to exceed 50 km/h.
The vehicles are numbered with a three-digit unit number in the 5xx series beginning with 501. This fleet number is displayed prominently on the end modules of each vehicle followed by a single letter to denote which end module the fleet number is on (e.g. 503A, 507B).
The morning sun has finally broken through the fog as the Vermont Rail System's 263 train makes its way through Rockingham, Vermont and crosses over Parker Hill Road. VTR 431 leads the train as it runs from Rutland to Bellows Falls, where the crew will drop their train and return light power to Rutland.
====Info====
GMRC Bellows Falls Subdivision
Rockingham, VT
VTR 263 (Local; Rutland, VT to Bellows Falls, VT)
VTR 431 SD70M-2 Ex. FURX 101, FEC 101 Blt. 2006
VTR 210 GP38-2 Ex. GMTX 2684, LLPX 3106 GP40, CSX 9704, CSX 6609, BO 4034 Blt. 1971
A detouring Amtrak GG1 918 was being towed by a former Penn Central GP38-2 eastbound on Chessie System's Belt Line at NA Tower in 1978. The 918 was built in 1942 as PRR 4920 and scrapped in the 1980s.
A derailment on the Northeast Corridor prompted Amtrak to run on the Chessie System. Passing a freight in the Mount Royal siding, the wayward electric was passing underneath I-83, the Jones Falls Expressway.
Excuse the poor composition and focus - I was eight.
Could you imagine CSX allowing Amtrak to run detours here nowadays?
Nope. Busitution or cancellation, not a detour. The shareholders would not benefit from such a move.
A set of WM power works through B&O's yard at Cumberland, MD on March 19, 1976. Two WM GP40s and a WM GP35 bracket a N&W RS-11. At this point in time, a lot of WM traffic came from N&W, especially grain traffic headed for Port Covington. Pool power was common. I am convinced to this day, that Chessie System's abandonment of part of WM had more to do with keeping N&W's hands off WM, than it did with eliminating duplicate trackage. Chessie did not want N&W in Baltimore.
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta100.
_Scan : GCMC RODFS70.
_Date: P22 Scan09 2024 09 01.
Deep crimson maples against a soft autumnal background of more red leaves and branches.
Light and shadows.
Wide opened with FE 85mm f1.4 GM.
A7R5 is finally out after a 1 year delay, it does tick a lot of boxes for me even if some of the new features already existed in other brands.
As expected, it retains the same 61mp from the preceding A7R4. The biggest improvements to me are listed below from (a) to (c).
(a) 8 stops IBIS measured at 50mm, up from 5.5 stops of the preceding A7R4. Sony IBIS has always been pegged at 50-55mm since the A7R2. I thought this improvement isn’t due till Sony brings out a 100mp camera, looks like the next iteration A7R6 will probably have the 100mp sensor; www.flickr.com/photos/86145600@N07/50937613287/
Sony IMX555CQR 102mp sensor already exists. Highly likely Sony will wait for Canon to launch a 100mp camera then respond.
(b) Subject recognition AF, this could be similar to the OM System’s new OM-1 Subject Detection mode which apparently makes a bigger difference to the AF than its new m43 quad-pixel stacked sensor. However, A7R5’s Ai AF goes one further as it runs on a dedicated AF processor unlike the OM-1. This separate AF chip in the A7R5 should finally match and perhaps surpass DSLR AF which relies on a separate PDAF module like the one in Nikon D850, without resorting to an expensive stacked sensor.
(c) Fully-articulated rear screen on tilt-out cradle (hence +58g vs A7R4?), very thankful that Sony didn’t go the A74 route with the annoying off-axis flippy screen. Really disliked the flippy screen on my OMD E-M1 Mkii.
(d) Ultrasonic sensor cleaning, a truly effective sensor cleaning function that has been available since my Olympus OMD E-M5 from 2012. The conventional sensor cleaning functions in Nikon and older Sony cameras are utterly useless, for placebo effect only!
