The largest mill in the Smokies.. One unuusal feature about this mill is the water wheel is missing Thats because it utilized a turbine instead of a water wheel. An advanced concept in mills for its time.

Dense fall fog in the Amper Valley. I love days like this because the fog muffles all sound and all you can hear is the quiet crackling of the damp mist.

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Tumi (Quechua for 'Knife', variants: 'Tome', 'Tume'), is a generic term encompassing the many kinds of sharp tools utilized in pre- and post-colonial eras of the Central Andes region, Tumis were employed for a diverse set of purposes such as kitchen knives, agricultural tools, warrior or hunting secondary weapons, sacrificial knives, barber implements, pendants, or medical tools. In addition, the tumi form, in metal, was used as a type of coin.[Pre-columbian Tumis were usually made of metal or stone.

Wikipedia

This gold pendant depicts the ancient Andean cutting tool. The entire image is slightly over an inch wide.

As I recover from shoulder surgery, I have assigned myself a big, major, huge project…and yes it concerns photography! My mission, should I decide to accept it (Mission Impossible reference) is to clean out and organize my 2TB external hard drive…that contains every digital photo that I have retained since 1985. The majority also have the RAW file associated with that photo attached. Files numbering in the tens of thousands that have been filed, misfiled, triple duplicated and thrown into folders as if I were dealing cards. My ADHD and sense of personal embarrassment will simply not allow this craziness to continue.

The blessing of this process is not just the discovery of photos long forgotten, but the memories contained. These files may well prove themselves to be priceless…not just for the memories depicted in the photos, but as a partner as I spent the next five weeks, the hours ahead fighting off my nemesis, boredom!

Here is one from a very good day…

You know that it was a very good day when you can remember everything about that day, the temperature, the warmth of the sun, the smell of a spring pasture and in this case anxiety of having to go to work when your best girl is about to give birth! It was the 13th of May, 2010 and our National Champion (Reserve Color Champion, 2006 AOBA Nationals) girl Rosalita was in labor. Joann and I both went to work to check in and start clearing the days schedule, both securing the day off with bosses and returning to the farm in record time.

A quick switch from work to farm cloths and a short trot to the front pasture found that Rosalita had already lost her mucus plug…her cria would be born anytime now. It was time to grab some lawn chairs, my camera and our birthing kit and just wait for things to progress. In the back of my mind, I prayed for a smooth, natural birth and that I would not have to put on the big gloves ever again and assist.

The next hour provided us with a memory of a lifetime as Giacomo would come into the world! A 19.2-pound male from Legend’s Challenger, at that time one of the top gray males in the country. The beauty of the moment, the cycle of life experience on such a beautiful May day is forever etched into my soul. Joann and I removed the remnants of the birth sack and dried our gift. The name Giacomo was chosen as it was in honor of my father who had passed some four years before. It was his childhood nickname and I know that it would have made him smile…like this photo does for me now as I utilize the editing program Lightroom to bring it to life.

This photo captures the bonding process/moment that alpaca mothers do just after birth. She gently takes her lips and nose and rub it against that of her cria, all the while making a clicking sound that bonds the two together for life. She will also use the same area to help her cria stay steady on its wabbly, minutes old legs.

What a blessing it is to witness not just the new physical body that God had created, but also the pure, palpable, natural love that was immediate between mother and son as well.

I didn’t know it then, but Giacomo would be the last cria born to us at Serene-n-Green Alpacas. In the early fall of 2010, a couple came to the farm and bought our last five alpacas, water buckets, farm name, logos, hay and trailer to start their own turn-key alpaca farm in Ohio.

Today, when anyone asks if I miss raising alpacas my response is immediate and direct. I miss birthing those babies!

Chase experiences, not things!

Photographed with a modern camera and a vintage Helios 44M-2 USSR made lens.

Vitex agnus-castus (also called vitex, chaste tree / chastetree, chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, or monk's pepper) is a plant native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering plants.[3] Vitex is a cross-pollinating plant, but its self-pollination has been recorded.

Theophrastus mentioned the shrub several times, as agnos (ἄγνος) in Enquiry into Plants. It has been long believed to be an anaphrodisiac – leading to its name as "chaste tree" – but its effectiveness for such action remains unproven. The shrub was utilized for religious rituals in ancient Greece and among the Philistines in modern-day Israel.

