PhotoEscapist

I came across the Steam Engine Exhibit quite by accident.  As I was packing up the camera equipment, after my encounter with the Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct, I heard a loud hissing and some clanking.  These sounds reminded me of the time I worked the railroads in my callow youth…in a previous life…

I looked across the road to see a large plume of stream rising into the air over a Mac Truck.   This being an unusual sight, outside a Steampunk novel or a post- apocalyptic film,  I crossed the road to see what was causing all of the ruckus.

It was a 1921 Frick Steam Engine/tractor.

Steam driven machines are best experienced in person.  They are living, breathing machines. They have fluid motion, they creak and sigh and on occasion, expel gases suddenly.  When they are running, there’s always something in motion, water dripping, regulators spinning, pistons pistioning, it really is neat.

As luck would have it, my Nikon D90 has a video mode, so I captured the Frick in action…

The Frick is a new addition to the generator in the Exhibit building and the boiler on display outside.  There is opposition to including the Frick to the display by Fenton Hanchett, the vice president of the Camillus Erie Canal Park Society, who finds it too loud and ugly.   I can’t say I agree with his assessment, and I’m pretty sure the dozen or so people who were attracted by the steam and huffing and puffing of the Frick would either. I’m sure, however, as Mr. Hanchett might agree, there is no accounting for taste.

I digress…

The generator wasn’t running when I visited, but, it’s still a majestic machine.  It has all the gauges, gears and whrilygigs you’d expect on a steam engine, al polished to a lustrous sheen.

I’ll try to cordinate my visit to the fully restored Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct with the running of the steam powered generator so I can share that with you also.

As events sometimes unfold, this happy find has lead to another.  August 5-8th in Canandaigua, NY  the 49th annual Pagent of Steam will be going on.  As it looks, I’ll be there on opening day, camera in hand, pack on back taking pictures and viedo again

This was a day well sepen and a trip well taken.  The combination of the Erie Canal and the Steam Engine Exhibit was amazing.

Get up and get out, see the Aqueduct and the Steam Engine Exhibition.

I may just have to visit the rest of the Erie Canal Parks to earn my “Traveled the Erie Canal” achievement (Hey, Erie Canal Heritage people, if you like the idea, all I want is 1% of the gross sales   ).

This was a quick trip for me 8 miles or 15 minuets from door to dock.  The draw for me was the restoration of the Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct.   I’ve read of aqueducts and seen sketches and pictures of them, but, I’ve never seen one ‘in the flesh’ or walked across one.  This aqueduct is reputed to be the only working aqueduct in New York, and perhaps the only one in the country.  So why waste a chance at an opportunity like this, when it’s so close to home?

I started my journey by Sims Store (the museum) and walked a little over a mile to the aqueduct.  Along the way there were dozens of people walking and riding bikes enjoying the towpath and it’s scenery.  If you look at a map you’ll see that the canal runs next to route 5 (it’s really the other way around, but, hey…),but, you rarely hear the noise from the passing cars.

View Erie Canal Lock 50 and the Aqueduct in a larger map

I took a few pictures long the way, but was primary interested in seeing and getting some snaps of the aqueduct.  I did like the boats and enjoyed the reflections they cast:

Upon reaching the aqueduct I was a little underwhelmed.  It’s in the last stages of construction and from the Canal surface, not really pretty.  There are still two earthen dams blocking the full waters of the canal, and  there is water in the aqueduct. This is for testing the tongue and groove construction of the wood and to find any leaks the may need to be fixed.

This is going to look fantastic in a few weeks when the waterway is opened for service.  I’m going to go back and get more pics when they’re done

The real beauty is the stone and woodwork from the sides, where Nine Mile creek passes under the aqueduct.  These kind of scenes need to be done in HDR….So that’s what i did

The top two are the upstream side of nine mile creek, above the arches is the towpath..  The small grey square in the second picture is a sluice to let water out of the aqueduct in case the water level is too high and to help drain the aqueduct for winter (this section of the canal is drained for the winter every year.)  You’ll also see a line in the water where the creek suddenly drops off.  That brown line is the remains of a wall constructed to diver the creek under the arches of the aqueduct,  the guide wasn’t certain when it was built or why.  It does, however help give a nice contrast to the water   The area where I took these pictures will be made in to a little landing where people can sit and enjoy the view.

The last two pictures are on the downstream side of Nine Mile Creek.  You get a fantastic view of the wooden structure here!  The area Where I stood to take these pictures was marshy and filled with little frogs, all of whom were to camera shy (and fast) for me to get any shots of

Both of the pictures were created with six pictures.  Three exposed for the sky and three for the bridge (+2, 0 , -2).  All the HDRs were shot without a tripod, being under caffenated, well rested and having a vibration reduction lens kept the shake to a minimum

Here’s a bonus shot:  while I was taking pictures of the aqueduct, a couple of canoeist came by   This will get editied and promoted to the banner area of the page at some point.

You can compair this ‘normal’ shot to the HDR image and see how the HDR brings out depth in the stone work and makes the sky pop.

This was a nice little trip and was worth while.  You can skip the walk and drive to the aqueduct, but, you would rob yourself some very nice scenery.

They also have a dinner cruise available in July and August (Wednesday’s and some Thursday’s  6:30pm sharp).   I may have to try to negotiate an upgrade for luncheon date to this cruise

Get up, get out and do it.  It’s pretty much free, and you can go to the Steam Expo Across the street.  I did   Betch ya’ you can’t guess what my next entry is about