(e) Focus bracketing function, the older A7R and A7R II could perform focus bracketing via Playmemories Apps, Olympus also has this since OMD E-M1 Mkii as well.
(f) Movement compensated pixelshift, Panasonic G9 already had this since 2017.
(g) As usual, no mention of sensor readout speed, likely no change since it’s the same sensor and as such slow as molasses. The workaround is to revert back to mechanical shutter for faster paced subjects.
(h) 10fps with mechanical shutter but as usual no mention of bit rate. Unusually with electronic shutter, it's only 7fps. The buffer is more than sufficient at RAW (Lossless Compressed) & JPEG: 159 frames.
(i) $3,898 full retail for 61mp A7R5 vs A7R4 at $3,500 and $5,000 ($6,500 at launch) for a 50mp used A1.
Probably time for me to buy this new camera although the A7R6 might arrive sooner with an improved sensor and possibly 100mp assuming the pandemic is truly over after another year. Those who have bought every A7R iteration will likely face upgrade fatigue.
Going forward, if the sensor can expose the highlights and shadows separately, DR can increase. Currently auto metering averages out the exposure unless one shoot exposure brackets and merge in post-processing.
Found this photo that I took in August while testing out OM System's OM-1. It barely rained last summer and temperatures were higher than ever; and birds scarce. They were desperate for water and the nearby river was about to dry out completely. Luckily it didn't. One day while I was with the OM-1 and some Black Redstarts in the field, raindrops started appearing through my visor. Finally some refreshing rain.
My day out offered some challenging clouds and as you've seen I certainly didn't get all the shots I was hoping for but the light here was by far the best of the day and worthy of sharing a few!
After setting out all the empties at Barre Transfer on the old main (ex CV) Vermont Rail System's Washington County Railroad headed back west light engine with 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). They are now seen back on the old main at the other end picking up the outbound loads they'd left here earlier to take them down to Montpelier Junction yard to the NECR interchange. This is about MP 2.3 on the Washington County Railroad's Montpelier and Barre Division and the aptly named Gin Lane crossing in the foreground leads to the Bar Hill distillery behind me.
Interestingly the former CV trackage including both bridges (the thru truss span at the east end and the thru girder span here) was ultimately not abandoned and was actually tied in with switches on both ends and is used as a storage track called appropriately enough the 'Old Main'.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025
Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, have spent most nights over the last week shooting this crazy part of the sky. Have played around with so much different software for processing and this is a mix of all sorts . i have spent way too long messing with this that now my eyes hurt. Rho Ophiuchi is a multiple star system in the constellation Ophiuchus. The central system has an apparent magnitude of 4.63. Based on the central system's parallax of 9.03 mas, it is located about 360 light-years away. The other stars in the system are slightly farther away. Wikipedia
C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet. Was discovered in February 2023 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It was also independently observed in January 2023 by the Tsuchinshan Chinese Observatory.
The comet has a retrograde orbit, meaning it moves in the opposite direction to most major solar system planets. It has an 80,000-year orbit around the sun, but NASA now says it may leave the solar system entirely.
At its closest point to the sun, called perihelion, September 27th, 2024, it was 0.39 astronomical units (AU) from the sun.
At its closest point to Earth, October 12th, 2024, coming within approximately 70 million kilometers (44 million miles) of Earth.
It was visible primarily to those in the Southern Hemisphere and the Tropics until about October 8. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere had more opportunities to see it in subsequent days. Binoculars might help you locate it, especially after October 15th.
Comet A3 is believed to originate in the Oort cloud, a theorized shell of icy bodies that orbit at the solar system's far outer edges.
Captured with Askar ACL200, a 200mm widefield telescope on October 20th, 2024.
My first ever comet image. Some alignment artifacts near the head. But for this being my 1st attempt at tracking, guiding, capturing, and processing data. I am pleased.
