Thirlmere - 6 (best viewed larger)

"Nathan Lubricator", AD60 class steam locomotive (Australia 1956)

Thanks for looking

Cheers

Mike

Shot with a Fuji X10 set up to produce in-camera b&w (red filter) JPEGs in the medium resolution high dynamic range (6Mpixel, DR400%) mode. 

happy new year

Thanks Mehmet - you too!

All the best,

Mike

For anyone who cares about these things... It is of course not a Nathan Lubricator, how silly of me!  It's a Metcalfe - although how one is supposed to know that is beyond me... what, oh... it is written on it?  Ok, well my fault then. 

Now all I need is for someone to explain what the hell a 'lubricator' is and why a steam engine needs so many of them.

:)

A beautiful result with very nice details, Mike!

What a well presented and very 'spot on' capture of this 'lubricator'. I do not know what or why, just that my Dad has always been fascinated with Steam Engines, and I've been to a few summertime 'exhibitions'. I got very interested with that parts on Trains this past summer and took a few images, (not nearly as greaat as this). I had never thought about all the parts that are used in the makings of a Locomotive, and all the Patents on each part. The images I got were on a Train in a Park in a small town near us, the parts had many coats of paint on them  and some very rusty, but I found it to be fascinating all the same. Thank you for sharing this image with us. One can tell that this Steam Engine is well preserved. Your camera takes an excellent image in the perameters you provided!

Thank you Ruud, much appreciated.

Cheers

Mike

Thank you Gail for your comments.  It is a step-father in my case – he is manufacturing a large (5” track I think) working model of an Australian 38 class steam locomotive and he wanted to go the Thirlmere museum because they have a full scale version of the same engine.  He took lots of snaps of the fine detail so he can finish his off as near as possible to the original.  While he did that I wondered about looking for interesting detail and tones.  

 This engine, the 6040, is in pride of place just outside the main exhibition hall of the museum.  It has been completely painted in a low-sheen charcoal coloured paint and looks as if it is dusted/cleaned regularly.  Well, the side facing the public does – I crawled through to the other side and it is not nearly so clean; dusty and full of cob-webs.  Anyway, it has been beautifully preserved and presented.  Unfortunately, unlike some of the museum’s engines, I don’t think the 6040 is in fully working condition as they have painted everything!

All the best,

 Mike

Thankyou Mike for explaining all about how well they take care of this Museum and it's engines. Fascinating to me really. My husband used to be an Engineer, but one where he designed machines that molded glass into our Windshields for cars. I can't imagine being so talented, but he loved his work. Because of the economy, he changed professions (Police Officer) many years ago. But I would love to be able to go and see the machines he designed that are still being used and have his name on them.

Your most welcome Gail.  I have next to no mechanical abilities but I to am impressed by these machines.

All the best,

Mike