Marina Bay Sands Ressort, Singapore. I know, about this building plenty of pictures are already existing online. However, as a nothern European with only rare opportunity to visit Singapore and due to the impressive and sheer beauty it seems to be mandatory for me to add another one. To be a little bit apart from the crowd, I tried to utilize my own artistic vision and interpretation for working out the special atmoshere of this architecturally masterpiece.

The Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts organized a special trip on the Conway Scenic Railroad this weekend, utilizing the 470 Club's two beautifully restored Boston and Maine F7A's. The trip was dubbed "Covered Wagons in The Snow", and it did not disappoint.

The train is seen approaching Cobb Farm Road where they would stop and let passengers de-board for a couple of photo run-by's. Glad I got a shot before the entire train got off and crowded the area for the run by's. I promptly got in the car and carried on, avoiding the craziness.

January 2023

Bartlett, NH.

Utilizing that GF 100-200mm zoom lens...great lens for landscape!

My first attempt at utilizing AI. Perhaps a bit crude, yet to me, surprisingly rewarding. Suppose I could have spent a little more time on this and perhaps cleaned up a few areas but it's late in the evening and I was in a rush to post this......

Hope someone enjoys.............

I utilized a photo taken by our wedding photograph who sadly is no longer alive.

HSS 😊😊😍

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating and stay safe! ❤️❤️❤️

Both GMC and Chevrolet both used the name ‘Suburban’ for their truck-based station wagon. GMC utilized large V-6 engines that Chevrolet did not.

Year Model 1962 or 63. The color certainly stands out in comparison to the dull and boring hues of other vehicles, especially the new ones.

Note that there is no rear door on the driver’s side.

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Feito a duas mãos:

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Illinois Terminal heritage engine leads coal through tiny Elnora, Indiana on a winter day. This coal originated at Peabody Energy's Bear Run Mine near Dugger, IN, on INRD and utilized portions of INRD, ISRR and NS lines to reach its destination at the Alcoa mill in Yankeetown, Indiana, on the Ohio River.

With only three cars today, MNA train KCMNA-07 rolls into Lee's Summit on the UP Sedalia Sub led by an Ex-SP SD45T-2 and a G&W painted SD40M-2. This train is en route from UP's Neff Yard in Kansas City, MO to MNA's Pearl Yard in Carthage, MO, and it utilizes the UP between KC and Pleasant Hill, where it'll be back on home rails. On the UP, this symbol for this train is the LPHPHJ-07. 1/7/20.

Utilizing Providence & Worcester RR B39-8 #3905 (off inbound train CHFP), New York & Atlantic Railway train RS-301 works on the LIRR's Lower Montauk Branch at Maspeth (Queens), NY on the morning of April 29, 2015. Conductor Matt Sharkey and engineer (and NY&A legend) Tommy Materka are spotting loads at Quality Aggregates. The Long Island RR stopped running trains on this line a few years ago and deactivated the signal system, as well as giving operational control to the NY&A. Note the wind torn trash bag coming off the dark position light.

Created for the "Award Tree" Group's "Blue Fudge 2" challenge. Utilizing an older SOOC shot from my archives for its intense blue.

Acknowledging, with hand on heart, my "Canadianness". There's an oblique nod here to one of my favourite Canadian artists, Lawren Harris and his work. One piece in particular. His colour scheme is quite different but it's the same kind of evergreen branches, laden with snow. You might say my image is night to his day.

Harris was a member of "The Group of Seven", a much loved and utterly Canadian assembly of painters the sought out and truly conveyed a sense of the unique Canadian landscape. His work stands out for it's lack of heavy texture ( impasto ) and it's ethereal, even mystical, atmosphere. There is always a light outside of the frame entering in from an unusual angle, as if it were divine.

Indeed, in his later years, Harris become deeply involved in Theosophy, a 19th century mystical moment that was somewhat Platonic or Neo-Platonic in its views. Utterly unlike, but sharing the same motivation, Harris, like Piet Mondrian, also a Theosophist, sought to convey something of a higher realm of ideal form through his work. His last paintings were purely abstract but if one looks long enough, one can still see references here and there to the Canadian landscape.

www.google.ca/search?q=images+lawren+harris&client=sa...:

Click on image to ENLARGE !

___________________________________________________

© Richard S Warner ( Visionheart ) - 2013, 2017. All Rights Reserved. This image is not for use in any form without explicit, express, written permission.