I've been trying to get this for two years and tonight, despite high-level clouds, seemed to have pulled it off. This was taken with a Nikon D750 and Nikon 50mm prime lens, mounted onto my Celestron astrophotography rig.
The Dark Horse Nebula or Great Dark Horse is a large dark nebula that, from Earth's perspective, obscures part of the upper central bulge of the Milky Way.
Rho Ophiuchi is a multiple star system in the constellation Ophiuchus. The central system has an apparent magnitude of 4.63. Based on the central system's parallax of 9.03 mas, it is located about 360 light-years away. The other stars in the system are slightly farther away.
Image Details:
- Nikon D750
- Nikkor 50mm Lens
- F4
- 20*2.5 minute exposures @ ISO1000, 10 dark frames, 20 bias frames
- Celestron CGEM Equatorial Mount
- Stacked in DSS
- Processed in PixInsight, Lightroom and Topaz Denoise.
Take these little rockets lightly at the traffic light, and you lose! "To give some idea of this mechanical system’s efficiency, the Delta S4 Corse famously ran 0-60 MPH in 2.4 seconds on gravel, nearly identical to the F1 cars of the era."
The Group B car rulebook stipulated that 200 identical roadgoing variants of the car had to be presented for a competition variant to qualify and the Delta S4 was finally homologated on November 1st 1985.
Now, certain sources claim that the actual number of produced models is closer to 150, while some argue that the numbers were in fact much smaller. That wouldn’t be a surprise considering Lancia’s legendary ruse when homologating the 037 by presenting the same batch of cars on two different lots.
The delays in development meant that the Delta S4 race car was ready to debut at the very end of the group B rally car 1985 season which it did in great style, but more on that later. Now, let’s see what made Lancia Delta S4 so formidable.
For the competition cars to maintain light weight, Abarth constructed the frame of the S4 in used lightweight chrome-molybdenum tubular spaceframe with carbon fiber reinforcements.
The tubular frame of the Delta S4 was constructed in a similar manner to the 037, yet with improved rigidity, enabling the car to perform better under demanding conditions of various rallying across the championship.
Even though the car shared its name with the 5-door hatchback, the Delta S4 Stradale retained only the front grille, the windshield glass and rear lights with its pedestrian namesake. The headlights were sourced from the Fiat Ritmo and virtually everything else was unique for this car.
The two-door hatchback-like car featured lightweight epoxy and fiberglass body panels with both the front and the rear being clamshell panels. The S4 Stradale featured the iconic flared fenders which later found their way onto the Delta HF Integrale, whereas the large side scoops covering the whole C pillar fed air to the turbo and supercharger intercoolers mounted horizontally behind the engine bay cover.
The imposing look of the Delta S4 Stradale was upped even more in the competition-ready Corse trim. The front clamshell panel featured a Gurney flap on the hood and a front splitter with aerodynamic winglets moulded into the edges of the front bumper panel. The rear had exposed exhausts, and the roof mounted spoiler featured a prominent aerodynamic wing.
The body of the Corse version was constructed in lighter carbon fiber composite with hollow shell Kevlar doors keeping the weight even more down. Unlike the glass windows of the S4 Stradale, the Lancia Delta S4 Corse had fixed perspex windows.
Engine and Transmission
Carrying over from the 1984 variant of the 037, the Delta S4 had a Fiat Twin Cam 16-valve inline-four engine.
Originally developed by Aurelio Lamperdi, this aluminum alloy engine had been in production since 1966 and over the course of decades, it powered various Fiats, Alfa Romeos, and Lancias. In the case of the Delta S4, it was one of its most extreme iterations as it was thoroughly reworked by Abarth, officially getting the name Abarth 233 ATR 18S.
Unlike the 2.1-liter unit from the 037 EVO, the Delta S4 used the 1.8-liter variant which enabled the car to stay under the 2.5-liter class with a minimum weight of 1,962 lb or 890 kg, essential for rally success. Also, for better weight distribution due to the centrally mounted transfer case, the engine was rotated 180° compared to its position on the Lancia 037.
