There is an exhibit at the Renwick Gallery called Wonder that will be leaving soon. It is amazing. One of the pieces in the exhibit is Gabriel Dawe’s Plexus A1. It took my breath away. I just stood there staring at it wondering how to photograph it properly. Then I photographed it from every angle and every zoom and every focal point I could think of, and I still could not capture the beauty and, well, wonder of it. Below are a few photographs of mine just trying to capture it. I want to go back and stare it some more. It is just thread, yet it is so much more.
Month: June 2016
Rust
While I was photographing the ruins of the Elkins Roundhouse, I saw some rust on the big turnstile. Actually, I saw a lot of rust on everything, but the point is, I really started looking at the rust. It was beautiful. It was all variations of colors and textures. It was peeling paint cracking and folding and turning up to reveal other layers of paint, all being pushed away from the metal by the rust forming. It was rust forming on rust. It was Mother Nature laughing at the work of humans. It is one of those things where the average person would not give something the shortest glance, but I want to stop them and show them the beauty they are missing. Maybe you just have to be really detail oriented like me to see it. Maybe you have to be an engineer or scientist like me to appreciate rust. Or maybe you just have to be a crazy photographer like me to spend 15 minutes photographing rust. 
Elkins Roundhouse
Before boarding the Cheat Mountain Salamander train, I had some time to wander around the area where the Elkins Roundhouse used to be. Not much is left. Of the actual circle where the turntable was, all that is left is the pit with a fence around it. Alternating concrete wedges and grass lanes where the tracks were are the remains of the stalls. The only other remains are random metal parts scattered about.
I don’t know why I like photographing ruins, but I do. Part of what I like is imagining what used to be there.
Former roundhouse with alternating concrete and grass in foreground
Former roundhouse turnstile pit
Metal ruins
Metal ruins
Metal ruins
Former roundhouse with end railing
Metal ruins
Metal ruins
Curved metal I-beams
Alternating concrete and grass of roundhouse with rail bridge truss in background. I think the large metal structure in foreground used to be a turntable, but based on its label, it was not the original one.
Cass
To wrap up my trip to scenic railroads in West Virginia, my tour group visited Cass, where the Cass Scenic Railroad is based. Cass is now a state park, but it once was a company town, built to support the logging operations and mill. The company store and many of the company houses are still standing. All the company houses were built the same and are basic, yet today, they still look charming. Cass was famous for having wooden sidewalks on all its streets. The town still does have wooden sidewalks, but obviously they are not the original ones. The mill burnt down, but remnants of it still remain. A newer train shop is there also, and if you are lucky like me, you can get a tour.
Cass company houses
![Cass jail in the basement of the building that has the mayor's office and council chambers on the top floor. [There is a modern day political joke in there.]](http://www.geekygirlengineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_8355-1024x683.jpg)
Cass jail in the basement of the building that has the mayor’s office and council chambers on the top floor. [There is a modern day political joke in there.]
The nicest house in Cass, originally built for the company owners.
Cass Company Store
The ovens of the former mill. In the third oven, stacks of wood are present. The mill was closed so suddenly that the wood was left still in the oven.
The ovens of the former mill.
Part of the former mill
Mechanical rolling parts of the former mill. A metal saw used to cut the wood is in there.
Part of the former mill
Coal pile to supply the Cass Scenic Railroad train
Inside the Cass shop
Inside the Cass shop with many machines to make replacement parts that can no longer be bought
A short video of the Cass Scenic Railroad rolling to the station and stopping to pick up water.
Cass Railroad
Continuing my West Virginia railroad adventure, at Old Spruce Junction, we got off the lovely Cheat Mountain Salamander train and got on the Cass Railroad. The Cass Railroad took us to the top of Bald Knob, which is the third highest point in West Virginia. It has an overlook that gives amazing views, including a view of the Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. The train is powered by a Shay Number 6 locomotive, which was built in 1945. The Shay Number 6 has most of its working parts on the outside, so it is rather fascinating to look at. It also requires a lot of oil, which then seems to end up on the tracks.
Transferring from the Cheat Mountain Salamander train to the Cass train
Shay Number 6
Shay Number 6 engine
Water stop for the steam engine
Red spruce
Along the Cass Railroad
View of locomotive on a curve
Along the Cass Railroad
Along the Cass Railroad
Stream along the Cass Railroad
View from Bald Knob
View from Bald Knob
View from Bald Knob of Green Bank Telescope
Cheat Mountain Salamander Train
I went on a ride on the Cheat Mountain Salamander train this morning. Most of the route was along the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. We stopped along the way at High Falls of the Cheat. The train was vintage, and the car we rode in was lovely and vintage with classic fabric seats.
Wetlands
Shavers Fork of Cheat River
High Falls of the Cheat
Shavers Fork of Cheat River, taken at High Falls
Shavers Fork of Cheat River, end of train can be seen on right
Shavers Fork of Cheat River
Shavers Fork of Cheat River
Shavers Fork of Cheat River, in background are two fishermen and their dog
Shavers Fork of Cheat River
Wetlands
Cheat Mountain Salamander locomotive
Durbin Rocket
I took a ride on the Durbin Rocket this afternoon. The Climax geared logging locomotive was built in 1910 and powers a vintage train, including an old postal car. The train is indeed a rocket, as it moves along at a whopping 8 miles per hour. At one point a butterfly passed us. The roundtrip route from Durbin, West Virginia, however is gorgeous as it follows the Greenbriar River in the Monongahela National Forest. The only problem is after seeing all the smoke the coal burning created, I feel the need to go plant an entire grove of trees.
The locomotive
A look inside the locomotive
Greenbriar River
An old telegraph pole
Greenbriar River
Locomotive and coal supply car
Coal fired steam engine blowing smoke
Irises by the Greenbriar River
Greenbriar River
Durbin Rocket traveling by a field
Refilling the locomotive with water on the return trip
Stream where train stops to refill water for engine
Greenbriar River
High Level Pumping Station
As part of Doors Open Toronto, I visited the High Level Pumping Station. It is the oldest building in Toronto’s water supply system. The oldest part of the building dates back to 1906 with other additions added later until the final one in 1953. The building houses a vertical triple expansion steam engine from 1909 with a huge crank and flywheel, not to mention a lovely set of huge wrenches hanging next to it. The building also houses a steam-geared centrifugal pump. However neither of those are used anymore but instead have been replaced with nine electric motor-driven pumps to fulfill the pumping station’s objection of conveying drinking water to that area of Toronto.
High Level Pumping Station
Entrance Sign
Monitor roof allows light in and original crane can be seen in background
Columns with pressed metal molding and tile on walls
1913 steam engine
1909 vertical triple-expansion steam engine
Original steam engine gauges
Room with electric motor-driven pumps