My Website: visionheartblog.wordpress.com

A white ibis searches for sand crabs in the beautiful evening light.

One of the things I absolutely love about mirrorless is the ability to utilize the flip out lcd screen to get really low. Instead of lying down in the wet sand (and waves!) I was able to get this perspective hand holding and viewing the image on the screen. It took some practice but I was able to get some nice images like this. Of course I needed my reading glasses to see the screen!

Another thing I have noticed is that I can use a 1.4 teleconverter with very minimal loss in IQ.

Thanks so much to everyone who takes the time to view, like or comment on my photos!

© 2021 Craig Goettsch - All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use without permission is prohibited.

Branching off of the C&O Mainline at Thurmond, WV, the RJ Corman operates the 16 mile Loup Creek Branch to Pax, West Virginia. Consisting of 2 windy hills of 2% grades, it is mountain railroading at it's best. RJ Corman took over the branch in 2005, and rebuilt the rail line from Mt. Hope northward to Pax, where Pioneer Fuels operates a coal load that is now the only active customer left today.

The train is loaded in 3 cuts, with the first cut utilizing the CSX power and dropping the cars in the siding at Mt. Hope, before returning up to the mine to load the 2nd, and largest cut. After loading is complete, the 2 RJ Corman motors will act as helpers to get the 2nd cut over the hill and leave the CSX motors with the cars.

After spotting the first 2 cuts of the train at Mt. Hope the RJ Corman motors will bring the last 14 cars down to be combined with the rest of the train before heading down to Thurmond. The other SD was broken on the morning of my visit, so the lone working unit had to double the hill. After stalling with 14 loads on the first hill on the first go, the engineer put his skill to work to walk the train up at a crawl to Packs Branch.

Once at Packs Branch, the train was split and doubled over the 2nd hill at again a walking speed. Here the last 7 cars pop out of the south portal of Mt. Hope tunnel as the snow continues to fall around them. When reaching the siding at Mt Hope they’ll assist in finishing putting the 100 car train back together for delivery to the CSX at Thurmond.

The Abanotubani District (aka Old Tbilisi) of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. It features bathhouses utilizing natural underground hot sulfur springs, Georgian Orthodox churches, an Armenian Apostolic church, the Jumah Mosque of Tbilisi, Georgian brick homes embellished with wooden balconies, shops, hotels, bars and restaurants.

The Narikala Fortress was originally built atop Sololaki Hill in the 4th century AD during the period of Sassanian rule. It was expanded in the 7th century by the Umayyads, and later by the Georgian King David IV (David the builder, ruled 1089-1125), including adding the Saint Nicholas Church seen at left. In 1827 an explosion of Russian munitions stored in the fortress left it in ruins and it was abandoned. In 1996-1997 the Saint Nicholas Church was rebuilt. The upper station of the Rike Park Cable Car, which takes visitors from Rike Park to the fortress is seen at right. The 13th century Armenian Apostolic Cathedral of Saint George is seen at lower right.

Dense fog that slowly dissipates and gradually reveals the contours.

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1961 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud

History of the 1959-1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was introduced in October 1959, and was the first Rolls-Royce model to exceed Bentley in production numbers, with 2,716 built between 1959 and 1962; 299 of these rode the long wheelbase chassis. The car was also the first to utilize Rolls-Royce’s aluminum, 6.2-liter, 230-hp V-8 engine which had been in the planning stages since 1947. The introduction was so significant that the engine itself was displayed with the new Rolls-Royces at the London Motor Show.

The Motor published an extensive road test of the new Silver Cloud II, with the subhead, “Effortless speed and extreme quietness with a new V-8 engine.” In September 1960, Road & Track reported, “it is a pleasure to report that there is still a company in business dedicated to the task of producing the best car in the world, regardless of cost.”

The Silver Cloud’s new V-8 engine replaced the venerable straight-six, which was originally introduced in 1907 and fitted to the Silver Ghost. The new V-8 provided about 30 percent more horsepower and cruising speed was increased by raising the rear axle ratio. Fuel consumption dropped from 16 mpg on the six-cylinder cars, to about 10 mpg on the new V-8. Chassis lubrication intervals were increased to 10,000 miles as the former one-shot “Bijur” pedal pump system was replaced by 21 grease gun fittings.