Just like in the 037 EVO, the engine was twin-charged, meaning it was both turbocharged and supercharged to eliminate issues with turbo lag – a common occurrence in early turbocharged cars. This complicated system was well-engineered and proved to be reliable during pre-production testing and Delta S4’s competing years too.
In the lower RPM range, it was the supercharger boost giving additional power to the engine while the turbo activated to work in unison with the supercharger midway into the RPM range. Finally, when the engine was getting to its redline, the supercharger disengaged letting the turbo provide
For the Corse variant, the Abarth was able to extract way more power from the setup. Various sources claim that the power during engine testing surpassed the 1000 hp mark, but the rally cars ran around 450 horsepower at 8,000 RPM and 289 lb-ft of torque for the 1985 season.
In 1986, the figures were raised to 480 hp at 8,400 RPM and 362 lb-ft of torque, although the power output was unofficially over 550 horsepower. Moreover, Markku Alen claimed that his Delta S4 had 750 horsepower at the final event of the 1986 season.
The S4 Corse engine ran on 7.1:1 compression, while the KKK K27 Turbo and Volumex R18 supercharger provided a boost of 1.5 bar. Both the competition and the street trim engine had dry-sump lubrication, but only the racing car had a functional roof-mounted scoop for the oil cooler
This tour de force of an engine was mated to Hewland 5-speed dogleg manual gearbox sending the power to the wheels via innovative three-differential all-wheel drive. In the Corse variant, the central Ferguson viscous coupling allowed front-to-rear power distribution to range from 25:75 to 40:60 to both the front and the rear ZF limited-slip differential.
On the other hand, the Delta S4 Stradale had fixed 30:70 power distribution between the front open and the rear limited-slip ZF differential via central Ferguson viscous coupling.
To give some idea of this mechanical system’s efficiency, the Delta S4 Corse famously ran 0-60 MPH in 2.4 seconds on gravel, nearly identical to the F1 cars of the era.
Vermont Rail System’s Bennington & Rutland Job is seen rolling parallel to Sunderland Hill Road, at the base of Mount Equinox.
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 head into Montpelier with more than a dozen loads of granite armor rock from the Northeast Materials quarry. They set off their whole train on the old CV main, where they were temporarily left and are now running light engine down to Montpelier Junction to pull empties from the NECR interchange and make room for the outbound loads they'll bring down later.
A trainman flags the busy Main Street crossing in the center of the little capital city as red VTR 206 (a GP38-3 206 blt. Oct. 1969 as SOU 2718 and originally a high nosed straight GP38) and green GMRC 804 (a GP9r blt. Oct. 1955 as NW 13) roll over a short stretch of street running at about MP 1.4 on the Washington County Railroad's M&B Division.
These particular rails are ex CV, first laid in 1849 by CV predecessor Vermont Central. In 1958 Sam Pinsly's Montpelier & Barre purchased them and he quickly consolidated the parallel CV and old Montpelier & Wells River routes between this point and Barre. The state purchased these rails in 1980 when the M&B petitioned for abandonment, and they've had multiple contract operators over the years until finally settling on Vermont Rail System's Washington County Subsidiary about two decades ago.
The large square brick building at right which now serves as a bank was once the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad station and headquarters building. Built in 1876 as the Murray Block, it was purchased and refurbished by the M&WRR in 1881 for $8,000.
Montpelier, Vermont
Friday August 1, 2025
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordHP5400Plus.
_Date: P21 Scan21 2024 08 21 16h20.
