Uploads from pjern, tagged utah

Missile Display

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:52:51 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

This is near Promontory, Utah at the Thiokol plant. The big one at the back is a space shuttle SRB. I learned a few things from the displays, most notably that the SRB's each have 8 small rocket motors that fire to push them away from the shuttle stack when they break away, and each of those little rocket motors is about the size of a couplr of 5-gallon paint cans on end. I only took this one overview photo of the display because it was raining.

Pink Dawn

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:10:39 -0700

pjern posted a photo:

On the Bonneville Salt Flats

Wasatch Cloudscape

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:10:00 -0700

pjern posted a photo:

Northwest of Salt Lake City

Road to the Golden Spike

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:31:04 -0700

pjern posted a photo:

This is the road off the main drag past the old Morton Thiokal rocket plant. It's about 7 miles to the Golden Spike site, the road winding up and over those mountains in the distance.

Lesson:

The "Rules" of composition suggest that the horizon should be near the top or bottom of the frame.. I thought differently, the road creates a strong visual vanishing point, along with the notch in the hills. It's almost impossible to look anywhere else. The old adage about rules being made to be broken is nowhere more true than in the practice of photography, where one should let the needs of the image dictate composition, rather than arbitrary rules. Think of them more as guidelines.

The road to Nowhere

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:28:35 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

Looks like it goes on to infinity, but...

Nowhere

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:28:40 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

Literally, the road ends here, at the Bonneville Salt Flats

Joshua Tree and Table

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:15:30 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

Rest stop, I-80, Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover, Utah

I can be thin too!

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:15:32 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

All it takes is the sun being *really low* on the horizon.

No 119, closer

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:00:06 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

This locomotive is neat as a pin.

The "Jupiter", head on.

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:01:57 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

Note the cleanliness of the shop.

"Jupiter" in repose

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:00:57 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

The whole shop area was neat and clean, especially so for a locomotive shop. I mistook the pilots (cowcatchers) for modern welded reproductions, and was quickly told "Nope. They're hand painted oak". and looking more closely, they are.

Last tie commemoratve ID plate

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:01:34 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

A virtual who's who of rail barons.

The last tie

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:01:22 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

This is a replica: the original last tie was lost in the fires following the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906; it had been in the Stanford Museum. The entire site as it is today is mostly a replica, the original rail was pulled up in 1942 for the WWII war effort, because by then this was a mostly-unused branch line. Note how small the rail is: modern rail is much larger and heavier.

Gift Shop

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:00:33 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

Get your golden spikes and railroad dick badges here.

Jubilation coast-to-coast

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:58:31 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

The transcontinental railroad was the 19th century equivalent to putting a man on the moon in many ways. Many said it couldn't be done, and yet it was, in less than a decade from its inception.

Placard

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:57:13 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

There are a few of these around the site.

Central Pacific

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:58:53 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

This is the view west from the last spike, towards California. In actuality, because the two railroads were given land grants based on the miles of track laid, they kept right on going side by side for several miles when they met. It took an Act of Congress to set the meeting point here at Promontory.

Now that's a headlight!

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:57:19 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

I have always loved the ornate Victorian sensibilities of mid 19th century locomotives. Especially the huge lamp-oil burning headlights.

Off season work

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:58:10 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

They're repainting the cab of the Jupiter for the new season. There's tons of work like this in keeping a steam locomotive running.

UP No. 119

nobody@flickr.com (pjern) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:57:41 -0800

pjern posted a photo:

This is one of the two replica locomotives. The original was built by the Rogers Locomotive Company.

Uploads from pjern, tagged utah

Missile Display

Pink Dawn

Wasatch Cloudscape

Road to the Golden Spike

The road to Nowhere

Nowhere

Joshua Tree and Table

I can be thin too!

No 119, closer

The "Jupiter", head on.

"Jupiter" in repose

Last tie commemoratve ID plate

The last tie

Gift Shop

Jubilation coast-to-coast

Placard

Central Pacific

Now *that's* a headlight!

Off season work

UP No. 119

Now that's a headlight!