The Silver Cloud III series was the last of the popular Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud series. The Silver Cloud I and II (and Bentley S1 and S2) from 1955 to 1961, shared the same standard body, but when the SCIII was introduced in 1962, contemporary trends modified the design. Most obvious were four headlights, a lower hood and radiator shell, and smaller bumpers. The interior was less pre-WWII in design, with a new padded rail above the dash, separate front seats (which was formerly a single bench seat) and more leg room front and back.

The V-8 continued in the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III launch, with a higher 9:1 compression ratio, and two-inch carburetors. This resulted in 246 hp, a 0-60 time of 10.8 seconds, and a top speed of 115 mph. Mainly courtesy of these performance enhancements and the more spacious interior, the Silver Cloud III is often regarded as the finest model of the series.

Rolls-Royce produced 2,044 SCIIIs, plus 253 with the long wheelbase chassis. By 1965 Rolls-Royce could still build the Cloud chassis and engine, but could no longer obtain the standard steel bodies, as the Silver Shadow was taking over the production lines. When early Shadow production was delayed, Rolls-Royce created a new series of coachbuilt cars on Cloud chassis.

By 1966, Rolls-Royce had merged its two coachbuilding acquisitions, Park Ward and HJ Mulliner, into one. The successful mid-1950s Mulliner Park Ward fixed head coupe was re-designed into a drophead coupe, and became an instant hit. Production continued with this new car until March 1966, well after the Cloud series officially ceased production in 1965.

The Silver Cloud models signaled the end of the coachbuilt period, as Rolls-Royce found it could sell 10 times as many cars with “standard steel bodies.” Custom Rolls-Royces were occasionally built after 1970, but by then the company had predominantly taken the path it is following today. These coachbuilt Silver Clouds are extremely desirable today as a result.

Rolls-Royce records are remarkably complete and any purchase should have full history and service records on file. Also make sure to have qualified mechanic lined up to maintain any Rolls-Royce purchase. Once everything is in order, a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud rewards the owner with the height of luxury from its era. It also stands up as a competent and capable car by today’s standards, only it does so with an elegance that is unique to its day.

Dodge L600 cabover flatbed truck. The tilting cab utilized the forward body of Dodge’s A-100 vans of the same era.

Though now retired after a career of hard work, it still has the appearance of standing with dignity among the simple and natural surroundings in Jerome, Arizona at Gold King Mine & Ghost Town. Though now destined to spend its years in the elements indefinitely, the galvanized steel body will help assure a fairly long existence.

Happy Truck Thursday!

TRRA 102 job brings a train to CSX at Rose Lake via the connection at Willows Tower. The tower has unfortunately been closed by KCS but I believe they still utilize the building in some capacity.

CSXT169West_TRRA102_Willows_EastStLouisIllinois_01032021_drone Anafi 1.7.3

01-03-2021

By the late 1980's, the only business remaining on the former Wabash 4th District west end was Indiana Sugars in Gary, IN. The N&W would utilize its old running rights from State Line to Clark Junction over the B&OCT, which dates back to when the B&OCT and PRR (State Line & Indiana City) shared this line. At Clark Jct, the N&W would get on the old Wabash for the run to the east side of Gary where IS is locations. At the time of this shot, the N&W was usually using a former Wabash GP7 and a former Illinois Terminal caboose boldly marked NORTH LIBERTY TURN for a time when the line still made it to that northern Indiana town. Airslide covered hoppers were the usual cars seen. The B&O CPL seen in the background is the home signal for State Line Crossing. The train's route was to get on the C&WI here and take it to Landers Yard, but now the train will get onto the old NKP (who's tracks are seen at the bottom of this photo) and terminate at Calumet Yard.

Today the NS still serves this business by way of a routing using the IHB and CSX lines. A new connection off the former Michigan Central line allowed the NS to abandon the line from Clark Jct. to Indiana Sugar.

Hammond, IN 4-23-1988

Photo by John Eagan

Try to utilize playing the different layers of single color as a metaphor of faded love, when love was away, one's heart would be lost , just like the flowers faded out , the color faded away.

Utilizing the former PRR Marietta branch, RJ Corman GP20E 4119 has just shoved three hoppercars north/east over the Tuscarawas River bridge in Dover, Ohio, on Jan. 4, 2019. The hoppers go to Deflecto, a plastics company beside the former Reeves steel mill that used to be the source of most of the traffic on the RJ Corman Cleveland line in the 90s.