_Tiré à : 800asa.
emberrandt.blogspot.ca/2016/09/walk-alone.html
I have never craved the system's sympathy
I get restless over pity smiles
Some precaution wouldn't harm my history
If I had the will to wait a little while
You cut the silence like a knife
You know I can't repent for
Moonlight falling over me
Sail on where the shadows hide
Moonlight crawling down on me
Just like you could not compete with my pride
Compensation for a misconducted life
Is it way too much to ask
Hard to wake up
With your heart and soul deprived
When the morning comes
The second to your last
You cut the silence like a knife
At the edge of my last defenses
You cut the silence like a knife
You know I won't repent for all
Moonlight falling over me
Sail on where the shadows hide
Moonlight crawling down on me
Just like you could not compete with my pride
Shine on silver From the sky into the night
Gaia shivers and I need your leading light
Moonlight falling over me
Sail on where the shadows hide
Moonlight crawling down on me
Just like you could not compete with my pride
Moonlight falling over me
Sail on where the shadows hide
Moonlight crawling down on me
Just like you could not compete with the pride
Kamelot - Moonlight
Ex. NVS # 126 from Schwerin arrived in Almaty in 2004 in the years of the system's slight revival after the 90s. As all other Schweriners, it contained a second cabless twin car. The latter was in service until 2006 and 1027 was the last of the operating multiple-units here. The head car was running through the next years until the arrival of ex-Berliners in 2013.
[AET / АЭТ] Tatra T3DC # 1027
Makatayev koshesi, Almaty, KZ
A Conrail S/B coal train, UMP (Morgantown-Pepco), is rolling past Bay Tower (above the 2nd unit) on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. CR B23-7s 2009 & 1946, an unknown geep & SD40s 6302 & 6306, are on the point. Chessie System's Bay View Yard is above 2009's number boards.
Vermont Rail System's legendary septuagenarian diesel number 405 leads a three car Trains magazine charter special performing a photo runby eastbound on the Green Mountain Railroad's Bellows Falls Subdivision mainline at MP 27 as it descends the grade passing the old wooden passenger station. This line traces its history back to 1849 when the Rutland Railroad's mainline from the Connecticut River town to Burlington opened by way of its namesake community.
The venerable Alco RS-1 rolled out of the Schenectady plant in November 1951 as one of a half dozen of the model built for the Rutland and served the erstwhile Class 1 until it shut down for good in 1961. While her siblings were scattered to the wind she never left her home state being picked up by Nelson Blount (founder of Steamtown) and then staying with the Green Mountain Railroad in freight service even after Steamtown left in 1983. She has remained in service on her home rails for 73 years and still occasionally is called up to freight duty, though now largely enjoys an easier life on excursion and passenger duty such as this.
Per a history of the town published in 1949 the wooden station at left dates from 1851 and is the second one on the site and was remodeled in 1891. I'm not sure who owns it now and if it is railroad or town property but as one of only a few surviving in its as built location it makes for a popular photo prop.
Ludlow (village), Vermont
Saturday September 28, 2024
_Boîtier argentique réflex : Olympus OM20.
_Objectif : OM System S Zuiko 35/70 1:4.
_Film : IlfordDelta3200.
_Date: P17 Scan29 2024 06 0122h20.
_Ouverture : 1.4.
_Temps d’exposition : 125.
_profondeur: +5m.
_Focus : 35mm.
_Métadonnée: Gimp-2.10.36.
Last night we had a rare and relatively clear sky, or so I thought, so I hurredly gathered my equipment after sunset and rushed out to try and photograph "the Great Conjunction" as the new moon was setting (which I almost missed). It was a hurried first attempt to capture this spectacle, as I probably won't be around for the next one.
In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system. Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, travelled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”
The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years. What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will on 21 December 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this great event.
This photograph is a blend of the foreground with setting moon and the sky at a slightly higher focal length. You can just about see two of Jupiter's moons. I'd love to have another go with a longer lens, but chances of a clear sky over the next few days are minimal.
Fall is upon us and soon there should be those colors New England is known the world over for. It's uncertain how good this autumn's foliage will be in 2022 so here's a look back three years.
The Green Mountain Railroad's 1230 Fall Foliage Passenger Special is seen returning to Chester from Ludlow curling downgrade deep in Cavendish Gulf on the old Rutland Railway Green Mountain mainline now Vermont Rail System's Bellows Falls Subdivision. They are approaching the Densmore Road crossing at MP B20.7 on a gorgeous fall day.