A lone Plains Bison (Bison bison) bull in a restored prairie. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams County, Colorado.

Just 40 years ago the land beneath this bison's feet was one of the most polluted sites in the west. Contaminated from decades of use as an arsenal that manufactured and destroyed chemical weapons including napalm, mustard gas, white phosphorus, and more. The land, water, and air were all impacted. Red flags were raised when local wildlife, including tens of thousands of ducks were found dead in the vicinity of the arsenal.

By the mid-1980's, these operations ceased and remediation became the focus of the site, and it was soon declared a Superfund Site. In 1986, Bald Eagles, then an Endangered Species, were discovered utilizing the site. That spurred an effort to declare the site a National Wildlife Refuge, and a few years later, land that once served to manufacture weapons of war now provided sanctuary for an abundance of wildlife.

In 2007, plains bison were reintroduced to the refuge, where they thrived in the restored shortgrass prairies. In 2015 and 2016, black-footed ferrets were reintroduced adjacent to the refuge's expansive prairie dog towns. Today, it is one of only a handful of sites with a free-ranging population of these critically endangered members of the weasel family.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a true success story, and well worth a visit the next time you find yourself in the Denver area.

Utilizing UP’s San Pedro Sub to access the BNSF mainline, a pair of 60Ms working local job 112 slow to a stop above the LA River as the conductor secures a switch before departing LAJ’s A yard.

Union Pacific threw us a bone yesterday, with two locals utilizing some pretty interesting motive power to lead their trains. The LNB41 Blair Local which typically uses a pair of SD70Ms, has SD60 2213 leading. On most days this job is usually back into Council Bluffs before morning, however on Sunday they ended up tying down at Allen Creek and a new crew was driven up at 9:00 resulting in a daylight run back down to CB. Taking advantage of this uncommon occurrence, Jacob and I decided to nab em splitting the searchlights standing on the Omaha Subdivison in Iowa. The proximity of these signals to the crossing made shooting awkward but we were able to work around it.

Utilizing the Photographer’s Ephemeris the night before, I was able to determine that from this location the sun would be rising behind Merrick Butte and would enable me to shoot longer without the rising sun blowing out the scene. In the morning, while waiting for sunrise, it appeared there wouldn’t be much of a sunrise as the horizon was blanketed with storm clouds. With patience, and a bit of frustration, I waited to see if anything would develop. Fortunately, as the time got closer, the clouds began drifting west and left a gap on the horizon for the sunlight to break through.

This image is as the sun is breaking the horizon, but the bright sun is hidden by Merrick Butte allowing the sky and clouds to colour up and not be blow out. Along the horizon to the right of center, the falling rain is being lit by the golden light of the sunrise.

This panorama is a stich of 9 vertical images to provide a wider view of Monument Valley, rather than just the two Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte as is often seen. Another reason for the panorama format is to have the sunrise more centered and balanced, rather than off to the right side of the image. From left to right are West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte while on the far right is the edge of Mitchell Mesa.

Best viewed Large (L)

90006 'Modern Railways Magazine' and 90003 double head 4L89 Crewe Basford Hall - Felixstowe through Linslade on 10th August 2023

Djúpavík

Herring factory

Iskra

Power short Vermont Rail System utilized Green Mountain RS1 405 this fall, as motive power cycled through the paint shop in North Walpole. Assigned to the Bellows Falls switcher, or DASW, the 405 worked the Riverside Reload Center and gathered cars from interchange with the New England Central in North Walpole. Here the 405 shoves salt loads to Riverside on a gorgeous fall morning.

This image utilizes an old texture, "Dreamy Sky Background" from the talented Solitaire Miles - solstock, also on Flickr as Solitaire Miles.

The upper Layer is reserved for Pedestrians - at Rush Hour a dense Place!! Shot with the Sony ILCE-7M2 and the Zeiss FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS at F=11.0.

Press L to enlarge!!

If you want to know a little bit more about me as a Photographer:

www.cvisuali.org/photographer-interviews-117.html

Electro Motive Corporation's original FT demonstrator was once again in it's original paint for the anniversary of the locomotives release. The FT was named for it being Fourteen Hundred HP and coming as a Twin, standard two unit set. The FT was rolled out of EMC on November 25, 1939 and was produced through November 1945. The "A-B" set was rated at 2700 HP with each unit utilizing a 567, 16 cylinder U Deck engine block. In May 1941, the 103 went to the Southern Railway as their SOU 6100A. June 1961, the locomotive found it's way to the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO. The FT model was the predecessor for the F2, F3, F7 and F9 models that would rule the railroads for decades. The 103 was borrowed for this celebration and cosmetically restored by EMD for it's 50th anniversary.

FT103

EMD LaGrange, IL

September 26, 1989

The special one-off Siemens trainset dubbed "Lumi" by VIA is seen here southbound traversing the Rosedale siding track on the Bala Sub in preparation for a meet. Overtop is the infamous 1918-built Prince Edward Viaduct, which connects Bloor Street to Danforth Avenue and holds TTC's Line 2 subway underneath the street. Too bad a subway wasn't passing by at the time of this image.

Normally the only VIA to touch this section of track is the twice-weekly southbound Canadian, but due to a Metrolinx shut down of the Kingston, all corridor trains utilized the Bala/York Subs between Pickering and the USRC to avoid this closure.

Many frogs utilize camouflage, whether it's to stay hidden from predators or blend into their environment so prey don't notice them. For example, Vietnamese mossy frogs (Theloderma corticale) from Vietnam resemble clumps of moss. Poison dart frogs are called the "jewels of the rainforest" because they come in various colors that warn predators they're toxic and shouldn't be eaten. However, even these bright colors can act as camouflage in a vibrant rainforest.

www.livescience.com/50692-frog-facts.html#section-types-o...

Sainte-Flavie, QC.

This composition utilizes photos I took of "Le Grand Rassemblement," a sculptural installation created by Marcel Gagnon for Le Centre d’Art Marcel Gagnon de Sainte-Flavie, Quebec. The original sculptures, mounted on the rocky shore of the St. Lawrence River, are constructed from wood, cement, rope and other textiles. This image uses superimposition and textures to blend some of the photos together.

www.lafabriqueculturelle.tv/capsules/5550/marcel-gagnon-l...

Part of the Christmas day dinner table centerpiece decoration that Caroline put together. Every year she creates a new tableau for us to enjoy as we gather around the table. This year she utilized several holiday themed snow globes accumulated over the years that took us down a fun memory filled lane.

This bunch I utilized the skill of color changes from mono to colors, light change from bright to darkness, and the overlayering & cutting to express the respective expression beauty of trees & flowers in impressionism way.

First to those in USA like me, happy Thanksgiving 2015! I had noticed this old red brick wall with its iron stars actually the first time I had ridden the 40 mile Bike New York Five Boro Bike Tour in 2007 while waiting on the rather long and slow line with my fellow bicyclist to board the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan as the race has its official terminus at National Park Service’s Fort Wadsworth 3 miles east of the St. George Ferry Terminal. The majority 30,000+ riders utilize the ferry service to get back to Manhattan thus the long slow lines to their vehicles or in my case like others public transportation to New Jersey where my Subaru was parked. I had wondered what this wall was surrounding, the star being a dead give-away that it was of federal or military nature. So I’ve stated, I been able to do the Tour 3 out of the last four years, this year wondering around looking for a sign, a historic marker that might satisfy my curiosity, no luck.

So the last time I visited Staten Island this summer, when I got off the ferry, I purposely walked around the wall noticing at least 3 very dilapidated edifices within its confines, but stopped venturing all the way when my biological needs overwhelmed me and I had to find a facility. I ventured up close to the Staten Island Borough Hall whose image I captured posted earlier this year. There happens to be branch of the New York Public Library across from Borough Hall that I spotted, so I ventured in and asked the librarian point blank about the red brick wall by St. George Terminal. Well she explained it history, wrote down a couple of websites and recommended that I return another day, and continue down the path I had been on to the National Lighthouse Museum which was closing for the day as I spoke to her. Will get there eventually……….