Alas this image can't be repeated this year because the Vermont Rail System has decided not to run their excursion trains out of Chester this year and they've sold off most of the green coaches seen here trailing VTR 303. And that's not all, even the locomotive is no more having been retired from the roster and sold off to a lessor. This is a bit of a loss too, since this EMD GP40-2 had deep New England roots having been built new for the Boston and Maine in Dec. 1977 as their number 314 part of the last order of new units ever purchased by the independent (and then bankrupt) road prior to its 1983 purchase by Tim Mellon's Guilford Transportation.
Cavendish, Vermont
Saturday October 5, 2019
Amtrak AEM7-911 is S/B on the Northeast Corridor, passing Conrail's Orangeville Terminal, with an LRC (Light, Rapid & Comfortable) set behind, led by power unit 38. To help celebrate Amtrak's 10th anniversary, LRC sets 38 & 39 were brought to Union Station in Washington, DC in May of 1981. The overhead Whipple truss bridge is Chessie System's Sparrows Point Industrial Track. The bridge was demolished & replaced in 2016.
Three Galaxies: Our home galaxy, which we call the “Milky Way,” dominates my photo with its colourful and dust-fringed arch stretched almost the full width of the frame. I captured another two galaxies in this fourteen-shot panorama, namely the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These fluffy, puffy orbs seem like they’re floating in the sky in the left side of my photo, able to be blown away by the slightest wind. The two Magellanic Clouds are dwarf galaxies and companions or our Milky Way as it travels through what astronomers call the Local Group.
Three Planets: Our home planet, Earth, is first on the list of planets visible in this scene that I shot at Seven Mile Beach, Australia, last Sunday night, 23 August. About one-third of the way from the right-hand edge of the photo, in the area of sky above the Milky Way, I caught the Solar System’s two most massive planets, Jupiter and Saturn, as they followed our home galaxy towards the western horizon.
The fourteen single frames that I shot to create the panoramic view of these planets and galaxies were all captured with a Canon EOS 6D camera, a Samyang 14mm f/2.4 lens @ f/2.8, using an exposure time of 20 seconds @ ISO 6400.
L&N No. 2260, pictured at Corbin, Ky. on July 12, 1980, was a rather rare bird. Built by Alco in 1967, this unit joined two other model C430s as demonstrators 430-1, -2, and -3. The new units were equipped with a new high-adhesion truck design and came with Alco's advanced wheel slip control.
The trio was swapped out the SCL while Alco did modifications on three other Alco units. They were eventually acquired by SCL outright, becoming Nos. 1275, 76, and 77. When the L&N was literally swamped with coal traffic in the mid to late 70s, SCL first leased the units to L&N before transferring them to become L&N Nos. 5600, 01, and 02 in 1976.
By 1979, the trio had been renumbered into an L&N number series for switchers--out of sequence as 2244, 2247, and 2260. The units were reclassed as "SC430"s. They were also wired to work with booster units (a.k.a. "slugs:) converted from retired RS-3s.
They didn't make it to Seaboard System's creation on January 1, 1983, however. All were pulled from service and eventually retired on October 12, 1981, then sold to Chrome Crankshaft for scrapping.
When I was moving back to Chicago from New Orleans, my navigation system told me to exit the highway. I did as told and after driving on pretty and winding roads in either Arkansas or Missouri, I came across this. Definitely had to stop and snap a picture. I soon got back on the highway and did manage to hit Chicago at rush hour. But, in my navigation system’s defense, she was British and probably why she was confused.
When friends saw this, a new friend in NOLA said, "That looks like a scene from The Walking Dead. Stay away from the trees. That’s where the zombies are."
An old friend in Illinois said, "Your navigation system knew you like to take photos of old cemeteries. That’s why she brought you there."
I have fascinating friends.