The red brick wall with the metal stars in fact once extended around a 10 acre complex that from its completion in 1864 until 1939 when auspices and organization were absorbed by the United States Coast was the United States Lighthouse Service’s (USLHS) General Depot. There is such amazing history as many of the innovations on the United States Lighthouse’s, replacement parts and repairs were done at this 10 acre facility. Early on when lighthouse’s beacons were lit with oil, there were subterranean vaults for oil storage built. These subterranean vaults were repurposed when lighthouses evolved to electric power became storage for anchors, sinkers, chains, buoys, and lighthouse structural members. What this allowed was the monitoring and measurement of utilization of the consumables of the US Lighthouse’s beacons. The facility had machine shops, foundries and wood shops that engineered new structures and created parts for repair and replacement that were in turn shipped out to regional United States Lighthouse Service Depots located geographically closer to their respective lighthouses.

The Coast use of the Staten Island Depot as Lighthouses evolved as lighthouses had become largely automated and self sufficient, so the foundry for the depot became one of the key manufacturing and maintenance point for many of the buoys along the entire Eastern Seaboard and then as a ship repair facility for USCG vessels, during WWII wartime painting of said vessels. Many of the buildings had stood since the late 1800’s and eventually its antiquated facilities were no longer useful and the United States Coast Guard shuttered the facility in 1965, the year my brother was born. Well, it wasn’t in service like so many military facilities around the USA, and fell into disrepair. Buildings were basically collapsing. In 1978, the United States Coast Guard donated the entire property to the City of New York which promptly tore down the dockside edifices and built a maintenance facility for the Staten Island Ferry’s vessels. The rest of the 10 acres? Well what was left of the 18 building facility just kept decaying, being reclaimed by nature. The Lighthouse Preservation Society (LPS) championed the formation of the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee whose sole purpose was to vet out a location for a national lighthouse museum. The dilapidated remains of the Staten Island Depot was chosen and made it a logical choice as its great historical lighthouse significance and the prime location in one of the world’s busiest harbors. The Lighthouse Museum was given its New York State charter November 2001, 14 years ago with support from then New York Governor George Pataki, then New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani and then Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari. Painfully as much discussion as to what to do with the property, after designating building 11 as the site for museum has caused so much delay, which is why I didn’t see any signage when I was exploring. The ultimate delay came when Hurricane Sandy or Superstorm Sandy hit on October 29, 2012. The waters surged into what work had been done to building 11 and actually swept away the Old Orchard Lighthouse into the bay which was to be part of the museum. Well it finally did open this year in 2015 on August 7th, much work going on to stabilize the remaining buildings and repurpose them and a develop to the area with residences, eateries and shops. So the devil is in the details, I got this nice close up the rusted metal star in the red brick wall, using one of the filters in the Olympus E-5 to accentuate the decay. The wall stands symbolic as it has persevered 50 years since Coast Guard shuttered the facility within its confines.

Taken with Olympus E-5 handheld with a Olympus Zuiko 12-60MM F2.8-4.0 SWD fourthirds lens using the Olympus E-5 dramatic effect filter, processed in Adobe Lightroom.

lighthousemuseum.org/

Motive Power Utilization on the L&N in 1962

Yesterday during a periodical “purging” to put things back in their right place, I realized these two negatives (or at least one of them) had never been printed, scanned, or shared. These were taken at Loyall, Ky., on the L&N’s Cumberland Valley Division, in December 1962---probably between Christmas and New Year’s Day when I was there visiting my grandparents.

These shots are of train No. 65, the daily fast freight between Corbin, Ky. and Norton, Va. Freight traffic has fallen off slightly during the holidays, but there’s still work to be done on the railroad. No. 65 arrived much later than usual pulled by Alco FA-2 No. 313, and RS-3, and a second FA-2. The first move after arriving in Loyall was for the head end to hold on to cars to be interchanged to the Southern in Appalachia or Interstate Railroad at Dorchester Junction. Everything else would go through to Norton to be passed to a connecting N&W fast freight to Bluefield, W.Va. and beyond.

The first photo shows the three units holding the first several cars blocked for the Southern/Interstate and backing into the yard to couple up with a block of southbound loaded coal hoppers. Those will also go to Dorchester Junction, where the Interstate will meet the train, double (or triple) the tonnage into Norton, then make haste for Miller Yard, Va. to hopefully interchange everything to the Clinchfield before midnight (thus avoiding a share of car per diem charges for that day).

However---it takes more horsepower on the stretch of the CV from Loyall to Norton, so the three units cut off and back to the engine terminal to “borrow” an extra RS-3 from those assigned to Loyall. This will give them enough power to move about 5600 tons. A fifth unit would up that total to 7000, but the weigh clerk, yard crew, billing clerks and yardmaster have calculated the tonnage closely, and four units should suffice for this run.

On the railroad, math was (and still is) your friend! The last thing a yard master wants to do is dispatch a freight with more tonnage than it can handle over a particular stretch of railroad. Conductors were also required to double check their tonnage as well. Computers? No...this was done with a switch list, a sharpened No. 2 pencil, and calculating the tonnage as one was taught in elementary school. You had to account for the tare weight (how much an empty car weighed) and the lading (weight of the load, be it coal, appliances, petroleum, dog food, or stacks of lumber)---and maybe the caboose plus the weight of the flagman and conductor if it was gonna be close! If any over tonnage freight with all its motive power in good working order stalls, the problems are like a snowball rolling downhill.

The second shot shows the 313 and the RS-3 has cut off the rear FA-2 and moved in to “snatch” one of the extra units. The MU connections have been completed, and No. 65’s engineer has notched out the throttle just enough to be sure the extra unit is responding to his commands. Since the “new” unit has been idling for hours, it emits a cloud of white exhaust smoke. A diesel locomotive smoking after idling can be attributed to several factors, primarily related to incomplete combustion or issues with the fuel and air mixture, but it’s very common. The carbon build up blows out the exhaust once the RPMs are increased.

By the time No. 65 had doubled the coal onto the train, it was apparently too dark, so I had to give up the photography. Oh yes…on the way back to Corbin the next day, the extra unit would be dropped at Loyall to be assigned to the next mine run. These exchanges of motive power continued for many years at Loyall, although as tonnages increased and six motor units were assigned more often, the practice wasn’t as common.

The old heads might notice that distinctive Milwaukee Road box car in the first shot, followed by a small covered hopper, and an empty Interstate hopper headed back to Andover. The cars in the background in the second shot are bound for the N&W connection at Norton. The mixed freight on this run versus coal was usually a 50-50 mix. If there was too much coal to run, extras would handle it and the four daily through freights would handle all the mixed freight traffic---and operated on a "priority" basis.

cobwebs traversing the length of the stem, this flower served as a temporary home to someone!

Petra (Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ; Ancient Greek: Πέτρα), originally known as Raqmu (Nabataean Arabic: الرقيم), is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Petra lies on the slope of Jabal Al-Madbah in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah valley that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Established possibly as early as the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra's proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub.

The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue, and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The earliest recorded historical reference to the city was when an envious Greek dynasty attempted to ransack the city in 312 BC. The Nabataeans were, unlike their enemies, accustomed to living in the barren deserts, and were able to repel attacks by utilizing the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. The Kingdom's capital continued to flourish until the 1st century AD when its famous Al-Khazneh facade was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants.

Encroaching troops of the Roman Empire in 106 AD forced the Nabataeans to surrender. The Romans annexed and renamed the Kingdom to Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after a 363 earthquake destroyed many structures. The Byzantine Era witnessed the construction of several Christian churches. By 700, the city became an abandoned place where only a handful of nomads grazed goats. It remained an unknown place until it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, sparking renewed interest in the city.

The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. It is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction.

It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".

After utilizing google maps to find where the Bow river runs north, I followed my gps to a destination north west of Calgary. There I found this gem just as the sun was setting over the far hills leaving a rainbow of colors.

While taking an afternoon drive on a fairly remote dirt road in Plumas County California my wife and I came to this old structure. I don’t know much about it. It appears to be a start to a cabin that was never completed as there are no remnants of a roof or floor, just these outer walls. It was late morning and the sun was fairly high in the sky making the light quite harsh for visible light photography so I broke out my full spectrum modified camera and took some near infrared images. This one was captured utilizing the 830 nanometer “deep” infrared filter which can produce some dramatic monochrome images with a subject such as this.

fineartamerica.com/featured/northern-california-fixer-upp...

Utilizing UP’s San Pedro Sub to access the BNSF mainline, a pair of 60Ms working local job 112 slow to a stop above the LA River as the conductor secures a switch before departing LAJ’s A yard.

Utilizing the latest pirated imported technology, the IPC releases the once classified D/CWNC, seen on the left, with an operator on the right.

Result of a late-night building binge. And inspired by cheesy sci-fi channel movies and Tayasuune.

Also also, possible cyberpunk contest entry, if it fits in a category that it >.>